[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 28, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45081-45082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17174]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR 1218-0113 (2004)]


Cranes and Derricks Standard for Construction; 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 
Cranes and Derricks Standard for Construction (29 CFR 1926.550(a)(6)). 
This paragraph requires employers to establish and maintain a record of 
the dates and results of the annual inspection conducted on each 
hoisting machine and piece of equipment.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
    Hard copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) 
by September 27, 2004.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be 
received by September 27, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR-
1218-0113 (2004), by any of the following methods:
    Regular mail, express delivery, hand delivery, and messenger 
service: Submit your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket 
Office, Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2350 (OSHA's TTY number 
is (877) 889-5627). OSHA Docket Office and Department of Labor are 8:15 
a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
    Facsimile: If your comments are 10 pages or fewer in length, 
including attachments, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at 
(202) 693-1648.
    Electronic: You may submit comments through the Internet at http://comments.osha.gov.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read or download comments or 
background materials, such as the complete Information Collection 
Request (ICR) (containing the Supporting Statement, OMB-83-I Form, and 
attachments), go to OSHA's Web page at http://OSHA.gov. Comments, 
submissions and the ICR are available for inspection and copying at the 
OSHA Docket Office at the address above. You may also contact Theda 
Kenney at the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.
    (For additional information on submitting comments, please see the 
``Public Participation'' heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of this document.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Owen, Directorate of Standards 
and Guidance, OSHA, Room-3609, U.S. Department of Labor, 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 minimal, collection instruments 
are clearly understood, and OSHA's estimate of the information 
collection burden is accurate. The Occupational Safety and Health Act 
of 1970 (the Act) (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.) authorizes 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).
    Paragraph (a)(6) of the Standard requires employers to perform 
annual inspections of cranes and derricks and to establish and maintain 
a written record of the dates and results of these inspections. The 
inspections identify problems such as deterioration caused by exposure 
to adverse weather condition, worn components and other flaws and 
defects that develop during use, and accelerated wear resulting from 
misalignments of connecting systems and components. A competent person 
or a government or private agency recognized by the Department of Labor 
must perform the inspections.
    Establishing and maintaining a written record of the annual 
inspections

[[Page 45082]]

alerts the equipment mechanics to servicing or repair problems. Prior 
to returning the equipment to service, employers can review the records 
to ensure that the mechanics performed the necessary repairs and 
maintenance. Accordingly, by using only equipment that is in safe 
working order, employers will prevent severe injury and death to the 
equipment operators and other employees who use or work near the 
equipment. In addition, these records provide the most efficient means 
for an OSHA compliance officer to determine that an employer performed 
the required inspection and the equipment is safe.

II. 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 OSHA'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.

III. Proposed Actions

    OSHA proposes to extend the information collection requirements in 
the Cranes and Derricks Standard for Construction (29 CFR 
1926.550(a)(6)). 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: Cranes and Derricks Standard for Construction (29 CFR 
1926.550(a)(6).
    OMB Number: 1218-0113.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local, or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 2,073.
    Frequency of Recordkeeping: Annually.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from 3 to 6 hours.
    Total Annual Hours Requested: 9,329.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.

IV. Public Participation--Submission of Comments on This Notice and 
Internet Access to Comments and Submissions

    You may submit comments and supporting materials in response to 
this notice by (1) hard copy, (2) fax transmission (facsimile), or (3) 
electronically through the OSHA Web page. Because of security related 
problems there may be significant delay in the receipt of comments by 
regular mail. Please contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 2693-2350 
(TTY (877) 889-5627) for information about security procedures 
concerning the delivery of submissions by express delivery, hand 
delivery and courier service.
    All comments, submissions and background documents are available 
for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the above 
address. Comments and submissions posted on OSHA's Web page are 
available at http://www.OSHA.gov. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for 
information about materials not available through the OSHA Web page and 
for assistance using the Web page to locate docket submissions.
    Electronic copies of this Federal Register notice as well as other 
relevant documents are available on OSHA's Web page.

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 et seq.), and Secretary of Labor's Order No. 5-2002 (67 FR 
65008).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on July 23rd, 2004.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 04-17174 Filed 7-27-04; 8:45 am]
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