[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 130 (Thursday, July 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36926-36927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17240]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-99-5]


Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations; 29 CFR Part 1904, Recording and Reporting 
Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (1218-0176)

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA 95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to 
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, 
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and impact of collection 
requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The Occupational 
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is soliciting comments 
concerning the proposed extension of approval for current paperwork 
requirements of 29 CFR part 1904, Recording and Reporting Occupational 
Injuries and Illnesses (less 1904.8, Reporting of Fatality or Multiple 
Hospitalization Incidents and 1904.17, Annual OSHA Injury and Illness 
Survey of Ten or More Employers). The Agency is in the process of 
revising these recordkeeping requirements and expects to implement a 
revised injury and illness recordkeeping system next year. However, if 
the Agency is unable to attain this goal, it will need to continue the 
current injury and illness recordkeeping system. For this reason, OSHA 
will request OMB reauthorization of the existing part 1904 under the 
PRA, and is asking for public comment on burden estimates, practical 
utility, and other paperwork issues concerning OSHA's existing 
recordkeeping requirements.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before September 7, 
1999.
    Written comments should:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be submitted to the Docket Office, Docket 
No. ICR-99-5, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210,

[[Page 36927]]

telephone: (202) 693-2350. Written comments limited to 10 pages or less 
in length may also be transmitted by facsimile to (202) 693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dave Schmidt, Office of Statistics, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N3507, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210, telephone: (202) 693-1886. Copies of 
the referenced information collection request are available for 
inspection and copying in the Docket Office and will be mailed to 
persons who request copies by telephoning Dave Schmidt at (202) 693-
1886 or Barbara Bielaski at (202) 693-2444. For electronic copies, 
contact OSHA's Web Page on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The OSHA Act and 29 CFR Part 1904 prescribe that certain employers 
maintain records of job related injuries and illnesses. The injury and 
illness records are intended to have multiple purposes. One purpose is 
to provide data needed by OSHA to carry out enforcement and 
intervention activities to provide workers a safe and healthy work 
environment. The data are also needed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
to report on the number and rate of occupational injuries and illnesses 
in the country.
    The data also provides information to employers and employees of 
the kinds of injuries and illnesses occurring in the workplace and 
their related hazards. Increased employer awareness should result in 
the identification and voluntary correction of hazardous workplace 
conditions. Likewise, employers who are provided information on 
injuries and illnesses will be more likely to follow safe work 
practices and report workplace hazards. This would generally raise the 
overall level of safety and health in the workplace.
    OSHA currently has approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for information collection requirements contained in 29 
CFR part 1904. That approval will expire on December 31, 1999, unless 
OSHA applies for an extension of the OMB approval. This notice 
initiates the process for OSHA to request an extension of the current 
OMB approval. This notice also solicits public comment on OSHA's 
existing paperwork burden estimates from those interested parties and 
to seek public response to several questions related to the development 
of OSHA's estimation. Interested parties are requested to review OSHA's 
estimates, which are based upon the most current data available, and to 
comment on their accuracy or appropriateness in today's workplace 
situation.
    29 CFR 1904.8, Reporting of Fatality or Multiple Hospitalization 
Incidents (OMB control number 1218-0007) and 29 CFR 1904.17, Annual 
OSHA Injury and Illness Survey of Ten or More Employees (OMB control 
number 1218-0214) are each under separate Information Collection 
Request (ICR) packages.

II. Current Actions

    This notice requests public comment on an extension of the current 
OMB approval of the paperwork requirements in 29 CFR part 1904, 
Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Agency: U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration.
    Title: Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
    OMB Number: 1218-0176.
    Agency Number: ICR-99-5.
    Frequency: Recordkeeping.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Farms; Not-for-
profit institutions; State and Local Government.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc: 29 CFR part 1904; OSHA No. 200; OSHA No. 
101.
    Number of Respondents: 1,086,264.
    Estimated Time Per Respondent: 1.6 hours.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,739,157 hours.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request. They will also become a 
matter of public record.

    Dated: June 29, 1999.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 99-17240 Filed 7-7-99; 8:45 am]
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