[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 53 (Thursday, March 18, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12868-12869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6099]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0020(2004)]


Training Grant Application; 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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB 
approval of the Information collection requirements contained in its 
Training Grant Application.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
    Hard copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) 
by May 17, 2004.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be 
received by May 17, 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 1218-0020(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., e.s.t.
    Facsimile: When 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 1218-0020(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 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: Cindy Bencheck, Division of Training 
and Educational Programs, OSHA Office of Training and Education, 1555 
Times Drive, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018; telephone (847) 297-4810; e-
mail: [email protected]; or facsimile: (847) 297-4874.

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 
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 by 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 Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork

[[Page 12869]]

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.
    Section 21 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the 
``OSH Act'') (29 U.S.C. 670) authorizes the Occupational Safety and 
Health administration (``OSHA'' or the ``Agency'') to conduct directly, 
or through grants and contracts, education and training courses. These 
courses must ensure an adequate number of qualified personnel to 
fulfill the purposes of the Act, provide them with short-term training, 
inform them of the importance and proper use of safety and health 
equipment, and train employers and employees to recognize, avoid, and 
prevent unsafe and unhealthful working conditions.
    Under section 21, the Agency awards grants to non-profit 
organizations to provide part of the required training. To obtain such 
as grant, an organization must complete the training grant application. 
OSHA uses the information in this application to evaluate: The 
organization's competence to provide the proposed training (including 
the qualifications of the personnel who manage and implement the 
training); the goals and objectives of the proposed training program; a 
workplan that describes in detail the tasks that the organization will 
implement to meet these goals and objectives; the appropriateness of 
the proposed costs; and compliance with Federal regulations governing 
nonprocurement debarment and suspension, maintaining a drug-free 
workplace, and lobbying activities. Also required is a program summary 
that Agency officials use to review and evaluate the highlights of the 
overall proposal.
    After awarding a training grant, OSHA uses the workplan and budget 
information provided in the application to monitor the organization's 
progress in meeting training goals and objectives, as well as planned 
renewals at one-year intervals. An organization must submit separate 
applications for the initial award and for each renewal award.

III. Special Issues for Comment

    OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
     Whether the proposed information-collection 
requirements are necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's 
functions, including whether the information is useful;
     The accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the 
burden (time and costs) of the information-collection requirements, 
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     The quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information collected; and
     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 proposes to extend OMB's approval of the collection of 
information (paperwork) requirements specified in the Training Grant 
Application. 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: Training Grant Application.
    OMB Number: 1218-0020.
    Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 200.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Total Responses: 200.
    Average Time Per Response: 59 hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 11,050.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $398,327.

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 in Washington, DC, on March 12th, 2004.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 04-6099 Filed 3-17-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M