[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9853-9854]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4597]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR 1218-0224(2004)]


Overhead and Gantry Cranes Standard (29 CFR 1910.179); 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 the 
Overhead and Gantry Cranes standard. (29 CFR 1910.179). The paperwork 
provisions of this standard specify requirements for: Marking the rated 
load of cranes; preparing, maintaining, and disclosing certification 
records of hook, hoist chain, and rope inspections and load test 
reports. The purpose of the requirements is to provide information to 
employees concerning tests and inspection of critical components of the 
crane and to provide information about the lifting limits of the crane. 
This information will be useful in preventing death and serious 
injuries by ensuring that employees operate overhead and gantry cranes 
within the rated loads marked on the equipment.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
    Hard Copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) 
by May 3, 2004.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be 
received by May 3, 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 1218-0224(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 1218-0224(2004), in 
your comments.
    Electronic: You may submit comments, but not attachments, through 
the Internet at http://ecomments.osha.gov/.

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 http://www.osha.gov. The complete ICR, containing the OMB Form 83-I, 
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.

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. 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 your receipt 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.

[[Page 9854]]

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 (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) authorized 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).
    The Standard specifies several paperwork requirements. The 
following sections describe who uses the information collected under 
each requirement, as well as how they use it. The purpose of these 
requirements is to prevent death and serious injuries among employees 
by ensuring that all critical components of the crane are inspected and 
tested on a periodic basis and that the crane is not used to lift loads 
beyond its rated capacity.
    [sbull] Marking the Rated Load (paragraphs (b)(3) and (b)(5)). 
Paragraph (b)(5) requires that the rated load be plainly marked on the 
side of each crane. If the crane has more than one hoist, the rated 
load must be marked on each hoist or the load block. The manufacturer 
will mark the rated loads. If the crane is modified, paragraph (b)(3) 
requires the new rating to be determined and marked on the crane. 
Reports of the rated load test are also required. This function would 
most likely fall to the employer. Marking the rated-load capacity of a 
crane ensures that employers and employees will not exceed the limits 
of the crane, which can result in crane failure.
    [sbull] Certification Records for Hook and Hoist Chain Inspections 
(paragraphs (j)(2)(iii), (j)(2)(iv)). Paragraphs (j)(2)(iii) and 
(j)(2)(iv) require daily and monthly inspections of hooks and hoist 
chains, respectively. After each monthly inspection, employers are to 
prepare a certification record that includes the date of the 
inspection, the signature of the person who performed the inspection, 
and the serial number, or other identifier, of the inspected hook or 
hoist chain. Certification records provide employers, employees, and 
OSHA compliance officers with assurance that the hooks and hoist chains 
used on cranes regulated by the Standard have been inspected as 
required by the Standard. These inspections help assure that the 
equipment is in good operating condition, thereby preventing failure of 
the hooks or hoist chains during material handling. These records also 
provide the most efficient means for the compliance officers to 
determine that an employer is complying with the Standard.
    [sbull] Reports or Rated Load Tests (paragraph (k)(2)). Under this 
provision, employers must make readily available test reports of load-
rating tests conducted under paragraph (b)(3) for modified cranes, and 
for hooks repaired as stated in paragraph (l)(3)(iii)(a) of the 
Standard.
    These reports inform the employer, employees, and OSHA compliance 
officers that a rated load test was performed, providing information 
about the capacity of the crane and the adequacy of the repaired hook. 
This information is used by crane operators so that they will not 
exceed the rated load of the crane or hook.
    [sbull] Certification Records of Rope Inspections (paragraph (m)). 
Paragraph (m)(1) requires employers to inspect thoroughly all running 
rope in use, and do so at least once a month. In addition, rope which 
has been idle for at least a month must be inspected before use, as 
prescribed by paragraph (m)(2), and a record prepared to certify that 
the inspection was done. The certification records must include the 
inspection date, the signature of the person conducting the inspection, 
and the identifier of the rope inspected. Employers must keep the 
certification records on file and available for inspection. The 
certification records provide employers, employees, and OSHA compliance 
officers with assurance that the ropes are in good condition.

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 is proposing to extend the information collections 
requirements in the Overhead and Gantry Cranes Standard (29 CFR 
1910.179). 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 currently approved information 
collection requirements.
    Title: Overhead and Gantry Cranes Standard (29 CFR 1910.179).
    OMB Number: 1218-0224.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local or Tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 35,000.
    Frequency of Recordkeeping: On occasion; monthly.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from 5 minutes (.08 hour) to 
disclose certification records to 2 hours to obtain and post rated load 
information on cranes.
    Total Annual Hours Requested: 360,179.

V. 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 February 26, 2004.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 04-4597 Filed 3-1-04; 8:45 am]
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