[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 124 (Thursday, June 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43345-43346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16262]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0218(2002)


Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the Portable Fire Extinguishers 
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 requirement specified by the hydrostatic testing 
provision of the Portable Fire Extinguishers Standard (29 CFR 
1910.157). The paperwork provision of the hydrostatic testing provision 
specifies requirements for developing and maintaining certification 
records to demonstrate that portable fire extinguishers have been 
tested in accordance with and at intervals specified by the Standard 
(29 CFR 1910.157(f)(16)). The purpose of the records requirement is to 
reduce employees' risk of death or serious injury by ensuring that 
portable fire extinguishers are in operating condition.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before August 26, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0218(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 collection specified by the 
Portable Fire Extinguishers 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 following section describes who uses the information on the 
hydrostatic testing of portable fire extinguishers that is collected 
under the records requirement (29 CFR 1910.157(f)(16)), as well as how 
they use it. The purpose of the requirement is to reduce employees' 
risk of death or serious injury by ensuring that portable fire 
extinguishers are in safe operating condition.
    Test records (paragraph (f)(16)). Paragraph (f)(16) of the Standard 
requires employers to develop and maintain a certification record of 
hydrostatic testing of portable fire extinguishers. The certification 
record must include the date of inspection, the signature of the person 
who performed the test, and the serial number (or other identifier) to 
the fire extinguisher that was tested. The certification record must be 
made available to the Assistant Secretary or his/her representative 
upon request. The certification records provide assurance to employers, 
employees, and OSHA compliance officers that the fire extinguishers 
have been hydrostatically tested in accordance with and at the 
intervals specified in the Standard, thereby ensuring that they will 
operate properly in the event employees need to use them. 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 Action

    OSHA proposes to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
approval of the collection-of-information requirements specified by the 
hydrostatic testing provision of the Portable Fire Extinguishers 
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 a currently approved information-
collection requirement.
    Title: Hydrostatic Testing Provision of the Portable Fire 
Extinguishers (Certification Record) (29 CFR 1910.157).
    OMB Number: 1218-0218.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local, or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 8,780,500.
    Frequency of Recordkeeping: Varies from 5 to 12 years.

[[Page 43346]]

    Average Time per Response: Varies from 2 (.03 hour) to 35 minutes 
(.58 hour).
    Total Annual Hours Requested: 131,708.
    Total Annual Costs (O&M): $11,941,480.

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 June 21, 2002.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 02-16262 Filed 6-26-02; 8:45 am]
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