[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78127-78128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27646]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2010-0017]


Occupational Exposure to Noise Standard (29 CFR 1910.95) 
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 the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the 
information collection requirements specified in the Occupational 
Exposure to Noise Standard.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
February 21, 2023.

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.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov. Documents in the docket 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 through the OSHA 
Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350, (TTY 
(877) 889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and OSHA 
docket number (OSHA-2010-0017) for the Information Collection Request 
(ICR). OSHA will place all comments, including any personal 
information, in the public docket, which may be made available online. 
Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal 
information such as social security numbers and birthdates.
    For further information on submitting comments, see the ``Public 
Participation'' heading in the section of this notice titled 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Seleda Perryman or Theda Kenney,

[[Page 78128]]

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 the 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 (PRA) (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, 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 (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 effort in 
obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657).
    The following sections describe who uses the information collected 
under each requirement, as well as how they use it. The collections of 
information specified in the Noise Standard protect workers from 
suffering material hearing impairment. The collections of information 
contained in the Noise Standard include conducting noise monitoring; 
notifying workers when they are exposed at or above an 8-hour time-
weighted average of 85 decibels; providing workers with initial and 
annual audiograms; notifying workers of a loss in hearing based on 
comparing audiograms; maintaining records of workplace noise exposure 
and workers' audiograms; and allowing workers access to materials and 
records required by the standard.

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 the approval of the information 
collection requirements contained in Occupational Exposure to Noise 
Standard (29 CFR 1910.95). The agency is requesting an adjusted hour 
burden increase in the Standard from 2,240,636 to 2,368,281 (a total 
increase of 127,645 hours). The agency estimates that there are 283,524 
establishments and 3,802,698 employees exposed to 85 dBA affected by 
the Standard. OSHA estimates that the number of establishments from the 
previous ICR increased by 0.76%, while the estimated number of 
employees from the previous ICR increased by 0.97%. These estimated 
increases are based on updated County Business Pattern data for 
manufacturing.
    OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in response to this 
notice and will include this summary in the request to OMB to extend 
the approval of the information collection requirements.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Title: The Occupational Exposure to Noise Standard (29 CFR 
1910.95).
    OMB Control Number: 1218-0048.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
    Number of Respondents: 283,524.
    Number of Responses: 32,081,096.
    Frequency of Responses: Annually; On occasion.
    Average Time per Response: Varies.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2,368,281.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $39,771,368.

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); if your comments, including 
attachments, are not longer than 10 pages you may fax them to the OSHA 
Docket Office at 202-693-1648. or (3) by hard copy. Please note: While 
OSHA's Docket Office is continuing to accept and process submissions by 
regular mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Docket Office is closed 
to the public and not able to receive submissions to the docket by 
hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service. All comments, 
attachments, and other material must identify the agency name and the 
OSHA docket number for the ICR (OSHA-2010-0017). 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, 
date, and the docket number so that the agency can attach them to your 
comments.
    Due to security procedures, the use of regular mail may cause a 
significant delay in the receipt of comments.
    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 from 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 at (202) 693-2350, (TTY (877) 889-
5627) for information about materials not available from the website, 
and for assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.

V. Authority and Signature

    James S. Frederick, 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. 8-2020 
(85 FR 58393).

    Signed at Washington, DC.
James S. Frederick,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2022-27646 Filed 12-20-22; 8:45 am]
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