[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22014-22015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11022]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0103 (2001)]


Ionizing Radiation Standard; Extension of the Office of 
Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of the 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 Ionizing Radiation 
Standard (29 CFR 1910.1096).

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

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0103 (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: Todd Owen, Directorate of Policy, 
OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3641, 200 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2444. A copy of the 
Agency's Information-Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for 
the information collections specified in the Ionizing Radiation 
Standard is available for inspection and copying in the Docket Office, 
or by requesting a copy from Todd Owen at (202) 693-2444. 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.
    The information-collection requirements mandated by the Ionizing 
Radiation Standard (Sec. 1910.1096; hereafter, ``Standard'') protect 
employees from the adverse health effects that may result from 
overexposure to ionizing radiation. These requirements specify that 
employers must telephone OSHA if they expose employees to radiation 
above the level defined by the Standard, send written reports of 
radiation overexposure to OSHA, maintain employee exposure records, and 
furnish these records to employees on request.

II. Special Issues for Comment

    OSHA has 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

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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 in 
the Standard. In this regard, the Agency is proposing to decrease the 
current burden-hour estimate from 42,491 hours to 27,642 hours, a total 
reduction of 14,849 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 these information-
collection requirements.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Ionizing Radiation (29 CFR 1910.1096).
    OMB Number: 1218-0103.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 12,113.
    Frequency of Response: Occasionally.
    Average Time per Response: Time per response varies from 5 minutes 
(.08 hour) to maintain radiation-exposure records to 15 minutes (.25 
hour) for employers to prepare a written report of employee 
overexposure for submission to OSHA.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 27,642 hours.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $1,719,720.

IV. Authority and Signature

    R. Davis Layne, Acting 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), 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. 01-11022 Filed 5-1-01; 8:45 am]
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