[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 193 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59965-59966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22433]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR 1218-0093(2004)]


Construction Standards on Posting Emergency Telephone Numbers and 
Floor Load Limits; 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 public comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning its request for an extension 
of the information collection requirements specified by the 
Construction Standards on Posting Emergency Telephone Numbers and Floor 
Load Limits (paragraph (f) of Sec.  1926.50 and paragraph (a)(2) of 
Sec.  1926.50, respectively). Under Sec.  1926.50(f), employers must 
post emergency telephone numbers at the worksite if the 911 emergency 
telephone service is not available, while Sec.  1926.50(a)(2) requires 
employers to post the maximum safe load limits of floors located in 
storage areas inside buildings or other structures, unless the floors 
are on grade.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates;
    Hard copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) 
by December 6, 2004.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be 
received by December 6, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR-
1218-0093(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 Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2350 (OSHA's TTY number 
is (877) 889-5627). OSHA Docket Office and Department of Labor hours 
are 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., ET.
    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://ecomments.osha.gov. Follow instructions on the OSHA Web page for 
submitting comments.
    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://www.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 Todd 
Owen 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 N-3609, U.S. Department of Labor, 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 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 a 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 materials by express delivery, hand delivery 
and messenger 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.

[[Page 59966]]

    Electronic copies of this Federal Register notice as well as other 
relevant documents are available on OSHA's Web page.

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 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).
    Two Construction standards, ``Medical Services and First Aid'' 
(Sec.  1926.50), and ``General Requirements for Storage'' (Sec.  
1926.250), contain posting provisions. Paragraph (f) of Sec.  1926.50 
requires employers to post emergency telephone numbers for physicians, 
hospitals, or ambulances at the worksite if the 911 emergency telephone 
services is not available; in the event an employee has a serious 
injury at the worksite, this posting requirement expedites emergency 
medical treatment of the employee. Paragraph (a)(2) of Sec.  1926.250 
specifies that employers must post the maximum safe load limits of 
floors located in storage areas inside buildings or other structures, 
unless the floors are on grade. This provision prohibits employers from 
overloading floors in areas used to store material and equipment in 
multi-story units that are under construction, thereby preventing the 
floors from collapsing and seriously injuring employees.

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 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.

IV. Proposed Actions

    OSHA is proposing to extend the information collection requirements 
specified by paragraph (f) of Sec.  1926.50 and paragraph (a)(2) of 
Sec.  1926.250. 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 
contained in the Standard.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Construction Standards on the posting of Emergency Telephone 
Numbers and Floor Load Limits.
    OMB Number: 1218-0093.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local, or Tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 140,325.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion
    Total Responses:
    Average Time per Response: Varies from 2 minutes (.03 hour) to post 
emergency numbers to 5 minutes (.08 hour) to post load limits for 
floors.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 6,194.
    Estimated Cost. (Operation and Maintenance): $112,762.

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 September 30, 2004.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 04-22433 Filed 10-5-04; 8:45 am]
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