[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11718-11719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6216]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0228(2002)]


Forging Machines Standard; Extension of the Office of Management 
and Budget's Approval of Information-Collection (Paperwork) 
Requirements

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

ACTION: Request for comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA requests comment concerning its proposed extension of the 
information-collection requirements specified by its Forging Machines 
Standard (29 CFR 1910.218). The paperwork provisions of the Standard 
specify requirements for developing and maintaining inspection records. 
The purpose of these requirements is to reduce employees' risk of death 
or serious injury by ensuring that forging machines used by them are in 
safe operating condition.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before May 14, 2002.

[[Page 11719]]


ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0228(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 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 specified by the 
Forging Machines Standard 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 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 Forging Machines Standard (i.e., ``the Standard'') specifies 
two paperwork requirements. The following section describes who use the 
information collected under each requirement, as well as how they use 
it.
    Information of Forging Machines, Guards, and Point-of-Operation 
Protection Devices (paragraphs (a)(2)(i) and (a)(2)(ii)). Paragraph 
(a)(2)(i) requires employers to establish periodic and regular 
maintenance safety checks, and to develop and keep a certification 
record of each inspection. The certification record must include the 
date of inspection, the signature of the person who performed the 
inspection, and the serial number (or other identifier) of the forging 
machine inspected. Under paragraph (a)(2)(ii), employers are to 
schedule regular and frequent inspections of guards and point-of-
operation protection devices, and prepare a certification record of 
each inspection that contains the date the inspection, the signature of 
the person who performed the inspection, and the serial number (or 
other identifier) of the equipment inspected. These inspection 
certification records provide assurance to employers, employees, and 
OSHA compliance officers that forging machines, guards, and point-of-
operation protection devices have been inspected, thereby assuring that 
they will operate properly and safely, and prevent impact injury and 
death to employees during forging operations. These records also 
provide the most efficient means for the compliance officers to 
determine that an employer is complying with the Standard.

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 
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 proposes to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
approval of the collection-of-information requirements specified by the 
Forging Machines Standard (29 CFR 1910.218). 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 a currently approved information-
collection requirement.
    Title: Forging Machine Standard (29 CFR 1910.218).
    OMB Number: 1218-0228..
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local, or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 27,700.
    Frequency of Recordkeeping: Biweekly.
    Average Time per Response: Twenty minutes (.33 hour) to inspect a 
forging machine and its guard or point-of-operation protection, and to 
prepare, maintain, and disclose the inspection certification record.
    Total Annual Hours Requested: 244,868.
    Total Annual Costs (O&M): $0.

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 March 8, 2002.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 02-6216 Filed 3-14-02; 8:45 am]
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