[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22015-22016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11023]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0198 (2001)]


Logging Operations Standard; Extension of the Office of 
Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of an Information-Collection 
(Paperwork) Requirements

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning its proposal to decrease the 
existing burden-hour estimates, and to extend OMB approval of the 
collection-of-information requirements, of the Logging Operations 
Standard (29 CFR 1910.266).

DATES: Submit written comments on or before July 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0198 (2001), OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-
2350. Commenters may transmit written comments of 10 pages or less by 
facsimile to (202) 693--1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theda Kenney, Directorate of Safety 
Standards Programs. OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3609, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-
2222. A copy of the Agency's Information-Collection Request (ICR) 
supporting the need for the information collections specified in the 
Logging Operations Standard is available for inspection and copying in 
the Docket Office, or by requesting a copy from Theda Kenney at (202) 
693-2222. For electronic copies of the ICR contact OSHA on the Internet 
at http://www.osha.gov/comp-links.html and select ``Information 
Collection Requests.''

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 cost) 
is minimal, collection instruments are understandable, and OSHA's 
estimate of the information-collection burden is correct.
    Paragraph (i)(1) of the Logging Operations Standard (Sec. 1910.266; 
hereafter, ``Standard'') requires employers to provide training for 
each employee, including supervisors. To meet this requirement, 
employers must conduct the training at the frequencies specified by 
paragraph (i)(2). Paragraph (i)(3) requires that an employee's training 
must consist of the following elements: Safe work practices, including 
the use, operation, and maintenance of tools, machines, and vehicles 
the employee uses or operates, as well as procedures, practices, and 
requirements of the employer's worksite; recognition and control of 
health and safety hazards associated with the employee's specific work 
tasks and logging operations in general; and the requirements of the 
Standard. Under paragraph (i)(7), employers must assure that every 
employee, including supervisors, receives first-aid and CPR training; 
this training must, at a minimum, conform to the requirements listed in 
Appendix B of the Standard.
    Paragraph (i)(10)(i) specifies that employers must certify the 
training provided to employees. This certification must be in writing 
and provide the following information: The name or identifier of the 
employee; the date(s) of the training; and either the signature of the 
employer or the individual who conducted the training. Paragraph 
(i)(10)(ii) requires employers to maintain the most recent 
certification for training completed by an employee.
    Training employees and supervisors in safe work practices and to 
recognize and control the safety and health hazards associated with 
their work tasks and overall logging operations enables them to avoid 
or prevent exposure to these hazards. In addition, the requirement to 
train every employee and supervisor in first-aid and CPR optimizes 
their availability to administer emergency treatment to employees 
injured during logging operations; universal training is critical 
because logging operations occur at isolated locations with employees 
and supervisors distributed over large work areas.
    Establishing and maintaining written certification of the training 
provided to each employee assures the employer that every employee 
receives the training specified by the Standard, and at the required 
frequencies. In addition, these records provide the most efficient 
means for an OSHA compliance officer

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to determine whether or not an employer preformed the required training 
at the necessary and appropriate frequencies.

II. Special Issues for Comment

    OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
    <bullet> Whether the proposed information-collection requirements 
are necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, 
including whether the information is useful;
    <bullet> The accuracy of OSHA's estimate of the burden (time and 
cost) of the information-collection requirements, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    <bullet> The quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
collected; and
    <bullet> 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 proposes to decrease the existing burden-hour estimate, and to 
extend OMB approval, of the collection-of-information requirements 
specified by the Standard. In this regard, the Agency is proposing to 
decrease the current burden-hour estimate from 73,106 hours 3,192 
hours, a total reduction of 69,914 hours. The Agency will summarize the 
comments submitted in response to this notice, and will include this 
summary in its request to OMB to extend the approval of this 
information-collection requirement.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirement.
    Title: Logging Operations (29 CFR 1910.266).
    OMB Number: 1218-0198.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 14,000.
    Frequency of Response: Annually; occasionally.
    Average Time per Response: Either 2 minutes (0.03 hours) or 5 
minutes (.08 hours) depending on type of training.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2,940.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.

IV. Authority and Signature

    R. Davis Layne, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor and 
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), Secretary of Labor's Order No. 3-2000 (65 FR 
50017).

    Signed at Washington, DC on April 27th, 2001.
R. Davis Layne,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-11023 Filed 5-1-01; 8:45 am]
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