[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61369-61370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29413]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-1218-0085 (2000)]


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: Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning the extension of, and 
increase in, the information collection requirements contained in the 
13 Carcinogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1003, 29 CFR 1915.1003, and 29 CFR 
1926.1103).

Request for Comment

    The Agency is particularly interested in 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 January 10, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0085 (2000), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 
U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., 
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: Todd R. Owen, Directorate of Policy,

[[Page 61370]]

Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Room N-3627, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 
20210; telephone: (202) 693-2444. A copy of the Agency's Information 
Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for the information 
collection requirements in the 13 Carcinogens Standard is available for 
inspection and copying in the Docket Office, or mailed on request by 
telephoning Todd R. Owen or Barbara Bielaski at (202) 693-2444. For 
electronic copies of the ICR on the 13 Carcinogens Standard, contact 
OSHA on the Internet at http://www.osha-slc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTRY 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 
requirements in the 13 Carcinogens Standard provides protection for 
employees from the adverse health effects associated with occupational 
exposure to 13 carcinogenic chemicals. This information collection 
request (ICR) covers the following carcinogens: 4-Nitrobiphenyl 
(Sec. 1910.1003), alpha-Naphthlamine (Sec. 1910.1004), methyl 
chloromethyl ether (Sec. 1910.1006), 3,'-Dichlorobenzidine (and its 
salts) (Sec. 1910.1007), bis-Chloromethyl ether (Sec. 1910.1008), beta-
Naphthylamine (Sec. 1910.1009), Benzidine (Sec. 1910.1010), 4-
Aminodiphenyl (Sec. 1910.1011), Ethyleneimine (Sec. 1910.1012), beta-
Propiolactone (Sec. 1910.1013), 2-Acetylaminofluorene (Sec. 1910.1014), 
4-Dimethylaminoazo-benzene (Sec. 1910.1015), and N-Nitrosodimethylamine 
(Sec. 1910.1016).

II. Proposed Actions

    OSHA proposes to extend the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval for the collections of information (paperwork) contained in 
the 13 Carcinogens Standard at 29 CFR 1910.1003, 1915.1003, 1926.1103.
    The 13 Carcinogens Standard requires employers to develop signs and 
labels to warn employees about the hazards associated with the 13 
carcinogens. Also, employers must notify OSHA Area Directors of new 
regulated areas, changes to regulated areas, and incidents that occur 
in regulated areas. Employers must establish and implement a medical 
surveillance program for employees assigned to enter regulated areas. 
This program must inform employees of their medical examination results 
and provide them with access to their medical records. In addition, 
employers must retain employee medical records for specified time 
periods and provide these records to the National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health under certain circumstances.
    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 13 Carcinogens Standard.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information 
collection requirements.
    Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    Title: The 13 Carcinogens Standard.
    OMB Number: 1218-0085.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal government; 
state, local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 97.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Average Time per Response: Time per response ranges from 
approximately 5 minutes (for employers to maintain records) to 5 hours 
(for employers to develop emergency/incident reports).
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2,798.
    Estimated Cost: (Operation and Maintenance): $86,226.

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 Labor's Order No. 6-96 (62 FR 111).

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 3 day of November 1999.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 99-29413 Filed 11-9-99; 8:45 am]
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