[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 11, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11592-11593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5612]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0170(2003)]


Standard on 1,3-Butadiene; Extension 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 comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solcits comments concerning its proposal to decrease the 
existing burden-hour estimates, and to extend OMB approval of the 
information-collection requirements of the 1,3-Butadiene Standard (29 
CFR 1910.1051) \1\ The standard protects employees from adverse health 
effects from occupational exposure to 1,3-Butadiene.
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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 decreased compared to its previous burden-hour 
estimate. Under this notice, OSHA is not proposing to revise the 
Standard's paperwork requirements, only to decrease the burden hours 
estimates impose by the existing paperwork requirements.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
    Hard Copy. Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or sent) by 
May 12, 2003. Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must 
be sent by May 12, 2003.

ADDRESSES:

I. Submission of Comments

    Regular mail, express delivery, hand-delivery, and messenger 
service: Submit your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket 
Office, Docket No. ICR 1218-0170(2003), Room N-2625, U.S. Department of 
Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. OSHA Docket 
Office, and Department of Labor hours of operation are 8:15 a.m. to 
4:45 p.m, EST.
    Facsimile: If your comments, including any attachments, are 10 
pages or fewer, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 
693-1648. You must include the docket number of this document, Docket 
No. ICR 1218-0170(2003), in your comments.
    Electronic: You may submit comments, but not attachments, through 
the Internet at http://ecomments.osha.gov/.
    (Please see the Supplementary Information below for additional 
information on submitting comments.)

II. Obtaining Copies of Supporting Statement for the Information 
Collection

    The Supporting Statement for the Information Collection is 
available for downloading from OSHA's Web site at www.osha.gov. The 
supporting statement is available for inspection and copying in the 
OSHA Docket Office, at the address listed above. A printed copy of the 
supporting statement can be obtained by contacting Todd Owen at (202) 
693-2222.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Owen, Directorate of Standards 
and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3609, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-
2222.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Submission of Comments on this Notice and Internet Access to 
Comments and Submissions

    You may submit comments in response to this document by (1) Hard 
copy, (2) FAX transmission (facsimile), or (3) electronically through 
the OSHA website. Please note you cannot attach materials such as 
studies or journal articles to electronic comments. If you have 
additional materials, you must submit three copies of them to the OSHA 
Docket Office at the address above. The additional materials must 
clearly identify your electronic comments by name, date, subject and 
docket number so we can attach them to your comments. Because of 
security-related problems there may be a significant delay in the 
receipt of comments by regular mail. Please contact the OSHA Docket 
Office at (202) 693-2350 for information about security procedures 
concerning the delivery of materials by express delivery, hand delivery 
and messenger service.

II. 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

[[Page 11593]]

(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 injuries, 
illnesses, and accidents (29 U.S.C. 657). In this regard, the 
information collection requirements in the 1,3-Butadiene Standard 
provide protection for employees from the adverse health effects 
associated with exposure to 1,3-Butadiene.

III. Special Issues for Comment

    OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
    [sbull] Whether the proposed information-collection requirements 
are necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions, 
including whether the information is useful;
    [sbull] 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;
    [sbull] The quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
collected; and
    [sbull] Ways to minimize the burden on employers who must comply; 
for example, by using automated or other technological information-
collection and transmission techniques.

IV. Proposed Actions

    OSHA proposes to decrease the existing burden-hour estimates, and 
to extend OMB approval of the information-collection requirements of 
the 1,3-Butadiene Standard (29 CFR 1910.1051). The 1,959 burden hour 
reduction is a result of reestimating the number of respirator filter 
elements that must be labeled.
    The 1,3-Butadiene Standard requires employers to monitor employee 
exposure to 1,3-Butadiene; develop and maintain compliance and 
exposure-goal programs if employee exposures to 1,3-Butadiene are above 
the Standard's permissible exposure limits or action level; label 
respirator filter elements to indicate the date and time it is first 
installed on the respirator; establish medical surveillance programs to 
monitor employee health, and to provide employees with information 
about their exposures and the health effects of exposure to 1,3-
Butadiene.
    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 1,3-Butadiene Standard (29 CFR 1910.1051).
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently-approved information-
collection requirement.
    Title: 1,3 Butadiene Standard (29 CFR 1910.1051).
    OMB Number: 1218-0170.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 115.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Total Responses: 3,532.
    Average Time per Response: Time per response ranges from 5 minutes 
to maintain records to 2 hours to complete a referral medical 
examination.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 950.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $82,010.

III. 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 5-2002 (67 FR 65008).

    Signed at Washington, DC on March 5, 2003.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 03-5612 Filed 3-10-03; 8:45 am]
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