[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 105 (Thursday, May 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29599-29601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13690]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0207(2001)]


Welding, Cutting and Brazing; Extension of the Office of 
Management and Budget's (OMB) Aproval 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 its request to decrease the 
existing burden-hour estimates for, and to extend OMB approval of, the 
collection-of-information requirements of 29 CFR 1910, Subpart Q 
(``Welding, Cutting and Brazing''). This subpart regulates the safety 
of employees who operate electric or gas welding and cutting equipment.

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

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0027-(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: Theda Kenney, Directorate of Safety 
Standards Programs, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3609, 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 collections contained in 29 CFR 
1910, subpart Q (``Welding, Cutting and Brazing'') is available for 
inspection and copying in the Docket Office or by requesting a copy 
from Theda Kenney at (202) 693-2222 or 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 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of the 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).
    After thoroughly reviewing the five standards in 29 CFR 1910, 
subpart Q (hereafter, ``subpart Q''), OSHA identified a number of 
paperwork requirements; however, it determined that most of these 
requirements impose no burden hours or costs on

[[Page 29600]]

respondents as specified by PRA-95. In the following table, the Agency 
lists these requirements and the rationale for excluding them from the 
provisions of PRA-95 regulating burden-hour and cost determinations.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    Paperwork           Rationale for
         Paragraphs                requirement            exclusion
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec.  1910.252  (``General
 Requirements''):
    (a)(2)(iii)(B)..........  Train fire watchers   This training is
                               to use fire           performance-
                               extinguishers.        oriented and not
                                                     subject to PRA-95.
    (a)(2)(xiii)(C).........  Train cutters and     This training is
                               welders and their     performance-
                               supervisors in the    oriented and not
                               safe operation of     subject to PRA-95.
                               their equipment and
                               the safe use of the
                               process.
    (a)(2)(xiii)(D).........  Advise contractors    This requirement was
                               about flammable and   a usual and
                               hazardous             customary business
                               conditions.           practice before
                                                     OSHA adopted the
                                                     standard.
    (a)(2)(xiv)(D)..........  Secure authorization  This requirement was
                               for cutting and       a usual and
                               welding operations    customary business
                               from the designated   practice prior to
                               management            publication of the
                               representative.       standard.
    (c)(1)(iv)(A)-(c)(1)(iv)  Use caution or        The regulatory text
     (C).                      warning labels.       provides the
                                                     specific language
                                                     for the labels.
    (b)(2)(ii)(G)...........  Permanently and       Manufacturers and
                               distinctively mark    suppliers provide
                               welding lenses so     this service as a
                               that the source and   usual and customary
                               shade are readily     business practice.
                               identifiable.
Sec.  1910.253 (``Oxygen-
 Fuel Gas Welding and
 Cutting''):
    (a)(4)..................  Instruct employees    This training is
                               responsible for       performance-
                               oxygen and fuel-gas   oriented and not
                               supply equipment in   subject to PRA-95.
                               this important work
                               before they assume
                               this responsibility.
    (a)(4)..................  Make readily          This requirement was
                               available the rules   a usual and
                               and instructions      customary business
                               covering the          practice before
                               operation and         OSHA adopted the
                               maintenance of        standard.
                               oxygen and fuel-gas
                               supply equipment.
    (b)(1)(ii)..............  Mark compressed-gas   Manufacturers and
                               cylinders to          suppliers provide
                               identify their gas    this service as a
                               contents.             usual and customary
                                                     business practice.
    (b)(5)(iii)(G),           Provide warning tags  The regulatory text
     (c)(3)(v), (d)(4)(ii),    on leaking            provides the
     (d)(4)(iii),              cylinders; post a     specific language
     (e)(6)(iii), (f)(1)(i),   sign at the           for the labels.
     and (g)(1)(ii).           manifold; mark
                               above-ground piping
                               systems; mark
                               station outlets
                               with name of gas;
                               mark gages on
                               oxygen regulators;
                               mark generators
                               with specified
                               information; and
                               mark packages
                               containing calcium
                               carbide.
    (f)(7)(i)(A)............  Post operating        This requirement was
                               instructions in a     a usual and
                               conspicuous place     customary business
                               near the generator    practice before
                               or make them          OSHA adopted the
                               readily available     standard.
                               in a suitable
                               location.
Sec.  1910.254 (``Arc
 Welding and Cutting''):
    (b)(4)(iv)..............  Mark as grounded any  Manufacturers and
                               dedicated welding     suppliers provide
                               lead terminal         this service as a
                               connected to a        usual and customary
                               grounded enclosure.   business practice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    During its review of subpart Q, the Agency found one paperwork 
requirement needing OMB approval. Accordingly, paragraph (e) of 
Sec. 1910.255 (``Resistance Welding'') specifies that employers must 
have qualified maintenance personnel inspect resistance welding 
equipment periodically, and develop and maintain a written 
certification record of each inspection. The record must include the 
date of the inspection, the signature of the individual who performed 
the inspection, and the serial number or other identifier of the 
equipment inspected. Developing and maintaining a certification record 
notifies mechanics of servicing or repair problems. In addition, 
employers can review the records to ensure that mechanics performed the 
necessary repairs and maintenance. The certification records also 
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. Accordingly, by using equipment that is in safe 
operating condition, employers will prevent serious injury and death to 
the equipment operators and other employees who may be working near the 
equipment.

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 a decrease in the existing burden-hour estimate 
for, as well as an extension of OMB approval of, the collection-of-
information requirements specified by subpart Q. Accordingly, the 
Agency is requesting to decrease the current burden-hour estimate from 
380,178 hours to 8,119

[[Page 29601]]

hours, a total reduction of 372,059 hours. This reduction occurred 
because OSHA is removing the burden hours previously attributed to the 
training requirement specified in Sec. 1918.252(a)(2)(xiii)(C); this 
training is performance-oriented and, therefore, not subject to PRA-95. 
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 these information-collected requirements.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Welding, Cutting and Brazing.
    OMB Number: 1218-0207.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 25,373.
    Frequency of Response: Semi-annually.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from 2 minutes (.03 hour) to 
develop an inspection record to 5 minutes (.08 hour) to perform an 
inspection.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 8,119.
    Estimated (Cost and Maintenance): None.

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 May 25, 2001.
R. Davis Layne,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-13690 Filed 5-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M