[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 88 (Thursday, May 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25416-25418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-10270]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Submission for OMB Review: Comment Request

April 28, 2004.
    The Department of Labor (DOL) has submitted the following public 
information collection requests (ICRs) to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35). A copy of 
each ICR, with applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by 
contacting the Department of Labor (DOL). To obtain documentation,

[[Page 25417]]

contact Darrin King on 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or 
e-mail: [email protected].
    Comments should be sent to Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration (OSHA), Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, 
Washington, DC 20503, 202-395-7316 (this is not a toll-free number), 
within 30 days from the date of this publication in the Federal 
Register.
    The OMB is particularly interested in comments which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.

    Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Title: Occupational Noise Exposure (29 CFR 1910.95).
    OMB Number: 1218-0048.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Type of Response: Recordkeeping; reporting; and third party 
disclosure.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal Government; 
and State, local, or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 379,512.
    Number of Annual Responses: 25,082,463.
    Estimated Time Per Response: Varies from 2 minutes to notify 
employees when noise exposure exceeds the 8-hour time-weighted average 
of 85 decibels to 16 hours for firms with 250 or more employees to 
conduct area monitoring.
    Total Burden Hours: 5,175,645.
    Total Annualized Capital/Startup Costs: $0.
    Total Annual Costs (Operating/Maintaining Systems or Purchasing 
Services): $98,814,861.
    Description: The information collection requirements specified in 
29 CFR 1910.95 (the Noise Standard) protect employees from suffering 
material hearing impairment. The information collection requirements of 
the Noise Standard include conducting noise monitoring; notifying 
employees when they are exposed at or above an 8-hour time-weighted 
average of 85 decibels; providing employees with initial and annual 
audiograms; notifying employees of a loss in hearing based on comparing 
audiograms; training employees on the effects of noise exposure and 
employee audiometric examinations, maintaining records of workplace 
noise exposure and employee audiograms; and allowing employees and OSHA 
to access to materials and records required by the Standard.

    Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Title: Construction Fall Protection Plans and Training Requirements 
(29 CFR 1926.502 and 1926.503).
    OMB Number: 1218-0197.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Type of Response: Recordkeeping.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal Government; 
and State, local, or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 250,000.
    Number of Annual Responses: 8,304,931.
    Estimated Time Per Response: Varies from 5 minutes for a qualified 
person to certify safety nets and safety-net installations to 1 hour to 
develop a fall protection plan.
    Total Burden Hours: 894,394.
    Total Annualized capital/startup costs: $0.
    Total Annual Costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing 
services): $0.
    Description: 29 CFR 1926.502 and 1926.503 allow employers to 
develop alternative procedures to the use of conventional fall 
protection systems when the systems are infeasible or create a greater 
hazard. The alternative procedures (plan) must be written. Also, 
employers who use safety net systems may certify that the installation 
meets the standard's criteria in lieu of performing a drop-test on the 
net. In addition, employers are required to prepare training 
certification records for their employees. The plan and certification 
records ensure that employers comply with the requirements to protect 
workers from falls, which account for the largest number of fatalities 
among construction workers.

    Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Title: Derricks (29 CFR 1910.181).
    OMB Number: 1218-0222.
    Frequency: On occasion; semi-annually; monthly; and annually.
    Type of Response: Recordkeeping and third party disclosure.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal Government; and State, local, or tribal 
government.
    Number of Respondents: 10,000.
    Number of Annual Responses: 115,140.
    Estimated Time Per Response: Varies from 1 minute to maintain rated 
load charts to 10 minutes to inspect rope on derricks.
    Total Burden Hours: 25,104.
    Total Annualized capital/startup costs: $0.
    Total Annual Costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing 
services): $0.
    Description: 29 CFR 1910.181 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 the derrick is not used to lift loads 
beyond its rated capacity and that all the ropes are inspected for wear 
and tear.

    Paragraph (c)(1) requires that for permanently installed derricks a 
clearly legible rating chart be provided with each derrick and securely 
affixed to the derrick. Paragraph (c)(2) requires that for non-
permanent installations, the manufacturer provide sufficient 
information from which capacity charts can be prepared by the employer 
for the particular installation. The capacity charts must be located at 
the derrick or at the jobsite office. The data on the capacity charts 
provide information to the employees to assure the derricks are used as 
designed and not overloaded or used beyond the range specified in the 
charts.
    Paragraph (g)(1) requires employers to thoroughly inspect all 
running rope in use, and do so at least once a month. In addition, 
before using rope which has been idle for at least a month, it must be 
inspected as prescribed by paragraph (g)(3) 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

[[Page 25418]]

inspection. The certification records provide employers, employees, and 
OSHA compliance officers with assurance that the ropes are in good 
condition.
    Paragraphs (c) and (g) require the disclosure of charts and 
inspection certification records if requested during an OSHA 
inspection.

Ira L. Mills,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-10270 Filed 5-5-04; 8:45 am]
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