[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 105 (Thursday, May 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 29596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13648]



[[Page 29596]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0179(2001)]


Methylene Chloride Standard (29 CFR 1910.1052); Extension of the 
Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of the 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 its request to extend OMB 
approval of the collection-of-information requirements specified by the 
Methylene Chloride Standard (29 CFR 1910.1052).

DATES: Submit written comments on or before July 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0179(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: Todd Owen, Directorate of Policy, 
OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3641, 200 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2444. A copy of the 
Agency's Information-Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for 
the information collections specified in the Methylene Chloride 
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:

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 understandable, and OSHA's 
estimate of the information-collection burden is correct.
    The information-collection requirements specified in the methylene 
chloride (MC) Standard protect employees from the adverse health 
effects that may result from exposure to MC. In terms of burden-hour 
estimates, the major information-collection requirements in the MC 
Standard include employee exposure monitoring, notifying employees of 
their MC exposures, administering medical examinations to employees, 
providing examining physicians with specific program and employee 
information, ensuring that employees receive a copy of their medical-
examination results, maintaining employees' exposure-monitoring and 
medical-examination records for specific periods, and providing access 
to these records by OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational 
Safety and Health, the affected employees, and their authorized 
representatives.

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 is requesting to extend OMB approval of the collection-of-
information requirements in the MC Standard. 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 requirements.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Methylene Chloride.
    OMB Number: 1218-0179.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 92,000.
    Frequency of Response: Occasionally.
    Average Time Per Response: Varies from 1 hour for administering a 
medical examination to 5 minutes to maintain an employee's medical or 
exposure record.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 524,615 hours.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $46,248,000.

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), Secretary of Labor's Order 3-2000 (65 FR 50017).

    Signed at Washington, DC on May 24, 2001.
R. Davis Layne,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-13648 Filed 5-30-01; 8:45 am]
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