[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 204 (Wednesday, October 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63172-63174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25146]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2011-0063]


Slings; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements

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

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to 
extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements 
contained in the Standard on Slings (29 CFR 1910.184). The collection 
of information (paperwork) provisions of the Standard specify affixing 
identification tags or markings on slings, developing and maintaining 
inspection records, and retaining proof-testing certificates.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
December 22, 2014.

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

[[Page 63173]]

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-2011-0063, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210. 
Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service) are 
accepted during the Department of Labor's and Docket Office's normal 
business hours, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., e.t.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and the 
OSHA docket office number (OSHA-2011-0063) 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 address above. 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 Web site. 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: Theda Kenney or Todd Owen, 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 accord 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 Slings Standard (29 CFR 1910.184) specifies several collection 
of information (paperwork) requirements, depending on the type of sling 
(paragraph (e) of the Standard covers alloy steel chain slings; 
paragraph (f) covers wire rope slings; paragraph (g) covers metal mesh 
slings; paragraph (h) covers natural and synthetic fiber-rope slings; 
and paragraph (i) covers synthetic web slings).
    The purpose of each of these requirements is to prevent workers 
from using defective or deteriorated slings, thereby reducing their 
risk of death or serious injury caused by sling failure during material 
handling. The information on the identification tags, markings, and 
codings assist the employer in determining whether the sling can be 
used for the lifting task. The sling inspections enable early detection 
of faulty slings. The inspection and repair records provide employers 
with information about when the last inspection was done and about the 
type of repairs made. This information provides some assurance about 
the condition of the slings. These records also provide the most 
efficient means for an OSHA compliance officer to determine that an 
employer is complying with the Standard. Proof-testing certificates 
give employers, workers, and OSHA compliance officers assurance that 
the slings are safe to use. The certificates also provide the 
compliance officers with an efficient means to assess employer 
compliance with the Standard.

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 
costs) 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 is proposing to increase the existing burden hour estimate for 
the collection of information requirements specified by the Standard 
from 20,001 hours to 24,181, a total increase of 4,180 hours. This 
increase in burden hours is a result of an adjustment in the number of 
slings (from 1,116,667 to 1,350,000).
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Title: Slings (29 CFR 1910.184).
    OMB Control Number: 1218-0223.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits; Not-for-profit 
organizations; Federal Government; State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1,350,000.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Total Responses: 297,676.
    Average Time per Responses: Varies from 1 minute (.02 hour) to 
maintain a certificate to 30 minutes (.50 hour) for a manufacturing 
worker to acquire information from a manufacturer for a new tag, make a 
new tag, and affix it to a sling.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 24,181.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.

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-2011-0063) 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

[[Page 63174]]

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 Web 
site. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available 
for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Information on 
using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site to submit comments and 
access the docket is available at the Web site's ``User Tips'' link. 
Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about materials not 
available from the Web site, and for assistance in using the Internet 
to locate docket submissions.

V. Authority and Signature

    David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, 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 October 17, 2014.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2014-25146 Filed 10-21-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P