Document ID: OSHA-2008-0030-0001
Agency: osha
Document Type: Notice
Title: The 13 Carcinogens Standard; Extension of the Office of Management and Budgets (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements
Posted Date: 2008-09-26T04:00Z

[Federal Register: September 26, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 188)]
[Notices]               
[Page 55870-55871]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26se08-87]                         

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2008-0030]

 
The 13 Carcinogens Standard; 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 comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comment concerning its proposal to extend 
OMB approval of the information collection requirements specified in 
the 13 Carcinogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1003).

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
November 25, 2008.

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 three copies of your comments 
and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2008-0030, 
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, 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 OSHA 
docket number for the ICR (OSHA-2008-0030). 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 through 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: Jamaa Hill 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

[[Page 55871]]

and continuing information collection requirements in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (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 information collection requirements specified in the 13 
Carcinogens Standard protect employees from the adverse health effects 
that may result from their exposure to the 13 Carcinogens. The 
following is a brief description of the collection of information 
requirements contained in the 13 Carcinogens Standard: establishing and 
implementing a medical surveillance program for employees assigned to 
enter regulated areas, informing employees of their medical examination 
results and providing them with access to their medical records. 
Further, employers must also retain employee medical records for 
specified time periods and provide these records to the National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under certain 
circumstances.

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, 
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

    OSHA is requesting that OMB extend its approval of the collection 
of information requirements contained in the 13 Carcinogens Standard 
(29 CFR 1910.1003). The Agency is requesting to reduce its current 
burden hour estimate associated with the Standard from 1,657 hours to 
1,604 hours for a total reduction of -53 hours. The reduction is 
primarily the result of decreasing both the number of establishments 
(from 97 to 93 establishments) and the number of exposed employees 
(from 663 to 643). The Agency will include this summary in its request 
to OMB to extend the approval of these collection of information 
requirements.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Title: 13 Carcinogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1003).
    OMB Number: 1218-0085.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits; Federal Government; 
State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 93.
    Total Responses: 2,119.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Time per Response: Time per response ranges from 
approximately 5 minutes (for employers to maintain records) to 2 hours 
(for records access and transfer).
    Total Burden Hours: 1,604.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $88,816.

IV. Public Participation--Submission of Comments on This Notice and 
Internet Access to Comments and Submissions

    You may submit comments and supporting materials in response to 
this notice by (1) Hard copy, (2) FAX transmission (facsimile), or (3) 
electronically through the OSHA Web site. Because of security-related 
problems, there may be a significant delay in the receipt of comments 
by regular mail. Please contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-
2350 (TTY (877) 889-5627) for information about security procedures 
concerning the delivery of submissions by express delivery, hand 
delivery and courier service.
    All comments, submissions and background documents are available 
for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the above 
address. Comments and submissions posted on OSHA's Web site are 
available at http://www.OSHA.gov. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for 
information about materials not available through the OSHA Web site and 
for assistance in using the Internet to locate docket submissions.
    Electronic copies of this Federal Register notice as well as other 
relevant documents are available on OSHA's Web site. Since all 
submissions become public, personal information such as social security 
numbers and date of birth should not be submitted.

V. Authority and Signature

    Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., 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. 5-2007 (72 FR 
31159).

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 22nd day of September 2008.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
 [FR Doc. E8-22664 Filed 9-25-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-26-P