2021-28375. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Occupation Exposure to COVID-19; Emergency Temporary Standard

ACTION:

Notice of availability; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this request for continued authorization of portions of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

DATES:

The OMB will consider all written comments that the agency receives on or before January 31, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed continuation of the information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) if the information will be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden and cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (4) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (5) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nora Hernandez by telephone at 202-693-8633 or by email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard applicable to healthcare contains collection of information requirements that will assist both employers and employees in addressing the risk of occupational exposure to COVID-19 in healthcare. For additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on June 21, 2021 (86 FR 32376). OSHA seeks to extend the collections of information in the following provisions:

• 29 CFR 1910.502(q)(2)(ii) and (3) (ii)-(iv) Recordkeeping. Requiring employers with more than 10 employees to establish and maintain COVID-19 logs recording each instance in which an employee is COVID-19 positive, and to make such records available upon request to employees or their representatives (in redacted form where necessary), and OSHA.
• 29 CFR 1910.502(r) Reporting COVID-19 fatalities and hospitalizations to OSHA. Requiring the employer to report each work-related COVID-19 fatality within 8 hours of the employer learning about the fatality and each work-related COVID-19 in-patient hospitalization within 24 hours of the employer learning about the in-patient hospitalization.

This information collection is 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 the OMB approves it 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 that does not display a valid OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.

DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for three (3) years. OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes that information collection requirements submitted to the OMB for existing ICRs receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo review.

Agency: DOL-OSHA.

Title of Collection: Occupation Exposure to COVID-19; Emergency Temporary Standard.

OMB Control Number: 1218-0277.

Affected Public: Private Sector: Businesses or other for-profit institutions.

Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 748,814.

Total Estimated Number of Responses: 207,859.

Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 23,715 hours.

Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D)

Nora Hernandez,

Department Clearance Officer.