[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 193 (Friday, October 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57072-57074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19695]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2007-0062]


Standard on Powered Platforms for Building Maintenance; 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 proposal to extend 
OMB approval of the information collection requirements specified in 
its Standard on Powered Platforms for Building Maintenance (29 CFR 
1910.66).

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
December 4, 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, OSHA Docket No. OSHA-2007-
0062, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution

[[Page 57073]]

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., EST.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and OSHA 
docket number for the ICR (OSHA-2007-0062). 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 Theda Kenney at 
the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theda Kenney or Todd Owen, Directorate 
of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, 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 (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 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).
    Paragraph (e)(9) of the Standard requires that employers develop 
and implement a written emergency action plan for each type of powered 
platform operation. The plan must explain the emergency procedures that 
employees are to follow if they encounter a disruption of the power 
supply, equipment failure, or other emergency. Prior to operating a 
powered platform, employers must notify employees how they can inform 
themselves about alarm systems and emergency escape routes, and 
emergency procedures that pertain to the building on which they will be 
working. Employers are to review with each employee those parts of the 
emergency action plan that the employee must know to ensure their 
protection during an emergency; these reviews must occur when the 
employee receives an initial assignment involving a powered platform 
operation and after the employer revises the emergency action plan.
    According to paragraph (f)(5)(i)(C), employers must affix a load 
rating plate to a conspicuous location on each suspended unit that 
states the unit's weight and its rated load capacity. Paragraph 
(f)(5)(ii)(N) requires employers to mount each emergency electric 
operating device in a secured compartment and label the device with 
instructions for its use. After installing a suspension wire rope, 
paragraphs (f)(7)(vi) and (f)(7)(vii) mandate that employers attach a 
corrosion-resistant tag with specified information to one of the wire 
rope fastenings if the rope is to remain at one location. In addition, 
paragraph (f)(7)(viii) requires employers who resocket a wire rope to 
either stamp specified information on the original tag or put that 
information on a supplemental tag and attach it to the fastening.
    Paragraphs (g)(2)(i) and (g)(2)(ii) require that building owners, 
at least annually, have a competent person: Inspect the supporting 
structures of their buildings; inspect and, if necessary, test the 
components of the powered platforms, including control systems; 
inspect/test components subject to wear (e.g., wire ropes, bearings, 
gears, and governors); and certify these inspections and tests. Under 
paragraph (g)(2)(iii), building owners must maintain and, on request, 
disclose to OSHA a written certification record of these inspections/
tests; this record must include the date of the inspection/test, the 
signature of the competent person who performed it, and the number/
identifier of the building support structure and equipment inspected/
tested.
    Paragraph (g)(3)(i) mandates that building owners use a competent 
person to inspect and, if necessary, test each powered platform 
facility according to the manufacturer's recommendations every 30 days, 
or prior to use if the work cycle is less than 30 days. Under paragraph 
(g)(3)(ii), building owners must maintain and, on request, disclose to 
the Agency a written certification record of these inspections/tests; 
this record is to include the date of the inspection/test, the 
signature of the competent person who performed it, and the number/
identifier of the powered platform facility inspected/tested.
    According to paragraph (g)(5)(iii), building owners must use a 
competent person to thoroughly inspect suspension wire ropes for a 
number of specified conditions once a month, or before placing the wire 
ropes into service if the ropes are inactive for 30 days or longer. 
Paragraph (g)(5)(v) requires building owners to maintain and, on 
request, disclose to OSHA a written certification record of these 
monthly inspections; this record must consist of the date of the 
inspection, the signature of the competent person who performed it, and 
the number/identifier of the wire rope inspected.
    Paragraph (i)(1)(ii) requires that all employees who operate 
working platforms be trained in the following: (A) Recognition of, and 
preventive measures for, the safety hazards associated with their 
individual work tasks; (B) General recognition and prevention of safety 
hazards associated with the use of working platforms; (C) Emergency 
action plan procedures required in paragraph (e)(9) of this section; 
(D) Work procedures required in paragraph (i)(1)((iv) of this section; 
(E) Personal fall arrest system inspection, care, use and system 
performance. Paragraph (1)(1)(iii) requires that training of employees 
in the operation and inspection of working platforms be performed by a 
competent person. Paragraph (i)(1)(iv) requires that written work 
procedures for the operation, safe use and inspection of working 
platforms be provided for employee training.
    Upon completion of this training, paragraph (i)(1)(v) specifies 
that

[[Page 57074]]

employers must prepare a written certification that includes the 
identity of the employee trained, the signature of the employer or the 
trainer, and the date the employee completed the training. In addition, 
the employer must maintain an employee's training certificate for the 
duration of their employment and, on request, make it available to 
OSHA.
    Emergency action plans allow employers and employees to anticipate, 
and effectively respond to, emergencies that may arise during powered 
platform operations. Affixing load rating plates to suspended units, 
instructions to emergency electric operating devices, and tags to wire 
rope fasteners prevent workplace accidents by providing information to 
employers and employees regarding the conditions under which they can 
safely operate these system components. Requiring building owners to 
establish and maintain written certification of inspections and testing 
conducted on the supporting structures of buildings, powered platform 
systems, and suspension wire ropes provides employers and employees 
with assurance that they can operate safely from the buildings using 
equipment that is in safe operating condition.
    The training requirements increase employee safety by allowing them 
to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively operate, 
use, and inspect powered platforms, recognize and prevent safety 
hazards associated with platform operation, respond appropriately under 
emergency conditions, and maintain and use their fall protection arrest 
system. Training certification permits employers to review the training 
provided to their employees, thereby ensuring that the employees 
received the necessary training. In addition, the paperwork 
requirements specified by the Standard provide the most efficient means 
for an OSHA compliance officer to determine whether or not employers 
and building owners are providing the required notification, 
certification, and training.

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 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 Powered Platforms 
for Building Maintenance (29 CFR 1910.66). The Agency is requesting to 
retain its current burden hour total of 135,656 hours associated with 
this Standard. 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: Standard on Powered Platforms for Building Maintenance (29 
CFR 1910.66).
    OMB Number: 1218-0121.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 900.
    Frequency: On occasion; initially, monthly, annually.
    Average Time Per Response: Varies from 2 minutes (.03 hour) to 
disclose certification records to 10 hours to inspect/test both a 
powered platform facility and its suspension wire ropes, and to prepare 
the certification record.
    Total Burden Hours Requested: 135,656.
    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-2007-0062). 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. 5-2007 (72 FR 
31159).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on October 2, 2007.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
 [FR Doc. E7-19695 Filed 10-4-07; 8:45 am]
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