[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 83 (Tuesday, April 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21279-21280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-10641]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0110(2002)]


Consultation Agreements (29 CFR Part 1908); Revision of the 
Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information-
Collection (Paperwork) Requirements

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

ACTION: Request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning its proposal to revise the 
total burden hour estimates for, and to extend OMB approval of, 
information-collection requirements specified by the Consultation 
Agreements and Procedures at 29 CFR Part 1908. The Consultation 
Agreements establish the requirements for cooperative agreements with 
the states, under which the states \1\ receive funds from OSHA to 
provide free Occupational Safety and Health consultation services to 
employers. The rule also establishes procedures governing the provision 
of services, and the obligations of employers receiving the 
consultation service.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ As used in this notice, States include the District of 
Columbia and the territories receiving federal funds for delivery 
services under section 21(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health 
(Compliance Assistance Authorization) Act of 1998.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before July 1, 2002.

[[Page 21280]]


ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0110(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: Francis Yebesi, Directorate of 
Federal-State Operations, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3700, 
200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 
693-2213. A copy of the Agency's Information-Collection Request (ICR) 
supporting the need for information collection specified in the 
Consultation Agreements is available for inspection and copying in the 
Docket Office, or by requesting a copy from Francis Yebesi at (202) 
693-2213. 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. the states and employers) burden, 
conducts pre-clearance 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)). The program ensures that 
information is in the desired format, reporting burden (time and costs) 
is minimal, collection instruments are clearly understood, 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 accidents. (29 U.S.C. 657.) The 
Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Assistance Authorization Act 
(CAAA) of 1998 requires the Secretary of Labor to establish and support 
cooperative agreements with the States under which the states will 
provide occupational safety and health consultation services to 
employers. The CAAA requires that onsite consultations conducted 
pursuant to such agreements include a provision for participation by 
employees. It also requires the states to ensure that; hazards are 
corrected in a timely manner, that uncorrected imminent danger 
situations and serious hazards are reported to appropriate enforcement 
authorities, and that employers meeting certain requirements are 
granted inspection exemption, that the consultation service is only 
delivered at the request of the employer and that priority in 
scheduling is given to small businesses in higher hazard industries.
    The information-collection requirements in the Consultation 
Agreements Rule of 1908 provides OSHA with the tools to monitor 
compliance with the requirements of the Act and the CAAA and for 
measuring and evaluating the success of the program. It is also the 
basis for reporting to Congress in compliance with Government 
Performance Results Acts requirements.

H. Special Issues for Comment

    OSHA has 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 OHSA'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 the states and employers 
who provide information, 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 by the Rule. In this regard, the Agency is 
requesting an increase in the current burden hour estimate from 11,905 
hours to 17,535 hours, a total increase of 5,630 hours. Based on a 
recent innovation that allows the capturing of attributes of excellence 
in safety and health management systems, state consultants are now 
required to enter information on a web-based safety and health program 
assessment worksheet. The completion of this worksheet accounts for the 
increase in burden hours. OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in 
response to this notice, and will include this summary in its request 
to OMB to extend its approval of these information-collection 
requirements.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Consultation Agreements.
    OMB Number: 1218-0110.

    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State governments.
    Number of Respondents: 27,000.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Average Time Per Response: Varies from approximately 5 minutes for 
a consultant to compose a ``List of Hazards'' to 32 hours (annually) 
for the State to compile and compose information for the cooperative 
agreement.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 17,535 hours.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $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. 3-200 (65 FR 50017).

    Dated: Signed at Washington, DC on April 25, 2002.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 02-10641 Filed 4-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M