[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 234 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70709-70710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26805]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0179 (2005)]


Methylene Chloride Standard; Extensions of the Office of 
Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of the 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 contained in the Methylene 
Chloride Standard (29 CFR 1910.1052).

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
    Hard Copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) 
by February 7, 2005.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be 
received by February 7, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR-
1218-0179 (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 (887) 889-5627). The OSHA Docket Office and Department of Labor 
hours of operation are 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., ET.
    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.
    Electronic: You may submit comments through the Internet at http://dockets.osha.gov/. Following instructions on the OSHA Webpage 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 Webpage 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 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 document by (1) hard copy, (2) FAX transmission (facsimile), or 
(3) electronically through the OSHA Webpage.
    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 (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 Webpage are 
available at http://www.OSHA.gov. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for 
information about material not available through the OSHA Webpage and 
for assistance using the Webpage to locate docket submissions.
    Electronic copies of this Federal Register notice as well as other 
relevant documents are available on OSHA's Webpage. Since all 
submissions become public, private information such as a social 
security number should not be submitted.

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 
off 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 cost) is minimal, collection instruments are 
understandable, 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). The 
information-collection requirements specified in the Methylene Chloride 
Standard protect employees from the adverse health effects that may 
result from their exposure to methylene chloride. The requirements in 
the MC Standard include employee exposure monitoring, notifying 
employees of their MC exposures, administering medical examinations to 
employees, providing examining physicians with specific program and 
employee information, ensuring that employees receive a copy of their 
medical examination results, training employees on the hazards of MC, 
maintaining employees' exposure-monitoring and medical examination 
records for specific periods, and providing access to these records by 
OSHA, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the 
affected employees, and their authorized representatives.

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 
cost) of the information-collection requirements, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

[[Page 70710]]

     The quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
collected; and
     Ways to minimize the burden on employees who must comply; 
for example, by using automated other technological information-
collection and -transmission techniques.

IV. Proposed Actions

    OSHA is proposing to extend the information-collection requirements 
contained in the Methylene Chloride Standard (29 CFR 1910.1052). The 
Agency will summarize the comments submitted in response to this notice 
and will include this summary in the request to OMB to extend the 
approval of the information-collection requirements contained in the 
Standard.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Methylene Chloride (29 CFR 1910.1052).
    OMB Number: 1218-0179.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit 
institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 88,623.
    Frequency of Response: Occasionally.
    Total Responses: 217,753.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from 1 hour for administering a 
medical examination to 5 minutes to maintain an employee's medical or 
exposure record.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 64,142 hours.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $15,942,530.

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

    Signed at Washington, DC, on November 30, 2004.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 04-26805 Filed 12-6-04; 8:45 am]
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