[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30779-30780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13969]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request; Definition and Requirements for a Nationally 
Recognized Testing Laboratory

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Occupational 
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sponsored information 
collection request (ICR) revision titled,

[[Page 30780]]

``Definition and Requirements for a Nationally Recognized Testing 
Laboratory,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA) of 1995. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that agency receives 
on or before July 30, 2018.

ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; 
including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency 
of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained free of charge 
from the RegInfo.gov website at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201711-1218-001 (this link will only become active 
on the day following publication of this notice) or by contacting 
Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129, TTY 202-693-8064, (these are 
not toll-free numbers) or sending an email to [email protected].
    Submit comments about this request by mail to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for DOL-
OSHA, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, 725 17th Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20503; by Fax: 202-395-5806 (this is not a toll-free 
number); or by email: [email protected]. Commenters are 
encouraged, but not required, to send a courtesy copy of any comments 
by mail or courier to the U.S. Department of Labor--OASAM, Office of 
the Chief Information Officer, Attn: Departmental Information 
Compliance Management Program, Room N1301, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20210; or by email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-
4129, TTY 202-693-8064, (these are not toll-free numbers) or sending an 
email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This ICR seeks approval under the PRA for 
revisions to the Definition and Requirements for a Nationally 
Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) information collection. A number 
of OSHA issued standards contain requirements that specify employers 
use only equipment, products, or material tested or approved by a NRTL. 
These requirements ensure that employers use safe and efficacious 
equipment, products, or materials in complying with the standards. 
Accordingly, the OSHA promulgated its Program Regulation for NRTLs, 29 
CFR 1910.7, which specifies procedures an organization must follow to 
apply for and to maintain OSHA recognition to test and certify 
equipment, products, or material for safe use in the workplace. The 
OSHA has also developed standardized optional use forms to facilitate 
and simplify the information collection process. The forms correspond 
to the application, expansion, and renewal processes defined in the 
NRTL Program. This information collection has been classified as a 
revision, because the OSHA intends to change the NRTL Program's fee 
schedule associated with initial recognition, program expansion, 
renewals of recognition, and on-site audits. To facilitate the payment 
of fees and reduce the burden on NRTLs, the OSHA is in the process of 
established an electronic payment mechanism on Pay.gov. A user would be 
required to complete a short payment form for each transaction on this 
site. The OSHA is also requesting an increase in costs associated with 
OSHA's planned increase in filing and assessment fees. The fees charged 
by OSHA under the existing fee schedule have been far lower than the 
costs of performing the activities for which the OSHA charges fees. The 
OSHA is required to set fees at a level that cover its full costs in 
reviewing NRTL applications. See 29 CFR 1910.7(f)(2). The proposed fee 
schedule will rectify this flaw and more accurately reflect the full 
cost of performing the activities for which OSHA charges fees. 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 sections 2(b)(3), (9), (12), 
and 8(c) and (g) authorize this information collection. See 29 U.S.C. 
651(b)(3), (9), (12); 657(c), (g).
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless it is approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays 
a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that 
does not display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 
1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection 
under Control Number 1218-0147. The current approval is scheduled to 
expire on April 30, 2020; however, the DOL notes that existing 
information collection requirements submitted to the OMB receive a 
month-to-month extension while they undergo review. New requirements 
would only take effect upon OMB approval. For additional substantive 
information about this ICR, see the related notice published in the 
Federal Register on December 28, 2016 (81 FR 95650).
    Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in 
the ADDRESSES section within thirty (30) days of publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate 
consideration, comments should mention OMB Control Number 1218-0147. 
The OMB is particularly interested in comments that:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    Agency: DOL-OSHA.
    Title of Collection: Definition and Requirements for a Nationally 
Recognized Testing Laboratory.
    OMB Control Number: 1218-0147.
    Affected Public: Private Sector--businesses or other for-profits.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 20.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 140.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 1,523 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $728,352.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D).

Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-13969 Filed 6-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-26-P