[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 101 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30488-30489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10564]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR 1218-0223(2005)]
Slings; 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 public comment concerning its request for an
extension of the information collection requirements contained in its
Standard on Slings (29 CFR 1910.184).
DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
Hard copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received)
by July 25, 2005.
Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be
received by July 25, 2005.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR-
1218-0223(2005), 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. In
addition, the ICR, comments and submissions are available for
inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the address above.
You also may 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: Theda Kenney or Todd Owen, Directorate
of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, Room N-3609, 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. 652 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 Slings Standard (29 CFR 1910.184) specifies several collection
of information (paperwork) requirements, depending on the type of
sling. The purpose of each of these requirements is to prevent
employees from using defective or deteriorated slings, thereby reducing
their risk of death or serious injury caused by sling failure during
material handling.
Paragraph (e) of the Standard covers alloy steel chain slings.
Paragraph (e)(1) requires that alloy steel chain slings have
permanently affixed and durable identification stating the size, grade,
rated capacity, and reach of the sling. The information, supplied by
the manufacturer, is typically marked on a metal tag and affixed to the
sling.
Paragraph (e)(3)(i) requires the employer to make a thorough
periodic inspection of alloy steel chain slings in use on a regular
basis, but at least once a year. Paragraph (e)(3)(ii) requires the
employer to make and maintain a record of the most recent month in
which each alloy steel chain sling was thoroughly inspected, and make
this record available for examination.
Paragraph (e)(4) requires the employer to retain certificates of
proof testing. Employers must ensure that before use, each new,
repaired, or reconditioned alloy steel chain sling, including all
welded components in the sling assembly, has been proof tested by the
sling manufacturer or an equivalent entity. The certificates of proof
testing must be retained by the employer and made available for
examination.
Paragraph (f) of the Standard covers wire rope slings. Paragraph
(f)(4)(ii) requires that all welded end attachments of wire rope slings
be proof tested by the manufacturer at twice their rated capacity prior
to initial use, and that the employer retain a certificate of the proof
test and make it available for examination.
Paragraph (g) of the Standard covers metal mesh slings. Paragraph
(g)(1) requires each metal mesh sling to have a durable marking
permanently affixed that states the rated capacity for vertical basket
hitch and choker hitch loadings. Paragraph (g)(8)(ii) requires that
once repaired, each metal mesh sling be permanently marked or tagged,
or a written record maintained to indicate the date and type of the
repairs made, and the person or organization that performed the
repairs. Records of the repairs shall be made available for
examination.
Paragraph (i) of the Standard covers synthetic web slings.
Paragraph (i)(1) requires that synthetic web slings be marked or coded
to show the rated capacities for each type of hitch, and
[[Page 30489]]
type of synthetic web material used in the sling.
Paragraph (i)(8)(i) prohibits the use of repaired synthetic web
slings until they have been proof tested by the manufacturer or
equivalent entity. Paragraph (i)(8)(ii) requires the employer to retain
a certificate of the proof test and make it available for examination.
The information on the identification tags, markings, and codings
assist the employer in determining whether the sling can be used for
the lifting task. The sling inspections enable early detection of
faulty slings. The inspection and repair records provide employers with
information about when the last inspection was made and about the type
of the repairs made. This information provides some assurance about the
condition of the slings. These records also provide the most efficient
means for an OSHA compliance officer to determine that an employer is
complying with the Standard. Proof-testing certificates give employers,
employees, and OSHA compliance officers assurance that slings are safe
to use. The certificates also provide the compliance officers with an
efficient means to assess employer compliance with the Standard.
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 employees who must comply;
for example, by using automated or other technological information
collection and transmission techniques.
III. Proposed Actions
OSHA proposes to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB)
approval of the collection of information (paperwork) requirements
necessitated by the Standard on Slings (29 CFR 1910.184). In its
extension request, OSHA also is proposing to reduce the total burden
hours for these requirements from 21,517 hours to 19,167 hours. The
Agency will include this summary in its request to OMB to extend the
approval of the collection of information requirements.
Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information
collection requirements.
Title: Slings (29 CFR 1910.184).
OMB Number: 1218-0223.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profits; Not-for-profit
organizations; Federal Government; State, local, or tribal government.
Number of respondents: 65,000.
Frequency of Response: On occasion annually;
Average Time per Response: Varies from 1 minute (.02 hour) to
maintain a certificate to 30 minutes (.50 hour) for a manufacturing
worker to acquire information from a manufacturer for a new tag, make a
new tag, and affix it to a sling.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 19,167.
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, a significant delay may occur 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 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. Since all
submissions become public, private information such as social security
numbers should not be submitted.
V. Authority and Signature
Jonathan L. Snare, Acting Assistance 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 May 20, 2005.
Jonathan L. Snare,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 05-10564 Filed 5-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M