[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 106 (Friday, June 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29842-29843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13924]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0186(2001)]


Cadmium in Construction Standard (29 CFR 1926.1127); 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 increase the 
existing burden-hour estimates for, and to extend OMB approval of, the 
collection-of-information requirements of the Cadmium in Construction 
Standard (29 CFR 1926.1127).

DATES: Submit written comments on or before July 31, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0186(2001), OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 
Constitutional 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 Cadmium in Construction 
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 
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).
    The information-collection requirements specified in the Cadmium in 
Construction Standard (Sec. 1926.1127) protect employees from the 
adverse health effects that may result from

[[Page 29843]]

occupational exposure to cadmium. The major information-collection 
requirements in Sec. 1926.1127 include conducting employee exposure 
monitoring, notifying employees of their cadmium exposures, 
implementing a written compliance program, implementing a written 
emergency plan for managing inadvertent and substantial releases of 
airborne cadmium, implementing medical surveillance of employees, 
providing examining physicians with specific information, ensuring that 
employees receive a copy of their medical-surveillance results, 
maintaining employees' exposure-monitoring and medical 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 increase the existing burden-hour estimate 
for, and to extend OMB approval of, the collection-of-information 
requirements specified in Sec. 1926.1127. In this regard, the Agency is 
requesting to increase the current burden-hour estimate from 36,388 
hours to 36,631 hours, a total increase of 243 hours. This increase 
results mainly from reestimating the burden hours required for 
employers to determine if cadmium is present in the workplace and, if 
so, whether employee exposure above the action level is possible. OSHA 
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: Cadmium in Construction.
    OMB Number: 1218-0186.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 10,000.
    Frequency of Response: Occasionally.
    Average Time per Response: From 5 minutes (.08 hour) to maintain an 
employee's medical or exposure record to 1.5 hours to administer an 
employee medical examination.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 36,631 hours.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $2,232,500.

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 No. 3-2000 (65 FR 
50017).

    Signed at Washington, DC on May 29, 2001.
R. Davis Layne,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-13924 Filed 5-31-01; 8:45 am]
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