Document ID: OSHA-2018-0006-0011
Agency: osha
Document Type: Notice
Title: OSHA’s Alliance Program; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements
Posted Date: 2022-09-26T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 185 (Monday, September 26, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58377-58378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20783]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2018-0006]

OSHA's Alliance Program; 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 the proposal to 
extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the 
information collection requirements specified in the OSHA's Alliance 
Program OSHA's Alliance Program.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
November 25, 2022.

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.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov. Documents in the docket are 
listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index; however, some 
information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available to 
read or download through the website. All submissions, including 
copyrighted material, are available for inspection through the OSHA 
Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY 
(877) 889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and OSHA 
docket number (OSHA-2018-0006) for the Information Collection Request 
(ICR). OSHA will place all comments, including any personal 
information, in the public docket, which may be made available online. 
Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal 
information such as social security numbers and birthdates. For further 
information on submitting comments, see the ``Public Participation'' 
heading in the section of this notice titled SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Seleda Perryman or Theda Kenney, 
Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor; 
telephone (202) 693-2222.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Department of Labor, as part of the 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) (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, the collection instruments are clearly understood, and 
OSHA's estimate of the information collection burden is accurate. The 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (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 effort in 
obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657).
    OSHA created the Alliance Program in 2002 as a structure for 
working with groups that are committed to worker safety and health. The 
program enables OSHA to enter into a voluntary, cooperative 
relationship at the national, regional, or Area Office level with 
industry, labor, and other groups to improve workplace safety and 
health; prevent workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses; and 
reach employers and workers that OSHA may not otherwise reach through 
its traditional methods. These groups include trade or professional 
organizations, businesses,

[[Page 58378]]

unions, consulates, faith- and community-based organizations, and 
educational institutions. OSHA and the groups work together to share 
workplace safety and health information with workers and employers, 
encourage participation in OSHA agency initiatives, develop compliance 
assistance tools and resources, and educate workers and employers about 
their rights and responsibilities. Alliance Program participants do not 
receive exemptions from OSHA inspections or any other enforcement 
benefits.
    OSHA collects information from organizations that are signatories 
to an Alliance agreement (known hereafter) as ``alliance 
participants.'' Information is collected from the participant through 
meetings, informal conversations and data forms to develop Alliance 
agreements and, to develop annual as well as program-wide reports.
    Alliance participants work with OSHA to develop agreements with 
well-defined goals and specific objectives and activities. Agreements 
commonly identify specific hazard(s), operations, or other areas of 
concern; the targeted segment within the workforce and the planned 
activities to meet the agreement's overarching goals and objectives. 
OSHA provides templates for Alliance agreements and gathers the 
necessary information from Alliance participants through meetings, 
informal conversations, and review of a draft agreement.
    Alliance participants also provide OSHA information about their 
Alliance-related activities, including dissemination of educational 
materials, outreach events and training for OSHA staff. This 
information is collected using a data form (bi-annually) or through 
routine meetings and includes an estimated number reached for each 
activity as well as the areas associated with those activities that 
OSHA emphasizes.
    OSHA uses the information from the forms (National Alliances) and 
collaborative data gathering (Regional and Area Office Alliances) to 
compile annual evaluations for individual Alliances and assess the 
effectiveness of the individual Alliance in meeting agreement goals and 
objectives. OSHA uses aggregate data from active Alliances to assess 
the impact of the program as a whole in meeting the agency's strategic 
plan goals and strategies related to outreach and communication. The 
success experienced by these Alliances, when shared, can serve as a 
means to further promote improvement in worker safety and health.

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 to 
protect workers, 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

    The agency is requesting an adjustment decrease in the number of 
burden hours from 14,122 hours to 13,928 hours, a difference of 194 
hours. The decrease is due to a reduction in the number of field 
alliance agreement participants going from 70 to 25. OSHA will 
summarize the comments submitted in response to this notice and will 
include this summary in the request to OMB to extend the approval of 
the information collection requirements.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Title: OSHA's Alliance Program.
    OMB Control Number: 1218-0274.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
    Number of Respondents: 260.
    Number of Responses: 4,913.
    Frequency of Responses: Semi-annually, annually.
    Average Time per Response: Varies.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 13,928.
    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. Please 
note: While OSHA's Docket Office is continuing to accept and process 
submissions by regular mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Docket 
Office is closed to the public and not able to receive submissions to 
the docket by hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service. All 
comments, attachments, and other material must identify the agency name 
and the OSHA docket number for the ICR (Docket No. OSHA-2018-0006). You 
may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files 
electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials in reference 
to an electronic or a 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 that the agency can attach 
them to your comments.
    Due to security procedures, the use of regular mail may cause a 
significant delay in the receipt of comments.
    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 
dates 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 at (202) 693-2350, (TTY (877) 889-5627) 
for information about materials not available from the website, and for 
assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.

V. Authority and Signature

    James S. Frederick, 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. 8-2020 
(85 FR 58393).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on September 20, 2022.
James S. Frederick,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2022-20783 Filed 9-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P