34934 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 123 / Friday, June 26, 1998 / Notices

200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20210. Telephone:

(202) 219–7894. Written comments

limited to 10 pages or less in length may

also be transmitted by facsimile to (202)

219–5046.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Theda Kenney, Directorate of Safety

Standards Programs, Occupational

Safety and Health Administration, U.S.

Department of Labor, Room N–3605,

200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone:

(202) 219–8061. A copy of the

referenced information collection

request is available for inspection and

copying in the Docket Office and will be

mailed to persons who request copies by

telephoning Theda Kenney at (202) 219–

8061, extension 100, or Barbara Bielaski

at (202) 219–8076, extension 142. For

electronic copies of the Information

Collection Request on Walking-Working

Surfaces (29 CFR 1910.21–30), contact

OSHA’s WebPage on the Internet at

http://www.osha-slc.gov/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Occupational Safety and Health

Act of 1970 (the Act) authorizes the

promulgation of such health and safety

standards as are necessary or

appropriate to provide safe or healthful

employment and places of employment.

the statute specifically authorizes

information collection by employers as

necessary or appropriate for the

enforcement of the Act or for developing

information regarding the causes and

prevention of occupational injuries,

illnesses, and accidents.

The information collected is used by

employers and employees to be aware of

load limits of the floors of newly

constructed buildings, the location of

permanent aisles and passageways in

these buildings, and defective portable

metal ladders. Once the floor loading

signs are posted, there is no need to

change them unless structural

conditions change or if the signs become

lost, removed, or defaced. Once a

portable metal ladder is marked as

defective, it must be removed from

service and either repaired or destroyed.

Repaired portable metal ladders may be

returned to service and the markings

removed. The tags or signs used to mark

the defective ladders may be used over

and over again.

Further, a copy of the drawings and

specifications of an outrigger scaffold

not constructed and erected in

accordance with table D–16 of the

standard and designed by a licensed

professional engineer must be

maintained by the employer. The

drawings and specifications are used by

the employer and OSHA compliance

officers to show the sizes and spacing of

members.

II. Current Actions

This notice requests public comment

on OSHA’s burden hour estimates prior

to OSHA seeking Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) approval of the

information collection requirements

contained in the Walking-Working

Surfaces standards (29 CFR 1910.21–

30).

Type of Review: Extension of a

Currently Approved Collection.

Agency: U.S. Department of Labor,

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration.

Title: Walking-Working surfaces (29

CFR 1910.21–30).

OMB Number: 1218–0199.

Agency Number: Docket Number ICR–

98–26.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit; Not-for-profit institutions;

Federal government; State, local or

tribal government.

Number of Respondents: 60,500.

Frequency: Initially, On Occasion.

Average Time per Response: Varies

from 0.5 to 2 hours.

Estimated Total Burden Hours:

33,837.

Total Annualized Capital/Startup

Costs: 0.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and

included in the request for Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

approval of the information collection

request. The comments will become a

matter of public record.

Signed at Washington, D.C., this 22nd day

of June 1998.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 98–17102 Filed 6–25–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA)

[OSHA Docket Number H–122]

Meeting on Risk Assessment

Methodology for Occupational

Exposure to Environmental Tobacco

Smoke

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health

Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Meeting.

SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA) is

sponsoring a scientific workshop to

evaluate risk assessment methodology

for developing estimates of risk due to

occupational exposure to environmental

tobacco smoke (ETS). This workshop

will be organized and hosted by the

Johns Hopkins University, School of

Hygiene and Public Health. The

workshop proceedings will be

published by a peer reviewed journal, to

be selected by Johns Hopkins.

DATES: The workshop will be held on

July 9 and 10, 1998, beginning at 8:30

a.m. each day and ending at

approximately 5:30 p.m. Applications to

attend the workshop must be submitted

by July 6, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held

at the Admiral Fell Inn, 888 South

Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland 21231;

phone: 410–522–7377. Send

applications to attend the workshop and

requests by individuals with disabilities

for special accommodations to Ms.

Charlotte Gerczak, Department of

Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins

University, School of Hygiene and

Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street,

Suite W6041, Baltimore, Maryland

21205–2179; phone: 410–614–0903.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Charlotte Gerczak.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On April 5, 1994, OSHA published a

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on

Indoor Air Quality (59 FR 15968). The

ETS provisions of the proposed rule

were supported by a preliminary finding

of significant risk for lung cancer and

heart disease due to workplace exposure

to ETS.

This workshop will attempt to resolve

issues raised in the public record

pertaining to OSHA’s ETS quantitative

risk assessment (e.g., data sources,

analytical methodology, dose-response

risk models) and further scientific

knowledge in this area. OSHA needs

additional information on these issues

to develop a risk assessment upon

which a final rule can be based. To

address OSHA’s concerns, Johns

Hopkins has assembled a group of

experts to identify issues and discuss

appropriate quantitative methodologies

for estimating occupational risks from

ETS exposures in the workplace. It is

the intent of OSHA that the workshop

results will be published in a peer

reviewed journal.

Public Attendance

Interested persons are invited to

attend the ETS risk assessment

workshop. Because of the limited

amount of seating available, interested

persons are encouraged to contact Johns
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 123 / Friday, June 26, 1998 / Notices 34935

Hopkins as soon as possible. If there are

more requests to attend than space

available, Johns Hopkins will give

preference to scientists with expertise in

risk assessment issues. No organization

will be permitted more than one

observer unless there is space available

after all admissions requests are filled.

Admittance to the workshop will be

limited to those duly registered.

The Workshop

The workshop participants will

consist of experts in the fields of risk

assessment, epidemiology, and

mathematical modeling. The panel

discussions will be chaired by Jonathan

M. Samet, M.D., Chairman, Department

of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins

University, School of Hygiene and

Public Health. The workshop

participants have been chosen for their

scientific expertise and experience in

this area. This workshop is scientific in

nature. The public is invited to observe

the proceedings, but participation in the

discussion is limited to workshop

participants.

Workshop Objectives

Under the direction of Jonathan

Samet, M.D., the workshop participants

will address key issues related to ETS

risk assessment methodology.

Specifically, the participants will:

1. Consider various health end points

to be included in the ETS risk

assessment and make recommendations

with regard to these specific health end

points.

2. Consider all available studies

addressing the recommended health end

points and evaluate the quality of data

for estimating occupational risk.

3. Review and evaluate available

mathematical models for estimating

occupational risk due to ETS exposure.

4. Examine properties of doseresponse risk models and characterize

the models with regard to validity and

uncertainty and their applicability to

estimating occupational risk attributable

to ETS exposure in the workplace.

Authority and Signature

This document was prepared under

the direction of Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary of Labor for

Occupational Safety and Health, U.S.

Department of Labor, 200 Constitution

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. It

is issued pursuant to section 6(b) of the

Occupational Safety and Health Act of

1970 (84 Stat. 1594, 29 U.S.C. 655).

Signed at Washington, DC this 22nd of

June 1998.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 98–16949 Filed 6–25–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–26–P

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration

Proposed Extension of Information

Collection Request Submitted for

Public Comment and

Recommendations

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as

part of its continuing effort to reduce

paperwork and respondent burden

conducts a preclearance consultation

program to provide the general public

and other federal agencies with an

opportunity to comment on proposed

and continuing collections of

information in accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA

95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This

program helps to ensure that requested

data can be provided in the desired

format, reporting burden (time and

financial resources) is minimized,

collection instruments are clearly

understood, and the impact of collection

requirements on respondents can be

properly assessed. Currently, the

Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration is soliciting comments

concerning the proposed extension of

the collection of information included

in the procedure for applications for

exemption from the prohibited

transaction provisions of section 408(a)

of the Employee Retirement Income

Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) (29 CFR

§ 2570.30, et seq.). The Department is

particularly interested in comments

which evaluate the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information

including the basis for any suggested

alternative burden estimates. A copy of

the proposed information collection

request (ICR) can be obtained by

contacting the office listed below in the

addressee section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be

submitted to the office listed in the

addressee section below on or before

August 25, 1998.

The Department of Labor is

particularly interested in comments

which:

• Evalute whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

functions of the agency, including

whether the information will have

practical utility;

• Evaluate the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

• Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected;

• Minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including through the

use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology,

e.g., permitting electronic submission of

responses.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are

invited to submit written comments

regarding the collection of information

of any or all of the Agencies. Send

comments to Mr. Gerald B. Lindrew,

Office of Policy and Research, U.S.

Department of Labor, Pension and

Welfare Benefits Administration, 200

Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N–

5647, Washington, D.C. 20210.

Telephone: (202) 219–4782 (this is not

a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Section 408(a) of ERISA provides that

the Secretary may grant exemptions

from the prohibited transaction

provisions of sections 406 and 407(a) of

ERISA and directs the Secretary to

establish an exemption procedure with

respect to such provisions. In this

regard, the Department previously

issued a regulation which describes the

procedures that must be followed in

filing for such exemptions (29 CFR

2570.30. et seq.). Under section 408(a) of

ERISA, in order for the Secretary to

grant an exemption, it must be

determined that such exemption is ‘‘(1)

administratively feasible; (2) in the

interests of the plan and its participants

and beneficiaries; and (3) protective of

the rights of participants and

beneficiaries.’’ In order to make such

determination, the Department requires

full information regarding all aspects of

the transaction, including the specific

circumstances surrounding the

transaction, and the parties and assets

involved. Thus, sections 2570.34 and

2570.35 of the exemption procedures

regulation lists the information that

must be supplied by the applicant. This

information includes: identifying

information (name, type of plan, EIN

number, etc.); an estimate of the number

of plan participants; a detailed

description of the transaction and the

parties for which an exemption is