[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 146 (Wednesday, July 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44816-44817]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19345]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0190(2003)


Standards on Electrical Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910.137) 
and Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution (29 CFR 
1910.269); 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 requirements specified by its standards on 
Electrical Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910.137) and Electric Power 
Generation, Transmission, and Distribution (29 CFR 1910.269).
    The collections of information are needed to help employers ensure 
that electrical protective equipment is maintained in a safe, reliable 
condition and employees have received the training required by Sec.  
1910.269. The information will also be provided to OSHA compliance 
officers during inspections.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
    Hard Copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) 
by September 29, 2003.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be 
received by September 29, 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 1218-0190 (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, ICR 1218-0199 (2003), in 
your comments.
    Electronic: You may submit comments, but not attachments, through 
the Internet at http://ecomments. osha.gov/.
    You may submit comments in response to this document by (1) hard 
copy, (2) FAX transmission (facsimile), or (3) electronically through 
the OSHA Web page. 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.

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.

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 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) (PRA-95). 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.
    Under Sec.  1910.137(b)(2)(xii), employers must certify that the 
electrical protective equipment used by their employees passed the 
tests specified in paragraphs (b)(2)(viii), (b)(2)(ix), and (b)(2)(xi) 
of the standard. The certification must identify the equipment that 
passed the tests and the dates of the tests. This provision helps 
ensure that electrical protective equipment is reliable and safe for 
employee use and will provide adequate protection against electric 
shock. In addition, certification helps OSHA to determine if employers 
are in compliance with the equipment-testing requirements of the 
standard.

[[Page 44817]]

II. Obtaining Copies of the Supporting Statement for the Information 
Collection Request

    The Supporting Statement for the Information Collection Request 
(ICR) is available for downloading from OSHA's Web site at 
www.osha.gov. The complete ICR, containing the OMB-83-I Form, 
Supporting Statement, and attachments, is available for inspection and 
copying in the OSHA Docket Office, at the address listed above. A 
printed copy of the ICR can be obtained by contacting Theda Kenney at 
(202) 693-2222.
    Section 1910.269(a)(2)(vii) requires employers to certify that each 
employee received the training specified in paragraph (a)(2) of the 
standard. Employers must provide certification after an employee 
demonstrates proficiency in the work practices involved.
    The training conducted under paragraph (a)(2) of the standard 
ensures that: Employees are familiar with the safety-related work 
practices, safety procedures, and other procedures, as well as any 
additional safety requirements in the standard, that pertain to their 
respective job assignments; employees are familiar with any other 
safety practices, including applicable emergency procedures (such as 
pole top and manhole rescue), addressed specifically by this standard 
that relate to their work and are necessary for their safety; and 
qualified employees have the skills and techniques necessary to 
distinguish exposed live parts from other parts of electric equipment, 
can determine the nominal voltage of the exposed live parts, know the 
minimum approach distances specified by the standard for voltages when 
exposed to them, and understand the proper use of special precautionary 
techniques, personal protective equipment, insulating and shielding 
materials, and insulated tools for working on or near exposed and 
energized parts of electric equipment.
    Employees must receive additional training or retraining if: The 
supervision and annual inspections required by the standard indicate 
that they are not complying with the required safety-related work 
practices; new technology or equipment, or revised procedures, require 
the use of safety-related work practices that differ from their usual 
safety practices; and they use safety-related work practices that are 
different than their usual safety practices while performing job 
duties.
    The training requirements of this standard inform employees of the 
safety hazards of electrical exposure and provide them with the 
understanding required to minimize these safety hazards. In addition, 
employees receive proper training in safety-related work practices, 
safety procedures, and other safety requirements specified in the 
standard. The required training, therefore, provides information to 
employees that enables them to recognize how and where electrical and 
other hazardous exposures occur, and what steps to take, including work 
practices, to limit such exposure. The certification requirement 
specified by paragraph (a)(2)(vii) of the standard helps employers 
monitor the training their employees received and helps OSHA determine 
if employers provided the required training to their employees.

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 extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
approval of the information collection requirements specified by the 
standards on Electrical Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910.137) and 
Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution (29 CFR 
1910.269). 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: Electrical Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910.137) and 
Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution (29 CFR 
1910.269).
    OMB Number: 1218-0190.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; State, local or tribal government; Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 12,195.
    Frequency of Recordkeeping: On occasion; semi-annually; annually.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from one minute (.02 hour) to 15 
minutes (.25 hour).
    Total Annual Hours Requested: 22,685.

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 July 25, 2003.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 03-19345 Filed 7-29-03; 8:45 am]
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