[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50214-50215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24559]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0131 (2001)]


Standard Entitled ``Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals 
in Laboratories''; 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: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning its proposal to increase the 
total burden-hour estimate for, and to extend OMB approval of, the 
collection-of-information requirements specified by the standard 
entitled ``Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in 
Laboratories'' (29 CFR 1910.1450).\1\
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    \1\ Based on its assessment of the paperwork requirements 
contained in this standard, the Agency estimates that the total 
burden hours increased compared to its previous burden-hour 
estimate. Under this notice, OSHA is not proposing to revise these 
paperwork requirements in any substantive manner, only to increase 
the burden hours imposed by the existing paperwork requirements.

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DATES: Submit written comments on or before December 3, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0131 (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 by the standard entitled 
``Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories'' 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 standard entitled ``Occupational Exposure to Hazardous 
Chemicals in

[[Page 50215]]

Laboratories'' (Sec. 1910.1450; the ``Standard'') applies to 
laboratories that use hazardous chemicals in accordance with the 
Standard's definitions for ``laboratory use of hazardous chemicals'' 
\2\ and ``laboratory scale.'' \3\ The Standard requires these 
laboratories to maintain employee exposures at or below the permissible 
exposure limits specified for the hazardous chemicals in 29 CFR part 
1910, subpart Z. They do so by developing a written Chemical Hygiene 
Plan (CHP) that describes: Standard operating procedures for using 
hazardous chemicals; hazard-control techniques; equipment-reliability 
measures; employee information-and-training programs; conditions under 
which the employer must approve operations, procedures, and activities 
before implementation; and medical consultations and examinations. The 
CHP also designates personnel responsible for implementing the CHP, and 
specifies the procedures used to provide additional protection to 
employees exposed to particularly hazardous chemicals.
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    \2\ ``Laboratory use of hazardous chemicals'' means handling or 
use of hazardous chemicals in a manner such that: (i) Chemical 
manipulations are on a ``laboratory scale''; (ii) multiple chemical 
procedures or chemicals are used; (iii) the procedures involved are 
not part of a production process nor in any way simulate a 
production process; and (iv) protective laboratory practices and 
equipment are available and in common use to minimize the potential 
for employee exposure to hazardous chemicals. (See 
Sec. 1910.1450(b), ``Definitions.'')
    \3\ ``Laboratory scale'' means work with substances in which the 
containers used for reactions, transfers, and other handling of 
substances are designed to be easily and safely manipulated by one 
person. Laboratory scale excludes those workplaces whose function is 
to produce commercial quantities of materials. (See 
Sec. 1910.1450(b), ``Definitions.'')
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    Other information-collection requirements of the Standard include: 
Documenting exposure-monitoring results; notifying employees in writing 
of these results; presenting specified information and training to 
employees; establishing a medical-surveillance program for overexposed 
employees; providing required information to the physician; obtaining 
the physician's written opinion; using proper respiratory equipment; 
and establishing, maintaining, transferring, and disclosing exposure-
monitoring and medical records. These collection-of-information 
requirements, including the CHP, control employee overexposure to 
hazardous laboratory chemicals, thereby preventing serious illnesses 
and death among employees exposed to such chemicals.

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 increase the existing burden-hour estimate, and to 
extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval, of the 
collection-of-information requirements specified by the Standard. In 
this regard, the Agency is requesting to increase the current burden-
hour estimate from 107,842 hours to 269,273 hours, a total increase of 
161,431 hours. This increase largely occurred because OSHA increased 
the number of laboratories and employees covered by the 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 these information-collection requirements.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories 
(29 CFR 1910.1450).
    OMB Number: 1218-0131.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local, or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 41,900.
    Frequency of Response: Annually; monthly; occasionally.
    Average Time per Response: Ranges from five minutes (.08 hour) for 
a variety of requirements (e.g., for an office clerk to develop and 
post exposure-monitoring results) to eight (8) hours for an employer to 
develop a Chemical Hygiene Plan.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 269,273.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $18,235,000.

IV. Authority and Signature

    John L. Henshaw, 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 September 26, 2001.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-24559 Filed 10-1-01; 8:45 am]
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