[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 78 (Friday, April 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21479-21480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9979]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of Labor Statistics


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

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 programs to provide the general public and Federal 
agencies an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [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 the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The 
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the 
proposed revision of the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. 
A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be 
obtained by contacting the individual listed in the Addresses section 
of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
Addresses section of this notice on or before June 20, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sytrina D. Toon, BLS Clearance Officer, 
Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 3255, 
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Washington, DC 20212, telephone number 
202-691-7628 (this is not a toll free number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sytrina D. Toon, BLS Clearance 
Officer, telephone number 202-691-7628. (See Addresses section.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  

I. Background

    Section 24(a) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 
requires the Secretary of Labor to develop and maintain an effective 
program of collection, compilation, and analysis of statistics on 
occupational injuries and illnesses. The Commissioner of Labor 
Statistics has been delegated the responsibility for ``Furthering the 
purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Act by developing and 
maintaining an effective program of collection, compilation, analysis 
and publication of occupational safety and health statistics.'' The 
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) fulfills this responsibility, in part, 
by conducting the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses in 
conjunction with participating State agencies. The BLS Survey of 
Occupational Injuries and Illnesses provides the nations's primary 
indicator of the progress towards achieving the goal of safer and 
healthier workplaces. The survey produces the overall rate of 
occurrence of work injuries and illnesses by industry, which can be 
compared to prior years to produce measures of the rate of change. 
These data are used to improve safety and health programs and measure 
the change in work-related injuries and illnesses.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics is particularly interested in 
comments which:

[[Page 21480]]

     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.

III. Current Action

    OMB clearance is being sought for the upcoming Survey of 
Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. Approximately 230,000 
establishments will be surveyed annually. The clearance will include 
survey prenotification materials for employers who normally are exempt 
from the requirement to record injuries and illnesses.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Agency: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    Title: Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
    OMB Number: 1220-0045.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; Farms; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Frequency: Annually.

 
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                                                                                                                                 Estimated    Estimated
                                                                                                                                  time per      total
                      Form                                  Total respondents                       Total responses               response      burden
                                                                                                                                  (hours)      (hours)
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BLS 9300........................................  230,000                                230,000                                        .71      163,125
Prenotification Package.........................  150,000 out of 230,000                 150,000 out of 230,000                         .11       16,666
                                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................  230,000                                230,000                                        .78      179,791
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    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): $0.
    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 also will become a 
matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 17th day of April 2000.
W. Stuart Rust, Jr.,
Chief, Division of Management Systems, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[FR Doc. 00-9979 Filed 4-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-24-M