[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 154 (Wednesday, August 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43734-43735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20618]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-99-13]


Portable Fire Extinguishers (Hydrostatic Test Certification 
Record); Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
Approval of an Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirement

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

ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning the proposed extension of 
the information collection requirement contained in the provision in 
the standard on Portable Fire Extinguishers (Hydrostatic Test 
Certification Record) (29 CFR 1910.157(f)(16)).

Request for Comment

    The Agency seeks comments on the following issues:
     Whether the information collection requirements are 
necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, 
including whether the information is useful;
     The accuracy of the Agency'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, electronic, mechanical, and other 
technological information and transmission collection techniques.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before October 12, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-99-13, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, US Department 
of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 
20210; telephone: (202) 693-2350. Commenters may transmit written 
comments of 10 pages or less in length by facsimile to (202) 693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theda Kenney, Directorate of Safety 
Standards Programs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, US 
Department of Labor, Room N-3605, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2222. A copy of the Agency's 
Information Collection Request (ICR)

[[Page 43735]]

supporting the need for the information collection requirement 
(hydrostatic test certification record) contained in the Portable Fire 
Extinguishers standard (29 CFR 1910.157(f)(16)) is available for 
inspection and copying in the Docket Office, or mailed on request by 
telephoning Theda Kennedy at (202) 693-2222 or Barbara Bielaski at 
(202) 693-2444. For electronic copies of the ICR, contact OSHA on the 
Internet at http://www.osha-slc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation 
program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an 
opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing information 
collection requirements in accordance 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 correct.
    The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act) 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.) In this regard, the information collection 
requirement (hydrostatic test certification record) in the Portable 
Fire Extinguishers standards (29 CFR 1910.157(f)(16)) ensures that 
employers properly inform employees about the condition of fire 
extinguishers they may be using in the workplace. Failure of the 
employer to collect and distribute the information collection under 
this requirement will affect significantly OSHA's effort to control and 
reduce injuries and fatalities in the workplace.

II. Proposed Actions

    OSHA proposes to retain its earlier estimate of 318,750 burden 
hours for the standard on Portable Fire Extinguishers (Hydrostatic Test 
Certification Record) (29 CFR 1910.157(f)(16)).
    OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in response to this 
notice, and will include this summary in its request to OMB to extend 
the approval of the information collection requirement contained in the 
above standard.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information 
collection requirement.
    Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: Portable Fire Extinguishers (Hydrostatic Test Certification 
Record) (29 CFR 1910.157(16)).
    OMB Number: 1218-0218.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal government; 
state, local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 1,275,000.
    Frequency: Varies (on occasion; annually).
    Average Time per Response: 15 minutes (0.25 hour).
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 318,750.

III. Authority and Signature

    Charles N. Jeffress, 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), Secretary of Labor's Order No. 6-96 (62 FR 111), and 29 
CFR part 1911.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 4th day of August 1999.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 99-20618 Filed 8-10-99; 8:45 am]
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