[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 235 (Friday, December 10, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70536-70537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26726]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Mine Safety and Health Administration

[OMB Control No. 1219-0082]


Proposed Extension of Information Collection; Records of Preshift 
and Onshift Inspections of Slope and Shaft Areas at Coal Mines

AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance 
request for comment to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed collections of information 
in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This request 
helps to ensure that: Requested data can be provided in the desired 
format; reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized; 
collection instruments are clearly understood; and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. 
Currently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is 
soliciting comments on the information collection for Records of 
Preshift and Onshift Inspections of Slope and Shaft Areas of Slope and 
Shaft Sinking Operations at Coal Mines (pertains slope and shaft 
sinking operations at coal mines).

DATES: All comments must be received on or before February 8, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comment as follows. Please note that late, 
untimely filed comments will not be considered.
    Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic comments in the following 
way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments for MSHA-2021-0035. 
Comments submitted electronically, including attachments, to https://www.regulations.gov will be posted to the docket, with no changes. 
Because your comment will be made public, you are responsible for 
ensuring that your comment does not include any confidential 
information that you or a third party may not wish to be posted, such 
as your or anyone else's Social Security number or confidential 
business information.
     If your comment includes confidential information that you 
do not wish to be made available to the public, submit the comment as a 
written/paper submission.
    Written/Paper Submissions: Submit written/paper submissions in the 
following way:
     Mail/Hand Delivery: Mail or visit DOL-MSHA, Office of 
Standards, Regulations, and Variances, 201 12th Street South, Suite 
4E401, Arlington, VA 22202-5452. Before visiting MSHA in person, call 
202-693-9455 to make an appointment, in keeping with the Department of 
Labor's COVID-19 policy. Special health precautions may be required.
     MSHA will post your comment as well as any attachments, 
except for information submitted and marked as confidential, in the 
docket at https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: S. Aromie Noe, Acting Director, Office 
of Standards, Regulations, and Variances, MSHA, at 
[email protected]

[[Page 70537]]

(email); (202) 693-9440 (voice); or (202) 693-9441 (facsimile).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Section 103(h) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 
(Mine Act), 30 U.S.C. 813(h), authorizes MSHA to collect information 
necessary to carry out its duty in protecting the safety and health of 
miners. Further, section 101(a) of the Mine Act, 30 U.S.C. 811(a), 
authorizes the Secretary of Labor to develop, promulgate, and revise as 
may be appropriate, improved mandatory health or safety standards for 
the protection of life and prevention of injuries in coal and metal and 
nonmetal mines.
    The sinking of slopes and shafts is a particularly hazardous 
operation where conditions change drastically in short periods of time. 
Explosive methane and other harmful gases can be expected to infiltrate 
the work environment at any time. The working environment is typically 
a confined area in close proximity to moving equipment. Accordingly, 30 
CFR 77.1901 requires operators to examine slope and shaft areas for 
hazardous conditions, including tests for methane and oxygen 
deficiency, within 90 minutes before each shift, once during each shift 
when employees are inside any slope or shaft during development, and 
before and after blasting. The surface area surrounding each slope and 
shaft is also required to be inspected for hazards.
    The standard also requires that a record be kept of the results of 
the inspections. The record includes a description of any hazardous 
condition found and the corrective action taken to abate it. The record 
is necessary to ensure that the inspections and tests are conducted in 
a timely fashion and that corrective action is taken when hazardous 
conditions are identified, thereby ensuring a safe working environment 
for the slope and shaft sinking employees. The record is maintained at 
the mine site for the duration of the operation.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    MSHA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information 
collection related to Records of Preshift and Onshift Inspections of 
Slope and Shaft Areas of Slope and Shaft Sinking Operations at Coal 
Mines (pertains slope and shaft sinking operations at coal mines). MSHA 
is particularly interested in comments that:
     Evaluate whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information has practical utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of MSHA's estimate of the burden 
related to the information collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used in the estimate;
     Suggest methods to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the information collection 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.
    Background documents related to this information collection request 
are available at https://regulations.gov and at DOL-MSHA located at 201 
12th Street South, Suite 4E401, Arlington, VA 22202-5452. Questions 
about the information collection requirements may be directed to the 
person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: section of this 
notice.

III. Current Actions

    This information collection request concerns provisions for records 
of preshift and onshift inspections of slope and shaft areas at coal 
mines. MSHA has updated the data with respect to the number of 
respondents, responses, burden hours, and burden costs supporting this 
information collection request from the previous information collection 
request.
    Type of Review: Extension, without change, of a currently approved 
collection.
    Agency: Mine Safety and Health Administration.
    OMB Number: 1219-0082.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 15.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Number of Responses: 6,600.
    Annual Burden Hours: 8,250 hours.
    Annual Respondent or Recordkeeper Cost: $0.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized in 
the request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the 
proposed information collection request; they will become a matter of 
public record and will be available at https://www.reginfo.gov.

Song-ae Aromie Noe,
Certifying Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-26726 Filed 12-9-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-43-P