[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 204 (Friday, October 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57127-57128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27649]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-1218-0205(2000)]


Personal Protective Equipment for General Industry, Extension of 
the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of an Information 
Collection (Paperwork) Request

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 requirements contained in the standard on 
Personal Protective Equipment for General Industry (PPE), 29 CFR 
1910.132 (d)(2) and (f)(4).

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 December 21, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0205(2000), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 
U.S. 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, U.S. 
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) supporting the need for the 
information collection requirements contained in the standard on 
Personal Protective Equipment for General Industry (29 CFR 1910.132) is 
available for inspection and copying in the Docket Office, or mailed on 
request by telephoning Theda Kenney 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.gov/comp-links.html, and click 
on ``Information Collection Requests.''

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.) Paragraph 1910.132(d) of the PPE standard 
requires employers to perform a hazard assessment of the workplace to 
determine if personal protective equipment is necessary. The hazard 
assessment is an important part of the process to assure that the PPE 
selected is appropriate for the hazards present in the workplace. 
Paragraph (d)(2) requires employers to certify that they performed a 
hazard assessment. The signed certification must include the date of 
the hazard assessment and the identification of the workplace evaluated 
(area or location).
    Paragraph (f)(4) of 1910.132 requires employers to certify that 
employees received and understood PPE training. The training 
certification must include the name of the employee(s) trained, the 
date of training, and the subject of the certification (i.e., a 
statement identifying the document as a certification of training in 
the use of PPE).
    The hazard assessment assures that the PPE selected is appropriate 
for the hazards present in the workplace. The certification record 
required with the

[[Page 57128]]

hazard assessment verifies that the employer conducted the hazard 
assessment. The training certification verifies that employees received 
the necessary training involving the use of PPE. OSHA compliance 
officers may require employers to disclose the certification records 
during an Agency inspection.

II. Proposed Actions

    OSHA estimates that employers will expand 608,871 hours yearly to 
comply with the information collection requirements in the PPE Standard 
(29 CFR 1910.132). This is an increase of 151,656 burden hours over the 
previous estimate of 457,215 burden hours.
    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 contained in 
the above standard.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection requirement.
    Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: Personal Protective Equipment for General Industry (29 CFR 
1910.132).
    OMB Number: 1218-0205.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; state, local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 2,340,000.
    Frequency: Varies (on occasion, annually).
    Average Time per Response: Varies from five minutes (0.08 hour) to 
29 hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 608,871.

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) and Secretary of Labors Order No. 6-96 (62 FR 111).

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 15th day of October 1999.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 99-27649 Filed 10-21-99; 8:45 am]
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