04-5897. Standard on Mechanical Power Presses (29 CFR 1910.217(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii)); 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 comment.

SUMMARY:

OSHA solicits comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements contained in the Standard on Mechanical Power Presses (29 CFR 1910.217(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii)). The purpose of these requirements is to reduce employees' risk of death or serious injury by ensuring that employers maintain the mechanical power presses used by the employees in safe operating condition.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted by the following dates:

Hard Copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) by May 17, 2004.

Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be received by May 17, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

I. Submission of Comments.

Regular mail, express delivery, hand delivery, and messenger service: Submit your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. ICR 1218-0229 (2004), Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. OSHA Docket Office and Department of Labor hours of operation are 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., e.s.t.

Facsimile: If your comments, including any attachments, are 10 pages or fewer, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at [phone]. You must include the docket number, ICR 1218-0229 (2004), in your comments.

Electronic: You may submit comments, but not attachments, through the Internet at http://ecomments.osha.gov/​.

II. Obtaining Copies of the Supporting Statement for the Information Collection Request. The Supporting Statement for the Information Collection Request (ICR) is available for downloading from OSHA's Web site at http://www.osha.gov. The complete ICR, containing the OMB Form 83-I, Supporting Statement, and attachments, is available for inspection and copying in the OSHA Docket Office, at the address listed above. A printed copy of the ICR can be obtained by contacting Theda Kenney at [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Theda Kenney, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3609, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Submission of Comments on This Notice and Internet Access to Comments and Submissions

You may submit comments in response to this document by (1) hard copy, (2) fax transmission (facsimile), or (3) electronically through the OSHA webpage. Please note you cannot attach materials such as studies or journal articles to electronic comments. If you have additional materials, you must submit three copies of them to the OSHA Docket Office at the address above. The additional materials must clearly identify your electronic comments by name, date, subject and docket number so we can attach them to your receipt comments. Because of security related problems there may be a significant delay in the receipt of comments by regular mail. Please contact the OSHA Docket Office at [phone] for information about security procedures concerning the delivery of materials by express delivery, hand delivery and messenger service.

II. Background

The Department of Labor, as part of its 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-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 are clearly understood, and OSHA's estimate of the information collection burden is correct. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act) authorized 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).

The Standard specifies several paperwork requirements. The following sections describe who uses the information collected under each requirement, as well as how they use it.

Paragraph (e)(1)(i) of § 1910.217 requires employers to establish and follow a program of periodic and regular inspections of power presses to ensure that all their parts, auxiliary equipment, and safeguards are in safe operating condition and adjustment. Employers must maintain a certification record of inspections that includes the date of inspection, the signature of the person who performed the inspection, and the serial number, or other identifier, of the power press that was inspected.

Paragraph (e)(1)(ii) of § 1910.217 requires employers to inspect and test each press no less than weekly to determine the condition of the clutch/brake mechanism, antirepeat feature, and single-stroke mechanism. Employers must perform and completer necessary maintenance or repair or both before the press is operated. In addition, employers must maintain a record of inspections, tests, and maintenance work. The record must include the date of the inspection, test, or maintenance; the signature of the person who performed the inspection, test, or maintenance; and the serial number, or other identifier, of the press that was inspected, tested, or maintained.

The certification records required in 29 CFR 1910.217(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii) are necessary to ensure compliance with the requirement to inspect mechanical power presses. The inspection of mechanical power presses is critical to ensuring that employers maintain the presses in safe operating condition for employees. These records also provide the most efficient means for the compliance officers to determine that an employer is complying with the Standard.

III. 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, 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.

IV. Proposed Actions

OSHA is proposing to extend the information collections requirements in the Standard on Mechanical Power Presses (29 CFR 1910.217(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii)). The Agency will summarize the comments submitted in response to this notice, and will include this summary in its request to OMB to extend the approval of these information collection requirements.

Type of Review: Extension of currently approved information collection requirements.

Title: Standard on Mechanical Power Presses (29 CFR 1910.217(e)(1)(i) and (e)(1)(ii)).

OMB Number: 1218-0229.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; not-for-profit institutions; Federal government; State, local or tribal governments.

Number of Respondents: 295,000.

Frequency of Recordkeeping: Monthly, Weekly.

Average Time per Response: Varies from 2 minutes (.03 hour) to disclose certification records to 20 minutes (.33 hour) to inspect the parts, auxiliary equipment, and safeguards of each mechanical power press.

Total Annual Hours Requested: 1,373,178.

V. Authority and Signature

John L. Henshaw, 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. 5-2002 (67 FR 65008).

Signed at Washington, DC, on March 10, 2004.

John L. Henshaw,

Assistant Secretary of Labor.