2011-28070. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Occupational Safety and Health Onsite Consultation Agreements

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, “Occupational Safety and Health Onsite Consultation Agreements,” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

DATES:

Submit comments on or before November 30, 2011.

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 from the RegInfo.gov Web site, http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain,, on the day following publication of this notice or by contacting Michel Smyth by telephone at [phone] (this is not a toll-free number) or sending an email to [e-mail].

Submit comments about this request to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: [phone]/Fax: [phone] (these are not toll-free numbers), email: [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact Michel Smyth by telephone at [phone] (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This ICR seeks approval to continue information collections set forth in regulations establishing responsibilities of State onsite consultation projects. The OSHA onsite consultation service program offers free and confidential advice to small and medium-sized businesses in all states across the country, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. The requirements specified in the onsite consultation regulations for cooperative agreements, 29 CFR part 1908, are necessary to ensure uniform delivery of onsite consultation services nationwide. The regulatory procedures specify the activities to be carried out by State onsite consultation programs funded by the Federal government, as well as the responsibilities of employers who receive onsite consultation services.

Those activities and responsibilities include information collections 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 if the collection of information does not display a valid OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection under OMB Control Number 1218-0110. The current OMB approval is scheduled to expire on October 31, 2011; however, it should be noted that existing information collection requirements submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo review. For additional information, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on June 22, 2011 (76 FR 36579).

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 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate consideration, comments should reference OMB Control Number 1218-0110. 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: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Title of Collection: Occupational Safety and Health Onsite Consultation Agreements.

OMB Control Number: 1218-0110.

Affected Public: Private Sector—Businesses or other for-profits; State Local, and Tribal Governments.

Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 26,855.

Total Estimated Number of Responses: 112,530.

Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 223,419.

Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

Dated: October 25, 2011.

Michel Smyth,

Departmental Clearance Officer.