DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR-1218-0205(2000)]

Personal Protective Equipment for General Industry, Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of an Information Collection (Paperwork) Request

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); Labor.

ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for public comment.

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning the proposed extension of the information collection requirements contained in the standard on Personal Protective Equipment for General Industry (PPE), 29 CFR 1910.132 (d)(2) and (f)(4).

Request for Comment

The Agency seeks 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 December 21, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Docket Office, Docket No. ICR-1218-0205(2000), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, 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: Theda Kenney, Directorate of Safety Standards Programs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3605, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2222. A copy of the Agency's Information Collection Request (ICR) supporting the need for the information collection requirements contained in the standard on Personal Protective Equipment for General Industry (29 CFR 1910.132) is available for inspection and copying in the Docket Office, or mailed on request by telephoning Theda Kenney at (202) 693-2222 or Barbara Bielaski at (202) 693-2444. For electronic copies of the ICR, contact OSHA on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/comp-links.html, and click on "Information Collection Requests."

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 are clearly understood, and OSHA's estimate of the information collection burden is correct.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 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.) Paragraph 1910.132(d) of the PPE standard requires employers to perform a hazard assessment of the workplace to determine if personal protective equipment is necessary. The hazard assessment is an important part of the process to assure that the PPE selected is appropriate for the hazards present in the workplace. Paragraph (d)(2) requires employers to certify that they performed a hazard assessment. The signed certification must include the date of the hazard assessment and the identification of the workplace evaluated (area or location).

Paragraph (f)(4) of 1910.132 requires employers to certify that employees received and understood PPE training. The training certification must include the name of the employee(s) trained, the date of training, and the subject of the certification (i.e., a statement identifying the document as a certification of training in the use of PPE).

The hazard assessment assures that the PPE selected is appropriate for the hazards present in the workplace. The certification record required with the hazard assessment verifies that the employer conducted the hazard assessment. The training certification verifies that employees received the necessary training involving the use of PPE. OSHA compliance officers may require employers to disclose the certification records during an Agency inspection.

II. Proposed Actions

OSHA estimates that employers will expand 608,871 hours yearly to comply with the information collection requirements in the PPE Standard (29 CFR 1910.132). This is an increase of 151,656 burden hours over the previous estimate of 457,215 burden hours.

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 above standard.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved information collection requirement.

Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Title: Personal Protective Equipment for General Industry (29 CFR 1910.132).

OMB Number: 1218-0205.

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

Number of Respondents: 2,340,000.

Frequency: Varies (on occasion, annually).

Average Time per Response: Varies from five minutes (0.08 hour) to 29 hours.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 608,871.

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 Labors Order No. 6-96 (62 FR 111).

Signed at Washington, DC, this 15th day of October 1999.

Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 99-27649 Filed 10-21-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510?26?M