39112 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 139 /Tuesday, July 21, 1998 / Notices

for ensuring that workers are properly

and effectively using the equipment.

Records of fit-testing and essential for

determining that the worker is wearing

the proper respirator.

Title 30 CFR Sections 56.5005 and

57.5005 require metal and nonmetal

mine operators to institute a respirator

program governing selection,

maintenance, training, fitting,

supervision, cleaning and use of

respirators. To control those

occupational diseases caused by

breathing air contaminated with

harmful dusts, fumes, mists, gases, or

vapors, the primary objective is to

prevent atmospheric contamination.

MSHA’s current policy, as prescribed by

regulation, is to require that this be

accomplished by feasible engineering

and administrative control measures.

When effective controls are not feasible,

or while they are being instituted, or

during occasional entry into hazardous

atmospheres to perform maintenance or

investigations, appropriate respirators

are to be used in accordance with

established procedures protecting the

miners.

Sections 56.5005 and 57.5005

incorporate by reference requirements of

the American National Standards

Institute (ANSI Z88.2–1969). These

incorporated requirements mandate that

miners who must wear respirators be fittested to the respirators that they will

use. Certain records are also required to

be kept in connection with respirators,

including records of the date of issuance

of the respirator, and fit-test results. The

fit-testing records are essential for

determining that the worker is wearing

the proper respirator.

II. Current Actions

The mine operator uses the

information to properly issue

respiratory protection to miners when

feasible engineering and/or

administrative controls do not reduce

the exposure to permissible levels. Fittesting records are used to ensure that

a respirator worn by an individual is in

fact the one for which that individual

received a tight fit. MSHA uses the

information to determine compliance

with the standard.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Mine Safety and Health

Administration.

Title: Respirator Program Records.

OMB Number: 1219–0048.

Agency Number: MSHA 404.

Record keeping: None.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Cite/Reference/Form/etc: 30 CFR

Sections 56.5005 and 57.5005.

Total Respondents: 600.

Frequency: As required.

Total Responses: 15,900.

Average Time per Response: 5 hours

and 20 minutes.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,973

hours.

Cite/Reference Total

respondents

Frequency

(per year)

Total

responses

Average time

per response

(hours)

Burden

(hours)

Program Requirements ......................................................... 600 12 7,200 5.000 3,000

Fit Test .................................................................................. 1,500 1 1,500 .250 375

ANSI Recordkeeping ............................................................ 600 12 7,200 .083 598

Totals ......................................................................... 2,700 ........................ 15,900 5.353 3,973

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup):

None.

Total Burden Cost (operating/

maintaining): $131,666.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for Office of

Management and Budget approval of the

information collection request; they will

also become a matter of public record.

Dated: July 15, 1998.

George M. Fesak,

Director, Program Evaluation and Information

Resources.

[FR Doc. 98–19353 Filed 7–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–43–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration

Working Group Studying Retirement

Plan Leakage—Cashing In Your Future

from ERISA Employer-Sponsored

Pension Plans; Advisory Council on

Employee Welfare and Pension

Benefits Plans; Notice of Meeting

Pursuant to the authority contained in

Section 512 of the Employee Retirement

Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29

U.S.C. 1142, a public meeting will be

held on Wednesday, August 12, 1998, of

the Retirement Plan Leakage—Cashing

in Your Future—Working Group of the

Advisory Council on Employee Welfare

and Pension Benefit Plans. The group is

studying pre-retirement distributions,

including in-service distribution,

hardship loans and participant loans

from ERISA employer-sponsored

pension plans.

The purpose of the open meeting,

which will run from 9:30 a.m. to

approximately noon in Room N–4437

C&D, U.S. Department of Labor

Building, Second and Constitution

Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210, is

for Working Group members to continue

taking testimony on the import of these

‘‘pension preservation’’ issues.

Members of the public are encouraged

to file a written statement pertaining to

the topic by submitting 20 copies on or

before August 4, 1998, to Sharon

Morrissey, Executive Secretary, ERISA

Advisory Council, U.S. Department of

Labor, Room N–5677, 200 Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210.

Individuals or representatives of

organizations wishing to address the

Working Group should forward their

request to the Executive Secretary or

telephone (202) 219–8733. Oral

presentations will be limited to 10

minutes, but an extended statement may

be submitted for the record. Individuals

with disabilities, who need special

accommodations, should contact Sharon

Morrissey by August 4, 1998, at the

address indicated in this notice.

Organizations or individuals also may

submit statements for the record

without testifying. Twenty (20) copies of

such statements should be sent to the

Executive Secretary of the Advisory

Council at the above address. Papers

will be accepted and included in the

record of the meeting if received on or

before August 4.

Signed at Washington, DC this 15th day of

July, 1998.

Meredith Miller,

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Pension and

Welfare Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–19348 Filed 7–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–29–M