[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 115 (Thursday, June 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27800-27801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12792]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2012-0002]


Asbestos in Construction 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 the proposal to 
extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements 
specified in the Asbestos in Construction Standard.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
August 13, 2018.

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-2012-0002, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Room N-3653, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. 
Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service) are 
accepted during the OSHA Docket Office's normal business hours, 10:00 
a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and the 
OSHA docket number (OSHA-2012-0002) for the Information Collection 
Request (ICR). 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 above address. 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 Christie Garner 
at (202) 693-2222 to obtain a copy of the ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Mockler or Christie Garner, 
Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, 
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 process 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, the reporting burden (time and costs) is minimal, the 
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 (see 29 U.S.C. 657). The OSH Act also requires OSHA to obtain 
such information with a minimum burden upon employers, especially those 
operating small businesses, and to reduce to the maximum extent 
feasible unnecessary duplication of effort in obtaining said 
information (see 29 U.S.C. 657).

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.
    The Asbestos in Construction Standard (29 CFR 1926.1101) protects 
workers from adverse health effects arising from workplace exposure to 
asbestos, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis (an 
emphysema-like condition) and gastrointestinal cancer. The standard 
requires employers to monitor worker exposure, provide medical 
surveillance, and maintain accurate records of worker exposure to 
asbestos. These records will be used by employers, workers, and the

[[Page 27801]]

Government to ensure that workers are not harmed by exposure to 
asbestos in the workplace.
    The Agency is requesting a burden hour adjustment decrease of 
115,504 (from 3,881,183 hours to 3,765,679). Using updated data, and 
the fact that much of the remediation of asbestos products has likely 
taken place, the Agency estimates a decrease in employment from 
1,338,403 to 1,301,735 workers. Also, the number of employers has 
decreased from 1,046,897 to 1,018,215.

III. Proposed Actions

    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Title: Asbestos in Construction Standard (29 CFR 1926.1101).
    OMB Control Number: 1218-0134.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
    Number of Respondents: 1,018,215.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Average Time per Response: Varies.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 38,279,930.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 3,765,679.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $35,917,810.

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 (Docket No. OSHA-2012-0002) for the ICR. 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 electronic comments by 
your name, date, and the docket number so that 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 dates 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 website 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 
website, and for assistance in using the internet to locate docket 
submissions.

V. Authority and Signature

    Loren Sweatt, Deputy 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. 1-2012 (77 FR 
3912).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on June 8, 2018.
Loren Sweatt,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2018-12792 Filed 6-13-18; 8:45 am]
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