[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 83 (Monday, April 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21415-21416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10637]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0113(2001)]


Cranes and Derricks Standard for Construction; Extension of the 
Office of Management of 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 public comment concerning its request to 
extend OMB approval of the information-collection requirements 
specified the Cranes and Derricks Standard for Construction; this 
paragraph requires employers to establish and maintain a record of the 
dates and results of the annual inspection conducted on each hoisting 
machine and piece of equipment.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before June 29, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket 
No. ICR-1218-0113(2001), OSHA, 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 
by facsimile to: (202) 693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen M. Martinez, 
Directorate of Policy, Office of Regulatory Analysis, OSHA, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Room N-3609, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-1953. A copy of the Agency's 
Information-Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for the 
information collections specified by the Cranes and Derricks Standard 
is available for inspection and copying in the Docket Office, or by 
requesting a copy from Todd Owen at (202) 693-2444. For electronic 
copies of the ICR contact OSHA on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/comp-links.html and select ``Information Collection 
Requests.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 21416]]

I. Background

    The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork and respondent (i.e., employer) burden, conducts a 
preclearance consultation program to provide the public 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 cost) 
is minimal, collection instruments are clearly understood, and OSHA's 
estimate of the information-collection burden is correct.
    Paragraph (a)(6) of the Standard requires employers to perform 
annual inspections of cranes and derricks and to establish and maintain 
a written record of the dates and results of these inspections. The 
inspections identify problems such as deterioration caused by exposure 
to adverse weather conditions, worn components and other flaws and 
defects that develop during use, and accelerated wear resulting from 
misalignments of connecting systems and components. A competent person 
or a government or private agency recognized by the U.S. Department of 
labor must perform the inspections.
    Establishing and maintaining a written record of the annual 
inspections alerts the equipment mechanics to servicing or repair 
problems. Prior to returning the equipment to service, employers can 
review the records to ensure that the mechanics performed the necessary 
repairs and maintenance. Accordingly, by using only equipment that is 
in safe working order, employers will prevent severe injury and death 
to the equipment operators and other employees who use or work near the 
equipment. In addition, these records provide the most efficient means 
for an OSHA compliance officer to determine that an employer performed 
the required inspections and that the equipment is safe.

II. Special Issues for Comment

    OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
     Whether the proposed information-collection requirements 
are necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, 
including whether the information is useful;
     The accuracy of OSHA's estimate of the burden (time and 
cost) 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 or other technological information-
collection and -transmission techniques.

III. Proposed Actions

    OSHA proposes to extend OMB's previous approval of the 
recordkeeping (paperwork) requirement specified in paragraph (a)(6) of 
the Cranes and Derricks Standard for Construction (29 CFR 1926.550). 
The Agency 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 this information-collection requirement.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved 
information-collection requirements.
    Title: Annual Inspection Record Specified in the Cranes and 
Derricks Standard for Construction.
    OMB Number: 1218-0113.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-
profit institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal 
governments.
    Number of Respondents: 32,900.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Total Responses: 32,900.
    Average Time per Response: Either 2.75 hours or 3.5 hours 
depending on the capacity of the crane/derrick.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 115,167.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance). $3,271.894.

IV. Authority and Signature

    R. Davis Layne, Acting 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. 3-2000 (65 FR 
50017).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on April 24, 2001.
R. Davis Layne,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-10637 Filed 4-27-01; 8:45 am]
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