[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 54 (Thursday, March 20, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13732-13733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6712]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0129(2003)]


Standard on Benzene; 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 solicits comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB 
approval of the information-collection requirements contained in its 
Benzene Standard (29 CFR 1910.1028). The standard protects employees 
from adverse health effects from occupational exposure to Benzene.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
    Hard Copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) 
by May 19, 2003.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be 
received by May 19, 2003.

ADDRESSES: 

1. 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 1218-0129(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., e.s.t.
    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 1218-0129(2003), in your comments.
    Electronic: You may submit comments, but not attachments, through 
the Internet at http://ecomments.osha.gov/.

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 webpage. 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

[[Page 13733]]

your comments. Because of security-related problem 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 Depart 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 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of the 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 Benzene Standard provide protection for employees 
from the adverse health effects associated with exposure to Benzene.

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) for 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 is proposing to extend the information-collection requirements 
specified in the Benzene Standard. The information-collection 
requirements specified in the Benzene Standard protect employees from 
the adverse health effects that may result from occupational exposure 
to benzene. The major information-collection requirements in the 
Standard include conducting employee exposure monitoring, notifying 
employees of their benzene exposures, implementing a written compliance 
program, implementing medical surveillance of employees, providing 
examining physicians with specific information, ensuring that employees 
receive a copy of their medical-surveillance results, maintaining 
employees' exposure-monitoring and medical-surveillance records for 
specific periods, and providing access to these records by OSHA, the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the employee who 
is the subject of the records, the employee's representative, and other 
designated parties.
    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 in the Benzene 
Standard (29 CFR 1910.1028).
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently-approved information-
collection requirement.
    Title: Benzene Standard (29 CFR 1910.1028).
    OMB Number: 1218-0129.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 13,498.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Total Responses: 265,428.
    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: 125,195.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $8,179,933.

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 in Washington, DC on March 14, 2003.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 03-6712 Filed 3-19-03; 8:45 am]
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