[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63071-63072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30007]



[[Page 63071]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0184(2002)]


4,4'-Methylenedianiline Standard for General Industry (29 CFR 
1910.1050); Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
Approval for Information-Collection (Paperwork) Requirements

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Request for comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning its proposal to increase the 
existing burden-hour estimates for, and to extend OMB approval of, the 
information-collection requirements of the 4,4'-Methylenedianiline 
(MDA) Standard for General Industry (29 CFR 1910.1050).\1\ This 
standard protects employees from adverse health effects that may result 
from occupational to MDA, including cancer and liver disease.
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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 February 4, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0184(2002), 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 in 
length by facsimile to (202) 693-1648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd R. 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 MDA Standard for General 
Industry 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, 
collections instruments are clearly understandable, and OSHA's estimate 
of the information-collection burden is correct. The Occupational 
Safety and Health Act of 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 MDA 
Standard for General Industry (the ``Standard'') protect employees from 
the adverse health effects that may result from their exposure to MDA, 
including cancer, and liver and skin disease. The major information-
collection requirements of the Standard specify that employers perform 
initial, periodic, and additional exposure monitoring; within 15 days 
after receiving exposure-monitoring results, notify each employee in 
writing of their results, either individually or by posting; and 
routinely inspect the hands, face, and forearms of each employee 
potentially exposed to MDA for signs of dermal exposure to MDA. 
Employers must also establish written compliance program and develop a 
written emergency plan for any workplace that could have an emergency 
(i.e., an unexpected and potentially hazardous release of MDA).
    Employers are to label any material or products containing MDA, 
including containers used to store MDA-contaminated protective clothing 
and equipment. They also must inform personnel who launder MDA-
contaminated clothing of the requirement to prevent release of MDA, 
while personnel who launder or clean MDA-contaminated protective 
clothing or equipment must receive information about the potentially 
harmful effects of MDA. In addition, employers are to post warning 
signs at entrances or accessways to regulated areas, as well as train 
employees exposed to MDA at the time of their initial assignment, and 
at least annually thereafter. Employers also must provide employees 
with information and training at the time of their initial assignment 
to a work area containing MDA, and at least annually thereafter. On 
request, employers are to make the written training materials available 
to employees, and information and training materials available to OSHA 
compliance officers and NIOSH representatives.
    Other paperwork requirements of the Standard require employers to 
provide employees with medical examinations, including initial, 
periodic, emergency, and follow-up examinations. As part of the 
medical-surveillance program, employers must ensure that the examining 
physician receives specific written information, and that they obtain 
from the physician a written opinion regarding the employee's medical 
results and exposure limitations.
    The Standard also requires employers to establish and maintain 
exposure-monitoring and medical-surveillance records for each employee 
who is subject to these respective requirements, make any record 
required by the Standard available to OSHA compliance officers and the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for 
examination and copying, and provide exposure-monitoring and medical-
surveillance records to employees and their designated representatives. 
Finally, employers who cease to do business within the period specified 
for retaining exposure-monitoring and medical-surveillance records, and 
who have no successor employer; must notify NIOSH at least 90 days 
before disposing of the records; they must transmit these records to 
NIOSH if so requested.

II. Special Issues for Comment

    OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
     Whether the information-collection requirements are 
necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, 
including whether the information is useful;
     The accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden (time 
and costs) 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 proposing to increase the existing burden-hour estimate, 
and to

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extend OMB approval of, the collection-of-information requirements 
specified by the Standard. The Agency proposes to increase the total 
burden-hour estimate from 320 hours to 689 hours, an increase of 369 
hours. The additional burden hours result in large part from an 
increase in the number of employees who receive initial and periodic 
medical examinations. Also, capital costs rise from $19,720 to $50,550 
because the number of required exposure-monitoring samples increased 
from 44 to 51, while the cost of analyzing a sample increase from $90 
to $100; moreover, the total number of medical examinations rise from 
117 to 330, while the cost of administering a medical examination 
increase from $130 to $150. OSHA will summarize the comments submitted 
in response to this notice, and will include this summary in the 
request to OMB to extend the approval of the information-collection 
requirements contained in the Standard.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: MDA Standard for General Industry (29 CFR 1910.1050).
    OMB Number: 1218-0184.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal government; 
State, local, or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 15.
    Frequency of Recordkeeping: On occasion; quarterly; semi-annually; 
annually.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from five minutes to provide 
information to the examining physician to two hours to conduct 
exposure-monitoring.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 689 hours.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $50,550.

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 (62 FR 50017).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on November 29, 2001.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 01-30007 Filed 12-3-01; 8:45 am]
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