[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40337-40338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14256]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2007-0059]


Concrete and Masonry 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 public comment.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB 
approval of the Information Collection requirements contained in the 
Standard on Concrete and Masonry Construction (29 CFR part 1926, 
subpart Q). This Subpart protects employees who construct, erect, 
brace, maintain, remove, or perform similar tasks on concrete or 
masonry structures.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
September 24, 2007.

ADDRESSES: 
    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.
    Facsimile: 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: 
When using this method, you must submit three copies of your comments 
and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2007-0059, 
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, 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 Docket 
Office's normal business hours, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., e.t.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and OSHA 
docket number for the ICR (OSHA-2007-0059). All comments, including any 
personal information you provide, are placed in the public docket 
without change, and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov. For further information on submitting comments see 
the ``Public Participation'' heading in the section of this notice 
titled SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    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 (including this Federal 
Register notice) 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 Stewart 
Burkhammer at the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stewart Burkhammer, Directorate of 
Construction, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3468, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-
2020.

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 (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 OSH Act) (29 U.S.C. 651 
et seq.) authorizes information collection by employers as necessary or 
appropriate for enforcement of the OSH Act or for developing 
information regarding the causes and prevention of occupational 
injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29 U.S.C. 657). The OSH Act also 
requires that OSHA obtain such information with minimum burden upon 
employers, especially those operating small businesses, and to reduce 
to the maximum extent feasible unnecessary duplication of efforts in 
obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657). The information collection 
requirements, and their rationale, contained in 29 CFR part 1926, 
subpart Q Concrete and Masonry Construction are listed below.
    Paragraph (c)(2) of Sec.  1926.701 requires that signs and barriers 
be erected to limit employee access to the post-tensioning area during 
tensioning operations. Paragraphs (a)(2), (j)(1), and (j)(2) warn 
equipment operators not to activate their equipment if another employee 
enters the area to perform a task (e.g., cleaning, inspecting, 
maintenance, repairing), thereby preventing serious injury or death.
    Paragraph (a)(2) of Sec.  1926.703 requires employers to make 
available, at the jobsite, drawings or plans for: The jack layout, 
formwork (including shoring equipment), working decks, and scaffolds, 
as well as any revisions to these documents. Paragraph (a) of Sec.  
1926.705 requires employers engaged in lift-slab operations to have 
specific designs and plans detailing the lift-slab operation. Drawings, 
plans and/or designs are developed and kept available at the jobsite as 
a usual and customary business practice to be used by the various 
contractors during construction; therefore, OSHA assumes there are no 
burden hours or costs associated with preparing drawings, plans, or 
designs and having them at the jobsite.
    Section 1926.705(b) requires that jacks used for lifting operations 
be marked to indicate their rated capacity. Manufacturers of jacks rate 
the equipment as a usual and customary practice; therefore, OSHA 
assumes there are no burden hours or costs to employers for these 
marking requirements.

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

[[Page 40338]]

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 is requesting that OMB extend its approval of the information 
collection requirements contained in the Standard on Concrete and 
Masonry Construction (29 CFR part 1926, subpart Q). The Agency is 
requesting to increase its current burden hour estimate associated with 
this Standard from 22,400 hours to 37,488 hours for a total increase of 
15,088 hours. The increase results from increasing the number of 
construction sites. The Agency will summarize the comments submitted in 
response to this notice and will include this summary in the request to 
OMB.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Title: Concrete and Masonry Construction (29 CFR 1926, Subpart Q).
    OMB Number: 1218-0095.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 468,600.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Average Time per Response: Five minutes (.08 hour) to post or place 
warning signs, locks, or tags.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 37,488.
    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 in response to this document as follows: 
(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 the ICR (Docket No. OSHA-2007-0059). You 
may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files 
electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials in reference 
to an electronic or facsimile submission, you must submit them to the 
OSHA Docket Office (see the section of this notice titled ADDRESSES). 
The additional materials must clearly identify your electronic comments 
by your name, date, and the docket number so the Agency can attach them 
to your comments.
    Because of security 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 this 
Web site.
    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.

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 July 17, 2007.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. E7-14256 Filed 7-23-07; 8:45 am]
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