Construction Standards on Posting Emergency Telephone Numbers and Floor Load Limits; 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 public comment.

SUMMARY:

OSHA solicits comments concerning its request for an extension of the information collection requirements specified by the Construction Standards on Posting Emergency Telephone Numbers and Floor Load Limits (paragraph (f) of § 1926.50 and paragraph (a)(2) of § 1926.50, respectively). Under § 1926.50(f), employers must post emergency telephone numbers at the worksite if the 911 emergency telephone service is not available, while § 1926.50(a)(2) requires employers to post the maximum safe load limits of floors located in storage areas inside buildings or other structures, unless the floors are on grade.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted by the following dates;

Hard copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) by December 6, 2004.

Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be received by December 6, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR-1218-0093(2004), by any of the following methods:

Regular mail, express delivery, hand delivery, and messenger service: Submit your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2350 (OSHA's TTY number is (877) 889-5627). OSHA Docket Office and Department of Labor hours are 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., ET.

Facsimile: If your comments are 10 pages or fewer in length, including attachments, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-1648.

Electronic: You may submit comments through the Internet at http://ecomments.osha.gov. Follow instructions on the OSHA Web page for submitting comments.

Docket: For access to the docket to read or download comments or background materials, such as the complete Information Collection Request (ICR) (containing the Supporting Statement, OMB-83-I Form, and attachments), go to OSHA's Web page at http://www.OSHA.gov. Comments, submissions, and the ICR are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the address above. You may also contact Todd Owen at the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.

(For additional information on submitting comments, please see the “Public Participation” heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Todd Owen, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, Room N-3609, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2222.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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

You may submit comments and supporting materials in response to this notice by (1) hard copy, (2) fax transmission (Facsimile), or (3) electronically through the OSHA Web page. 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 (202) 2693-2350 (TTY (877) 889-5627) for information about security procedures concerning the delivery of materials by express delivery, hand delivery and messenger service.

All comments, submissions and background documents are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the above address. Comments and submissions posted on OSHA's Web page are available at http://www.OSHA.gov. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for Information about materials not available through the OSHA Web page and for assistance using the Web page to locate docket submissions.

Electronic copies of this Federal Register notice as well as other relevant documents are available on OSHA's Web page.

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 accurate. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act) (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.) 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).

Two Construction standards, “Medical Services and First Aid” (§ 1926.50), and “General Requirements for Storage” (§ 1926.250), contain posting provisions. Paragraph (f) of § 1926.50 requires employers to post emergency telephone numbers for physicians, hospitals, or ambulances at the worksite if the 911 emergency telephone services is not available; in the event an employee has a serious injury at the worksite, this posting requirement expedites emergency medical treatment of the employee. Paragraph (a)(2) of § 1926.250 specifies that employers must post the maximum safe load limits of floors located in storage areas inside buildings or other structures, unless the floors are on grade. This provision prohibits employers from overloading floors in areas used to store material and equipment in multi-story units that are under construction, thereby preventing the floors from collapsing and seriously injuring employees.

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 collection requirements specified by paragraph (f) of § 1926.50 and paragraph (a)(2) of § 1926.250. 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 contained in the Standard.

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

Title: Construction Standards on the posting of Emergency Telephone Numbers and Floor Load Limits.

OMB Number: 1218-0093.

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

Number of Respondents: 140,325.

Frequency of Response: On occasion

Total Responses:

Average Time per Response: Varies from 2 minutes (.03 hour) to post emergency numbers to 5 minutes (.08 hour) to post load limits for floors.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 6,194.

Estimated Cost. (Operation and Maintenance): $112,762.

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 et seq.), and Secretary of Labor's Order No. 5-2002 (67 FR 65008).