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Docket ID: [Docket No. ICR-1218-0145 (2004)]

NOTICE: NOTICES

DOCUMENT ACTION: Request for comment.

SUBJECT CATEGORY: Formaldehyde Standard (29 CFR 1910.1048); Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements

DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:

Hard Copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) by February 10, 2004.

Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be sent by February 10, 2004.

DOCUMENT SUMMARY: OSHA solicits comments concerning its proposal to decrease the existing burden hour estimates, and to extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements of the Formaldehyde Standard (29 CFR 1910.1048). The standard protects employees from adverse health effects from occupational exposure to Formaldehyde.

SUMMARY: Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

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 (PRA95) (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).

The information collection requirements specified in the Formaldehyde Standard protect employees from the adverse health effects that may result from their exposure to Formaldehyde. The major information collection requirements of the Formaldehyde Standard require employers to perform exposure monitoring to determine employees exposure to Formaldehyde, notifying employees of their Formaldehyde exposures, providing examining physicians with specific information, ensuring that employees receive a copy of their medical examination results, training, maintaining employees' exposure monitoring and medical records for specific periods, and providing access to these records by OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the affected employees, and their authorized representatives. II. Special Issues for Comment

OSHA has a particular interest in comments of 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 or other technological information collection and transmission techniques.

III. Proposed Actions

OSHA proposes to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the collection of information requirements specified by the Standard on Formaldehyde (29 CFR 1910.1048). OSHA is lowering its burden hour estimate by 100.597 hours mainly as a result of lowering the estimated number of employee medical examinations. 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: Formaldehyde Standard (29 CFR 1910.1048).

OMB Number: 12180145.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations; Federal government; State, local, or tribal governments.

Number of Respondents: 133,196.
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Frequency: On occasion.

Total Responses: 1,794,628.

Average Time per Response: Varies from 5 minutes for employers to maintain exposure monitoring and medical records for each employee to 1 hour for employees to receive a medical examination.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 490,482 hours.

Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $52,058,424. IV. 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. 52002 (67 FR 65008).

Signed at Washington, DC, on December 4, 2003.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 0330789 Filed 121103; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 451026M

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Todd Owen, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N3609, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693 2222.