[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 130 (Thursday, July 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36926-36927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17240]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. ICR-99-5]
Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public
Comment and Recommendations; 29 CFR Part 1904, Recording and Reporting
Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (1218-0176)
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance
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 (PRA 95) (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 impact of collection
requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is soliciting comments
concerning the proposed extension of approval for current paperwork
requirements of 29 CFR part 1904, Recording and Reporting Occupational
Injuries and Illnesses (less 1904.8, Reporting of Fatality or Multiple
Hospitalization Incidents and 1904.17, Annual OSHA Injury and Illness
Survey of Ten or More Employers). The Agency is in the process of
revising these recordkeeping requirements and expects to implement a
revised injury and illness recordkeeping system next year. However, if
the Agency is unable to attain this goal, it will need to continue the
current injury and illness recordkeeping system. For this reason, OSHA
will request OMB reauthorization of the existing part 1904 under the
PRA, and is asking for public comment on burden estimates, practical
utility, and other paperwork issues concerning OSHA's existing
recordkeeping requirements.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before September 7,
1999.
Written comments should:
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 submissions of responses.
ADDRESSES: Comments are to be submitted to the Docket Office, Docket
No. ICR-99-5, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210,
[[Page 36927]]
telephone: (202) 693-2350. Written comments limited to 10 pages or less
in length may also be transmitted by facsimile to (202) 693-1648.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dave Schmidt, Office of Statistics, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N3507, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210, telephone: (202) 693-1886. Copies of
the referenced information collection request are available for
inspection and copying in the Docket Office and will be mailed to
persons who request copies by telephoning Dave Schmidt at (202) 693-
1886 or Barbara Bielaski at (202) 693-2444. For electronic copies,
contact OSHA's Web Page on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The OSHA Act and 29 CFR Part 1904 prescribe that certain employers
maintain records of job related injuries and illnesses. The injury and
illness records are intended to have multiple purposes. One purpose is
to provide data needed by OSHA to carry out enforcement and
intervention activities to provide workers a safe and healthy work
environment. The data are also needed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
to report on the number and rate of occupational injuries and illnesses
in the country.
The data also provides information to employers and employees of
the kinds of injuries and illnesses occurring in the workplace and
their related hazards. Increased employer awareness should result in
the identification and voluntary correction of hazardous workplace
conditions. Likewise, employers who are provided information on
injuries and illnesses will be more likely to follow safe work
practices and report workplace hazards. This would generally raise the
overall level of safety and health in the workplace.
OSHA currently has approval from the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for information collection requirements contained in 29
CFR part 1904. That approval will expire on December 31, 1999, unless
OSHA applies for an extension of the OMB approval. This notice
initiates the process for OSHA to request an extension of the current
OMB approval. This notice also solicits public comment on OSHA's
existing paperwork burden estimates from those interested parties and
to seek public response to several questions related to the development
of OSHA's estimation. Interested parties are requested to review OSHA's
estimates, which are based upon the most current data available, and to
comment on their accuracy or appropriateness in today's workplace
situation.
29 CFR 1904.8, Reporting of Fatality or Multiple Hospitalization
Incidents (OMB control number 1218-0007) and 29 CFR 1904.17, Annual
OSHA Injury and Illness Survey of Ten or More Employees (OMB control
number 1218-0214) are each under separate Information Collection
Request (ICR) packages.
II. Current Actions
This notice requests public comment on an extension of the current
OMB approval of the paperwork requirements in 29 CFR part 1904,
Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection.
Agency: U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration.
Title: Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
OMB Number: 1218-0176.
Agency Number: ICR-99-5.
Frequency: Recordkeeping.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Farms; Not-for-
profit institutions; State and Local Government.
Cite/Reference/Form/etc: 29 CFR part 1904; OSHA No. 200; OSHA No.
101.
Number of Respondents: 1,086,264.
Estimated Time Per Respondent: 1.6 hours.
Total Burden Hours: 1,739,157 hours.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
approval of the information collection request. They will also become a
matter of public record.
Dated: June 29, 1999.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 99-17240 Filed 7-7-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M
