[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 20, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 38232-38233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15326]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

29 CFR Part 1910

[Docket No. OSHA-2020-0004]
RIN 1218-AD36


Occupational Exposure to COVID-19; Emergency Temporary Standard

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 
Department of Labor.

ACTION: Interim final rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The period for submitting public comments is being extended by 
30 days to allow stakeholders interested in the emergency temporary 
standard (ETS) additional time to review the ETS and collect 
information and data necessary for comment.

DATES: The comment period for the interim final rule (ETS) that was 
published June 21, 2021, at 86 FR 32376, effective June 21, 2021, is 
extended. Comments on any aspect of the ETS and whether the ETS should 
be adopted as a permanent standard must be submitted by August 20, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: 
    Written comments: You may submit comments and attachments, 
identified by Docket No. OSHA-2020-0004, electronically at 
www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Follow 
the online instructions for making electronic submissions.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency's name and 
the docket number for this rulemaking (Docket No. OSHA-2020-0004). All 
comments, including any personal information you provide, are placed in 
the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about 
submitting information they do not want made available to the public or 
submitting materials that contain personal information (either about 
themselves or others), such as Social Security Numbers and birthdates.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to Docket No. OSHA-2020-0004 at www.regulations.gov. All 
comments and submissions are listed in the www.regulations.gov index; 
however, some information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly 
available to read or download through that website. All comments and 
submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for 
inspection through the OSHA Docket Office. Documents submitted to the 
docket by OSHA or stakeholders are assigned document identification 
numbers (Document ID) for easy identification and retrieval. The full 
Document ID is the docket number (OSHA-2020-0004) plus a unique four-
digit code (e.g., OSHA-2020-0004-1033). When citing materials in the 
docket, OSHA includes the term ``Document ID'' followed by the last 
four digits of the Document ID number (e.g., Document ID 1033). 
Document ID numbers are used to identify docket materials in this 
notice. However, OSHA identified supporting information in the ETS (86 
FR 32376) by author name and publication year, when appropriate. The 
agency has also provided a spreadsheet in the docket that identifies 
the full Document ID for each reference cited in the ETS (see Document 
ID 1042). This information can be used to search for a supporting 
document in the docket at http://www.regulations.gov. Contact the OSHA 
Docket Office at 202-693-2350 (TTY number: 877-889-5627) for assistance 
in locating docket submissions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    General information and press inquiries: Contact Frank Meilinger, 
Director, Office of Communications, U.S. Department of Labor; telephone 
(202) 693-1999; email [email protected].
    For technical inquiries: Contact Andrew Levinson, Directorate of 
Standards and Guidance, U.S. Department of Labor; telephone (202) 693-
1950.

[[Page 38233]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 21, 2021, OSHA issued an ETS to 
protect healthcare and healthcare support service workers from 
occupational exposure to COVID-19 in settings where people with COVID-
19 are reasonably expected to be present.
    The public comment period for the ETS was to close on July 21, 
2021, 30 days after publication of the ETS. However, OSHA received 
requests from several stakeholders to extend the comment period by an 
additional 30 days, through August 20, 2021 (Document ID 1078; 1079; 
1080; 1082; 1083; 1086; 1088; 1089). These stakeholders explained that 
they need additional time to thoroughly review the ETS, gather input 
from members, and prepare informed comments (see, e.g., Document ID 
1078; 1079; 1080; 1082; 1083; 1086; 1087; 1088; 1089).
    OSHA agrees to an extension and believes a 30-day extension of the 
public comment period is sufficient and appropriate in order to address 
these stakeholder requests. Therefore, the public comment period will 
be extended until August 20, 2021.

Authority and Signature

    James S. Frederick, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210, authorized the 
preparation of this document pursuant to the following authorities: 
Sections 4, 6, and 8 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 
(29 U.S.C. 653, 655, 657); Secretary of Labor's Order 8-2020 (85 FR 
58393 (Sept. 18, 2020)); 29 CFR part 1911; and 5 U.S.C. 553.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on July 12, 2021.
James S. Frederick,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-15326 Filed 7-19-21; 8:45 am]
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