95-28301. Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations; Permissible Exposure Limits Site Visits

[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 221 (Thursday, November 16, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57598-57599]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-28301]



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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Health and Safety Administration


Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public 
Comment and Recommendations; Permissible Exposure Limits Site Visits

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A). This program 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 Occupational Safety and Health Administration is 
soliciting comments concerning the proposed new collection of 
information to develop the economic analysis for a Permissible Exposure 
Limit (PEL) rulemaking that the Agency is undertaking.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before January 16, 
1996. The Department of Labor 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 the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques 
or other forms of information technology e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be submitted to the Docket Office, Docket 
No. ICR-95-1, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution 
Ave, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20010, telephone [phone] (not a 
toll-free number). Written comments of 10 pages or less may also be 
transmitted by facsimile to [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The Agency proposed new permissible exposure limits (PELs) for more 
than 400 substances of 1988 (53 FR No. 109, June 7, 1989). Final PELs 
for these substances were published in 1989 (54 FR No. 12, January 19, 
1989). The United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, vacated 
the standard on July 7, 1992, stating that OSHA had not met its burden 
of establishing that the new exposure limits were either economically 
or technologically feasible; that existing limits presented a 
significant risk of material health impairment; or that the new limits 
would eliminate or substantially reduce the risk. OSHA has begun a new 

[[Page 57599]]
rulemaking effort to meet the burdens imposed by the Court. This 
rulemaking will set new PELs for fewer chemical substances than the 
original 1988-89 effort. To determine economic and technological 
feasibility for these substances, the Agency proposes to gather 
information from affected industries and other sources. The Agency 
proposes to conduct as many as 50 site visits to affected employers and 
to contact and interview by phone as many as 200 firms, trade 
associations, labor organizations, or experts.

II. Current Actions

    The proposed collection of information consists of site visits to 
as many as 50 establishments within industries affected by the proposed 
standard and phone interviews with as many as 200 employers, trade 
associations, labor organizations, or experts in the field. Information 
to be sought by these site visits will consist of identifying processes 
that have exposures to the PEL substances; a description of the 
production technology, controls, and occupations of each process; 
occupational exposure levels of employees at those processes; potential 
new technologies or controls that may reduce exposures; estimates of 
costs of current technology as well as technology that could reduce 
exposure levels; other means used to control or reduce exposure levels 
such as administrative controls or work practices.
    Type of Review: New.
    Agency: Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
    Title: Permissible Exposure Limit Site Visits.
    OMB Number: None.
    Agency Number: ICR-95-1.
    Frequency: Once.
    Affected Public: Private businesses, state and federal government.
    Number of Respondents: 250.
    Estimated time per Respondent: 30 hours, on average, for site 
visits; 1 hour on average for phone interviews.
    Total Estimated Cost: $85,000.
    For Further Information Contact: Anne C. Cyr, Acting Director, 
Office of Information and Consumer Affairs, Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3647, 200 
Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20210. Telephone [phone]. 
Copies of the information collection request are available for 
inspection and copying in the Docket Office and will be immediately 
mailed to persons who request copies by telephoning Vivian Allen at 
[phone]. For electronic copies, contact the Labor News bulletin 
Board [phone]; or OSHA's WebPage on Internet at http://
www.osha.gov/.

    Dated: November 9, 1995.
Marthe Kent,
Director, Office of Regulatory Analysis, Directorate of Policy, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor.

    Collection of information sought by OSHA for each substance in the 
proposed permissible exposure limit rulemaking:
    1. Identification of processes or operations that may result in 
exposures to employees.
    2. A description of the production process, its technology, and 
control technology.
    3. A description of activities by occupation that result in worker 
exposures. How are employees exposed? During what work activities? What 
is the length and frequency of exposure?
    4. How many employees work in each process with exposures to the 
substance in question? How many employees are in each occupation at 
that process?
    5. What data is available of exposure levels of each occupation of 
the process? Is historical data available?
    6. What technology or controls are capable of reducing exposures? 
What exposure levels could be achieved with other control technologies? 
Are there substitutes for the substance in question? Are there other 
technologies employed by the industry?
    7. Are there changes in administrative controls or work practices 
that could affect employee exposures?
    8. Estimates of the cost of the various means of reducing 
occupational exposure levels. Estimates of the cost of current 
controls.
    9. General information from the establishment on number of 
employees, number of production employees, products and production 
levels.
    10. Information about the technology, controls, and exposures for 
the rest of the industry.
    11. What are the economic benefits of installing production 
technology that reduces exposures?

[FR Doc. 95-28301 Filed 11-15-95; 8:45 am]
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