[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 247 (Monday, December 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72366-72367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33480]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-1218-0129(2000)]
Benzene Standard; Extension of the Office of Management of
Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork)
Requirements
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); Labor.
ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for public comment.
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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning the proposed reduction in,
and extension of, the information collection requirements contained in
the Benzene Standard (29 CFR 1910.1028).
Request for comment
The Agency is particularly interested in comments on the following
issues:
Whether the information collection requirements are
necessary for the proper performance of the Agency's functions,
including whether the information is useful;
The accuracy of the Agency'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, electronic, mechanical, and other
technological information and transmission collection techniques.
DATES: Submit written comments on or before February 25, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No.
ICR-1218-0129(2000), Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625,200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2350. Commenters may
transmit written comments of 10 pages or less in length by facsimile to
(202) 693-1648.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Dorris, Directorate of Policy,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of
Labor, Room N-3641, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC
20210; telephone: (202) 693-2444. A copy of the Agency's Information
Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for the information
collection requirements in the Benzene Standard is available for
inspection and copying in the Docket Office, or you may request a
mailed copy by telephoning Nancy Dorris or Todd R. Owen at (202) 693-
2444. For electronic copies of the ICR on the Benzene Standard, contact
OSHA on the Internet at http://www.osha-slc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
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 continuing information
collection requirements in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995 (PRA-95) (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, collection instruments clearly understood, and OSHA's
estimate of the information burden is correct. The Occupational Safety
and Health Act of the 1970 (the Act) authorizes information collection
by employers as necessary or appropriate for enforcement of the Act or
for developing information regarding the causes and prevention of
occupational injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29 U.S.C. 657). In
this regard, the information collection requirements in the Benzene
Standard provides protection for employees from the adverse health
effects associated with exposure to benzene.
II. Proposed Actions
OSHA proposes to extend the OMB approval for the collection of
information (paperwork) contained in the Benzene Standard (29 CFR
1910.1028). The Benzene Standard requires employers to monitor
employees' exposure to benzene, monitor employee health, and provide
employees with information about their exposures and the health effects
of exposure to benzene.
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 contained in
the Benzene Standard (29 CFR 1910.1028).
Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information
collection requirements.
Title: Benzene Standard.
OMB Number: 1218-0129.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Federal government;
state, local or tribal government.
Number of Respondents: 13,498.
Frequency: On occasion.
Total Responses: 335,944.
[[Page 72367]]
Average Time per Response: Time per response ranges from 5 minutes
to maintain records to 4 hours to complete a referral medical
examination.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 125,195.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $8,179,921.
III. Authority and Signature
Charles N. Jeffress, 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) and Secretary of Labor's Order No. 6-96 (62 FR 111).
Signed at Washington, D.C., on December 17, 1999.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 99-33480 Filed 12-23-99; 8:45 am]
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