[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 86 (Friday, May 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 22459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-11011]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0225(2002)]


Telecommunications; 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 requirement specified in the Standard on 
Telecommunications (29 CFR 1910.268(c)) to develop and maintain records 
certifying that employees have been trained as outlined in the 
Standard.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before July 2, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0225(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 Report (ICR) 
supporting the need for the information collection specified in the 
Standard on Telecommunications 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 costs) 
is minimal, collection instruments are clearly understood, and OSHA's 
estimate of the information-collection burden is correct.
    The Telecommunications Standard specified one collection of 
information (paperwork) requirement. The following section describes 
who uses the information collected under the requirement, as well as 
how they use it. Based on previous ICR approvals, OSHA has determined 
that the training requirement in paragraph (c) of the Standard is not a 
collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act.
    Training (paragrah (c)). Under the paperwork requirement specified 
by paragraph (c) of the Standard, employers must certify that his or 
her employees have been trained as outlined in the Standard by 
preparing a certification record which includes the identity of the 
person trained, the signature of the employer or the person who 
conducted the training, and the date the training was completed. The 
certification record shall be prepared at the completion of training 
and shall be maintained on file for the duration of the employee's 
employment. The information collection would be used by compliance 
officers to determine that employees have been properly trained 
according to the requirements set forth in 29 CFR 1910.268(c).

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 in the 
Standard on Telecommunications (29 CFR 1910.28). 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 the 
information-collection requirement.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently-approved information-
collection requirement.
    Title: Telecommunications (Training Certification) (29 CFR 
1910.268(c)).
    OMB Number: 1218-0225.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: Varies, there are about 306 employers with 
approximately 1.1 million employees.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from 2 minutes (.03 hour) to 4 
minutes (.07 hour).
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 7,487.

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 Arpil 29, 2002.
John L. Henshaw
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 02-11011 Filed 5-2-02; 8:45 am]
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