[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 196 (Thursday, October 9, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61101-61102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24123]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2011-0066]


Vertical Tandem Lifts in Marine Terminals; Extension of the 
Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Collection of 
Information (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 the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the 
collection of information requirements specified by the Standard on 
Vertical Tandem Lifts (VTLs) in Marine Terminals. A VTL is the practice 
of a container crane lifting two or more intermodal containers, one on 
top of the other, connected by a particular type of interbox connector, 
known as a semiautomatic twistlock.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
December 8, 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 
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-2011-0066, 
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 number (OSHA-2011-0066) 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 OSH 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 VTL Standard for Marine Terminals (29 CFR part 1917) specifies 
the following collection of information requirements. The purpose of 
each of these requirements is to provide

[[Page 61102]]

workers with safe work practices when using VTLs.
    Paragraph (i)(8)(iv) of Sec.  1917.71 requires employers to ensure 
that the interbox connectors used in VTLs has been certified by a 
competent authority authorized under Sec.  1918.11 (for interbox 
connectors that are part of a vessel's gear) or Sec.  1917.50 (for 
other interbox connectors). Paragraph (i)(8)(v) requires employers to 
make the certification available for inspection and that the 
certificate attests that the interbox connector meets the strength 
criteria specified in paragraph (i)(8)(iv) of the standard. Also, 
paragraph (i)(8)(vi) requires that each interbox connector be clearly 
and durably marked with its safe working load for lifting and with an 
identifying number or mark that will enable it to be associated with 
its test certificate.
    The certification is necessary to ensure that interbox connector-
corner casting assemblies have adequate strength to ensure the safety 
of the lift. Marking of interbox connectors informs employers, workers 
and OSHA that the interbox connectors have been certified.
    Paragraph (j)(2) of Sec.  1917.71 requires the employer to develop, 
implement, and maintain a written plan for transporting vertically 
connected containers in the terminal. The transport plan helps ensure 
the safety of terminal workers and therby enhances productivity. 
Paragraph (k)(2) of Sec.  1917.71 requires that the written transport 
plan include the safe work zone and procedures to ensure that workers 
are not in the zone when a VTL is in motion.
    Written plans give employers, workers, and OSHA compliance officers 
assurance that VTLs are safe to use and 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 requesting that OMB extend its approval of the information 
collection requirements contained in the Standard on Vertical Tandem 
Lifts (VTLs) for Marine Terminals (29 CFR part 1917). OSHA is proposing 
to decrease the existing burden hour estimate for the collection of 
information requirements specified by the Standard from 2,000 hours to 
560 hours, a total decrease of 1,440 hours. Based on staff expertise, 
the Agency estimates that 10%, of marine terminal establishments are 
using VTLs. 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: Vertical Tandem Lifts (VTLs) for Marine Terminals (29 CFR 
part 1917).
    OMB Control Number: 1218-0260.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits; not-for-profit 
organizations; Federal Government; State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 140.
    Frequency of Responses: On occasion.
    Total Responses: 140.
    Average Time per Response: Employers will take four hours to 
generate, develop, and maintain a written plan for transporting 
vertically coupled containers in a terminal.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 560.
    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-2011-0066) 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 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 3, 2014.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor, for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2014-24123 Filed 10-8-14; 8:45 am]
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