[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 31 (Thursday, February 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8712-8713]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2671]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2008-0007]


Subpart R (``Steel Erection''); 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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comment concerning its proposal to extend 
OMB approval of the information collection requirements specified in 29 
CFR part 1926, subpart R (``Steel Erection'').

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
April 14, 2008.

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-2008-
0007, 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-2008-0007). 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 website. All submissions, 
including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and 
copying at the OSHA Docket Office. You may also contact Michael Buchet 
at the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Buchet, 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

[[Page 8713]]

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).
    The following provisions of 29 CFR part 1926, subpart R (the 
``Subpart'') contain paperwork requirements: Sec. Sec.  1926.752(a)(1) 
and (a)(2); 1926.753(c)(5) and (e)(2); 1926.757(a)(7), (a)(9), and 
(e)(4)(i); 1926.758(g); 1926.760(e) and (e)(1); 1926.761; and paragraph 
(c)(4)(ii) of appendix G. These provisions ensure that:
    Designated parties, especially steel erectors, receive notice that 
building materials, components, steel structures, and fall protection 
equipment are safe for specific uses; and employees exposed to fall 
hazards receive the required training in the recognition and control of 
fall hazards. These paperwork requirements provide a direct and 
efficient means for controlling contractors and steel erectors to 
inform others (e.g., employees) of steel erection hazards and their 
control, thereby preventing death and serious injury by ensuring that 
structural steel members remain stable and that employees use fall 
protection correctly.

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

    The Agency is requesting that OMB extend its approval of the 
information collection requirements contained in 29 CFR part 1926, 
subpart R (``Steel Erection''). The Agency is proposing to retain its 
existing burden hour estimate of 30,339 hours for the collection of 
information requirements specified by the subpart.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Title: 29 CFR part 1926, subpart R (``Steel Erection'').
    OMB Number: 1218-0241.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
    Number of Respondents: 20,781.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Average Time Per Response: Varies from one minute (.02 hour) for a 
controlling contractor to inform a steel erector to leave fall 
protection at the jobsite to three hours for controlling contractors to 
obtain approval from the project structural engineer of record before 
modifying anchor bolts.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 30,339.
    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-2008-0007). 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 
website. 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 website'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 February 8, 2008.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
 [FR Doc. E8-2671 Filed 2-13-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P