[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 211 (Tuesday, November 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67478-67480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28265]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2010-0047]


Bloodborne Pathogens Standard; 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 comments.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to 
extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements 
specified in the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). The 
information collection requirements specified in the Bloodborne 
Pathogens Standard provide employers and workers with means to provide 
protection from adverse health effects associated with occupational 
exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
January 3, 2012.

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 a copy of your comments and 
attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2010-0047, 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 Information Collection Request (ICR) (OSHA-2010-
0047). 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.

[[Page 67479]]

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 also may 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 (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 collections of information contained in the Standard include a 
written exposure control plan, documentation of workers' hepatitis B 
vaccinations and post- exposure evaluations and follow-up medical 
visits, training, related recordkeeping and a sharps injury log. 
Information generated in accordance with these provisions provides the 
employer and the worker with means to provide protection from the 
adverse health effects associated with occupational exposure to 
bloodborne pathogens.
    As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA) (44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), OSHA published a notice in the Federal Register 
on December 8, 2010 (75 FR 76492, Docket No. OSHA-2010-0047) requesting 
public comment on its proposed extension of the information collection 
requirements contained in the existing Standard on Bloodborne Pathogens 
(the Standard; 29 CFR 1910.1030). The notice was part of a preclearance 
consultation program intended to provide those interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on OSHA's request for an extension by the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) of a previous approval of the 
information collection requirements in the Standard. The Agency 
received three comments on the proposed extension.
    However, as a result of the SIP-III final rule published on June 8, 
2011 (76 FR 33590), the ``transfer of records'' requirement contained 
in the Standard (formerly 29 CFR 1910.1030(n)(4)(ii)) was revoked. In 
accordance with the PRA, prior to issuance of the final rule, OSHA 
submitted a revised ICR to OMB on May 27, 2011, requesting approval to 
remove this requirement. There were no burden hours and costs 
associated with this provision. On August 11, 2011, OMB issued a Notice 
of Action (NOA) indicating approval of the request.
    The NOA instructed OSHA to publish a second notice in the Federal 
Register to solicit comments on its proposal to extend OMB's approval 
of the information collection requirements. In response to the NOA, the 
Agency is publishing a second Federal Register notice requesting 
comments on the revised ICR. The Agency will respond to any previous or 
new comments submitted on the proposed extension and submit the final 
ICR to OMB.

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 workers, 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 Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 
(29 CFR 1910.1030). The Agency is requesting that it retain its current 
estimate of 14,518,778 burden hours. 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: Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030).
    OMB Number: 1218-0180.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; Not-
for-profit institutions; Federal, State, Local, or Tribal Governments.
    Number of Respondents: 666,933.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Total Responses: 26,171,202.
    Average Time per Response: Time per response varies from 5 minutes 
(.08 hour) to maintain records to 1.5 hours for workers to receive 
training or medical evaluations.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 14,518,778.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $34,342,534.

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-2010-0047). You 
may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files 
electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials in reference 
to an electronic or a 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,

[[Page 67480]]

date, and 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

    David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, 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. 4-2010 
(75 FR 55355).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on October 27, 2011.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2011-28265 Filed 10-31-11; 8:45 am]
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