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###### Department of Labor

###### Occupational Safety and Health Administration

          - [Docket No. OSHA-2011-0027]

# AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

# ACTION:

Request for public comments.

# SUMMARY:

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements specified by the Respiratory Protection Standard.

# DATES:

Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by March 19, 2018.

# ADDRESSES:

*Electronically:*                         You may submit comments and attachments electronically at                         *http://www.regulations.gov,*                         which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting comments.                    

*Facsimile:*                         If your comments, including attachments, are not longer than 10 pages you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-1648.                    

*Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger, or courier service:*                         When using this method, you must submit a copy of your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2011-0027, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Room N-3653, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service) are accepted during the Docket Office's normal business hours, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., ET.                    

*Instructions:*                         All submissions must include the Agency name and the OSHA docket number (OSHA-2011-0027) for the Information Collection Request (ICR). All comments, including any personal information you provide, are placed in the public docket without change, and may be made available online at                         *http://www.regulations.gov.*                         For further information on submitting comments, see the “Public Participation” heading in the section of this notice titled                         **SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION**                        .                    

*Docket:*                         To read or download comments or other material in the docket, go to                         *http://www.regulations.gov*                         or the OSHA Docket Office at the above address. All documents in the docket (including this                         **Federal Register**                         notice) are listed in the                         *http://www.regulations.gov*                         index; however, some information (                        *e.g.,*                         copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download from the website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. You may also contact Theda Kenney at the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.                    

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Charles McCormick or Theda Kenney, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3609, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2222.

# SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

## I. Background

                    The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent (                    *i.e.,*                     employer) burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing information collection requirements in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA-95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program ensures that information is in the desired format, reporting burden (time and costs) is minimal, collection instruments are clearly understood, and OSHA's estimate of the information collection burden is accurate. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the OSH Act) (29 U.S.C. 651*et seq.*) authorizes information collection by employers as necessary or appropriate for enforcement of the Act or for developing information regarding the causes and prevention of occupational injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29 U.S.C. 657). The OSH Act also requires that OSHA obtain such information with minimum burden upon employers, especially those operating small businesses, and to reduce to the maximum extent feasible unnecessary duplication of efforts in obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657).                

                    The Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134; hereafter, “the Standard”) contains information collection requirements that require employers to: develop a written respirator program; conduct worker medical evaluations and provide follow-up medical evaluations to determine the worker's ability to use a respirator; provide the physician or other licensed healthcare professional with information about the worker's respirator and the conditions under                           ( print page 2677)                        which the worker will use the respirator; and administer fit tests for workers who will use negative- or positive-pressure, tight-fitting facepieces. In addition, employers must ensure that workers store emergency-use respirators in compartments clearly marked as containing emergency-use respirators. For respirators maintained for emergency use, employers must label or tag the respirator with a certificate stating the date of the inspection, the name of the individual who did the inspection, the findings of the inspection, required remedial action, and the identity of the respirator.                

The Standard also requires employers to ensure that cylinders used to supply breathing air to respirators have a certificate of analysis from the supplier stating that the breathing air meets the requirements for Type 1—Grade D breathing air; such certification assures employers that the purchased breathing air is safe. Compressors used to supply breathing air to respirators must have a tag containing the most recent change date and the signature of the individual authorized by the employer to perform the change. Employers must maintain this tag at the compressor. These tags provide assurance that the compressors are functioning properly.

## II. Special Issues for Comment

OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
    - Whether the proposed information collection requirements are necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, including whether the information is useful;
    - The accuracy of OSHA's estimate of the burden (time and costs) of the information collection requirements, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    - The quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and
    - Ways to minimize the burden on employers who must comply; for example, by using automated or other technological information collection and transmission techniques.

## III. Proposed Actions

OSHA is requesting that OMB extend its approval of the information collection requirements contained in the Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134). The Agency is requesting an adjustment increase in the number of burden hours from 6,642,537 to 7,622,100 hours, a total increase of 979,563 burden hours. This increase is based on updated data showing an increase in the number of covered establishments. In addition, OSHA is requesting an adjustment increase of $139,348,226 in operation and maintenance costs (from $232,934,143 to $372,282,369) associated with increased estimated costs for employee medical exams, fit-testing materials and fit-tests. The Agency will summarize the comments submitted in response to this notice and will include this summary in the request to OMB.

*Type of Review:*                     Extension of a currently approved collection.                

*Title:*                     Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134).                

*OMB Control Number:*                     1218-0099.                

*Affected Public:*                     Business or other for-profits.                

*Number of Respondents:*                     631,607.                

*Frequency of Responses:*                     Initially; Annually; On occasion.                

*Total Responses:*                     25,621,506.                

*Average Time per Response:*                     Varies from 5 minutes (.08 hour) to mark a storage compartment or protective cover to 8 hours for large employers to gather and prepare information to develop a written plan.                

*Estimated Total Burden Hours:*                     7,622,100.                

*Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance):*                     $372,282,369.                

## IV. Public Participation—Submission of Comments on This Notice and Internet Access to Comments and Submissions

                    You may submit comments in response to this document as follows: (1) Electronically at                     *http://www.regulations.gov,*                     which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal; (2) by facsimile (fax); or (3) by hard copy. All comments, attachments, and other material must identify the Agency name and the OSHA docket number (Docket No. OSHA-2011-0027) for the ICR. You may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials in reference to an electronic or facsimile submission, you must submit them to the OSHA Docket Office (see the section of this notice titled                     **ADDRESSES**                    ). The additional materials must clearly identify your electronic comments by your name, date, and the docket number so the Agency can attach them to your comments.                

Because of security procedures, the use of regular mail may cause a significant delay in the receipt of comments. For information about security procedures concerning the delivery of materials by hand, express delivery, messenger, or courier service, please contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350, (TTY (877) 889-5627).

                    Comments and submissions are posted without change at                     *http://www.regulations.gov.*                     Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about submitting personal information such as social security numbers and date of birth. Although all submissions are listed in the                     *http://www.regulations.gov*                     index, some information (                    *e.g.,*                     copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download from this website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Information on using the                     *http://www.regulations.gov*                     website to submit comments and access the docket is available at the website's “User Tips” link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about materials not available from the website, and for assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.                

## V. Authority and Signature

                    Loren Sweatt, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, directed the preparation of this notice. The authority for this notice is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506*et seq.*) and Secretary of Labor's Order No. 1-2012 (77 FR 3912).                

Signed at Washington, DC, on January 11, 2018.

Loren Sweatt,

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.

[FR Doc. 2018-00731 Filed 1-17-18; 8:45 am]

 BILLING CODE 4510-26-P