[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 56 (Monday, March 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14262-14263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6944]



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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0205(2003)]


Standard on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for General 
Industry (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart I); 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 decrease the 
existing burden hour estimates; and to extend OMB approval of the 
information-collection requirements of the Personal Protective 
Equipment (PPE) for General Industry Standard (29 CFR part 1910, 
subpart 1).\1\ The Standard requires employers to provide and ensure 
that each affected employee uses the appropriate personal protective 
equipment (PPE) for the eyes, face, head, extremities, torso, and 
respiratory system, including protective clothing, protective shields, 
protective barriers, personal fall protection equipment, and life 
saving equipment, meeting the applicable provisions of this subpart, 
wherever employees are exposed to work activity hazards that require 
the use of PPE.
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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 hour 
estimates imposed by the existing paperwork requirements.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
    Hard Copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) 
by May 23, 2003.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be 
received by May 23, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. 
ICR-1218-0205(2003), 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 Standards 
and Guidance, 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 collections of information collection 
specified by the Standard on Personal Protective Equipment for General 
Industry 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 minimized, collection instruments are understandable, and OSHA's 
estimate of the information collection burden is correct.
    The collections of information in the standard are necessary for 
implementation of the requirements of the standard. The Standard 
specifies several paperwork requirements. The following sections 
describe the information collection requirements and who will use the 
information.
    Paragraph 1910.132(d) requires employers to perform a hazard 
assessment of the workplace to determine if personal protective 
equipment (PPE) is necessary. Paragraph (d)(2) requires employers to 
certify that a hazard assessment has been performed. The signed 
certification must include the date the hazard assessment was conducted 
and the identification of the workplace evaluated (area or location).
    Paragraph 1910.132(f)(4) requires employers to certify that 
employees have received and understood PPE training. The training 
certification must include the name of the employee(s) trained, the 
date of training, and the subject of the certification (i.e., a 
statement identifying the document as a certification of training in 
the use of PPE).
    The hazard assessment assures that the PPE selected is appropriate 
for the hazards present in the workplace. The certification required 
with the hazard assessment verifies that the hazard assessment was 
conducted. The training certification verifies that employees have 
received the necessary training involving PPE. OSHA compliance officers 
may require employers to disclose the certification records during an 
Agency inspection.

II. 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 to 
protect workers, 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.

III. Proposed Actions

    OSHA proposes to decrease the existing burden-hour estimates, and 
to extend OMB approval of the collection of information requirements 
specified by the Standard on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for 
General Industry (29 CFR part 1910, subpart I). The 1,122,417 million 
hour decrease results largely by reestimating the burden hours for 
employers to disclose certification of PPE training records.
    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: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for General Industry (29 
CFR part 1910, subpart I).
    OMB Number: 1218-0205.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1,100,000.
    Frequency of Recordkeeping: Varies depending upon the collection of 
information contained in the Standard.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from one minute (.02 hour) to 
maintain training documentation to 1 hour to perform a hazard 
reassessment.
    Total Annual Hours Requested: 711,862.

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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. 5-2002 (67 FR 65008).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on March 18, 2003.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 03-6944 Filed 3-21-03; 8:45 am]
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