[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 3 (Friday, January 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 583-584]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-22619]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0147 (2007)]


National Recognized Testing Laboratories (29 CFR 1910.7); 
Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's Approval of 
Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Request for comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA requests comment concerning its request for an extension 
of the information-collection requirements specified by its Regulation 
on National Recognized Testing Laboratory (29 CFR 1910.7). The 
Regulation specifies procedures that organizations must follow to apply 
for, and to maintain, OSHA's recognition to test and certify equipment, 
products, or material for workplace safety purposes.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent or received) by 
March 6, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments 
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting 
comments.
    Fax: If your comments, including attachments, are not longer than 
10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-1648.
    Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger or courier service: 
You must submit three copies of your comments and attachments to the 
OSHA Docket Office, OSHA Docket No. ICR-1218-0147(2007), U.S. 
Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger and 
courier service) are accepted during the Department of Labor's and the 
Docket Office's normal business hours, 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m., e.t.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and OSHA 
docket number for this ICR (OSHA Docket No. ICR-1218-0147(2007)). All 
comments, including any personal information you provide, are placed in 
the public docket without change and may be made available onfnlline at 
http://www.regulations.gov. For further information on submitting 
comments see the ``Public Participation'' heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this document.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the OSHA Docket Office at 
the address above. All documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index, however, some information (e.g., 
copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download 
through the Web site. All submissions, including copyrighted material, 
are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. You 
may also contact Todd Owen at the address below to obtain a copy of the 
ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Owen or Theda Kenney, 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 minimized, collection instruments are understandable, and OSHA's 
estimate of the information-collection burden is correct. The 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of the 1970 (the Act) authorizes 
information collection by employers as necessary or appropriate for 
enforcement of the Act or developing information regarding the causes 
and prevention of occupational injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29 
U.S.C. 657).
    A number of standards issued by the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration (OSHA) contain requirements for equipment, products, or 
materials. These standards often specify that employers use only 
equipment, products, or material tested or approved by a nationally 
recognized testing laboratory (NRTL); this requirement ensures that 
employers use safe and efficacious equipment, products, or materials in 
complying with the standards. Accordingly, OSHA promulgated the 
regulation titled ``Definition and Requirements for a Nationally 
Recognized Testing Laboratory'' (the Regulation). The Regulation 
specifies procedures that organizations must follow to apply for, and 
to maintain, OSHA's recognition to test and certify equipment, 
products, or material for this purpose.

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 to 
protect employees, 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 Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
approval of the information-collection requirements specified by the 
Standard on Nationally Recognized Testing

[[Page 584]]

Laboratory. There is an 80 burden hour increase as a result of the 
Agency performing additional annual on-site reviews at NRTL facilities. 
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 a currently-approved information-
collection requirements.
    Title: Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (29 CFR 1910.7).
    OMB Number: 1218-0147.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; State, local or tribal government; Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 67.
    Frequency of Recordkeeping: On occasion.
    Total Responses: 67.
    Average Time per Response: 160 hours for organization to prepare 
initial recognition applications to 16 hours for an annual site visit.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,340.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.

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

    You may submit comments in response to this document (1) 
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal; (2) by facsimile (FAX); or (3) by hard copy. All 
comments, attachments and other material must identify the Agency name 
and the OSHA docket number for ICR (OSHA Docket No. ICR-1218-0147 
(2007)). You may supplement electronic submissions by uploading 
document files electronically. If, instead, you wish to mail additional 
materials in reference to an electronic or fax submission, you must 
submit them to the OSHA Docket Office (see ADDRESSES section). The 
additional materials must clearly identify your electronic comments by 
name, date, and docket number so OSHA can attach them to your comments.
    Because of security-related procedures, the use of regular mail may 
cause a significant delay in the receipt of comments. For information 
about security procedures concerning the delivery of materials by hand, 
express delivery, messenger or courier service, please contact the OSHA 
Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY (877) 889-5627).
    Comments and submissions are posted without change at http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about 
submitting personal information such as social security numbers and 
date of birth. Although all submissions are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index, some information (e.g., copyrighted 
material) is not publicly available to read or download through http://www.regulations.gov. All submissions, including copyrighted material, 
are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. 
Information on using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site to submit 
comments and access the docket is available at the Web site's User Tips 
link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about materials 
not available through the Web site and for assistance in using the 
Internet to locate docket submissions.
    Electronic copies of this Federal Register document are available 
at http://www.regulations.gov. This document, as well as news releases 
and other relevant information, also are available at OSHA's Web page 
at http://www.osha.gov.

V. Authority and Signature

    Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., 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 December 29, 2006.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
 [FR Doc. E6-22619 Filed 1-4-07; 8:45 am]
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