[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 213 (Tuesday, November 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62477-62478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-27631]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0147 (2004)]


Definition and Requirements for a Nationally Recognized Testing 
Laboratory; 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 Regulation on 
Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (29 CFR 1910.7). The 
Regulation specifies procedures that organizations must follow to apply 
for, and to maintain, OSHA's recognition to test and certify equipment, 
products, or material for their purpose.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:

[[Page 62478]]

    Hard Copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) 
by January 5, 2004.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be 
received by January 5, 2004.

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 1218-0147 (2004), 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, ICR 1218-0147 (2004), in 
your comments.
    Electronic: You may submit comments, but not attachments, through 
the Internet at http://ecomments.osh.gov/.
    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 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. Obtaining Copies of the Supporting Statement for the Information 
Collection Request

    The Supporting Statement for the Information Collection Request is 
available for downloading from OSHA's Web site at http://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 Bernard Pasquet at 
(813) 626-1177 ext. 3005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernard Pasquet, Directorate of 
Science, Technology and Medicine, 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 (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 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act) authorizes 
information collection by employers as necessary or appropriate for 
enforcement or the Act for developing information regarding the causes 
and prevention of occupational injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29 
U.S.C. 657).
    A number of standards issued by the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration (OSHA) contain requirements for equipment, products, or 
materials. These standards often specify that employers use only 
equipment, products, or material tested or approved by a nationally 
recognized testing laboratory (NRTL); this requirement ensures that 
employers use safe and efficacious equipment, products, or materials in 
complying with the standards. Accordingly, OSHA promulgated the 
regulation titled ``Definition and Requirements for a Nationally 
Recognized Testing Laboratory'' (the Regulation). The Regulation 
specifies procedures that organizations must follow to apply for, and 
to maintain, OSHA's recognition to test and certify equipment, 
products, or material for this purpose.

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 collection-of-information requirements specified by the 
Standard on the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. There is an 
85 burden hour reduction as a result of fewer organizations submitting 
initial recognition applications. 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: Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (29 CFR 1910.7).
    OMB Number: 1218-0147.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government; Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 62.
    Frequency of Recordkeeping: On occasion.
    Total Response: 62.
    Average Time per Response: 160 hours for an organization to prepare 
initial recognition applications to 16 hours for an annual site visit.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,260.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintain): 0.

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 October 29, 2003.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 03-27631 Filed 11-3-03; 8:45 am]
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