Recordkeeping and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; Revision of the Office and Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements

SUMMARY:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of the current information collection requirements contained in the regulation regarding Recordkeeping and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent or received) by February 28, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov , which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting comments.

Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov . Documents in the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index; however, some information ( e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download through the website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for inspection through the OSHA Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350, (TTY (877) 889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.

Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the OSHA docket number for this Federal Register notice (OSHA-2010-0055). OSHA will place comments and requests to speak, including personal information, in the public docket, which may be available online. Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal information such as Social Security numbers and birthdates. For further information on submitting comments, see the “Public Participation” heading in the section of this notice titled SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION .

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Seleda Perryman or Theda Kenney, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, telephone (202) 693-2222.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH 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 workers 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, workers 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. This notice initiates the process for OSHA to request an extension of the current OMB approval. This notice also solicits public comments on OSHA's existing paperwork burden estimates from those interested parties and seeks public responses to several questions related to the development of OSHA's estimates. 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.

II. Special Issues for Comment

OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:

• Whether the proposed information collection requirements are necessary for 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.

III. Proposed Action

OSHA is requesting that OMB revise the approval of the information collection requirements contained in 29 CFR part 1904, Recordkeeping and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. The agency is requesting to reduce the current burden hour estimate associated with this regulation from 2,140,861 hours to 2,048,626 for a total reduction of 92,235 hours. The agency will summarize the comments submitted in response to this notice and will include this summary in the request to OMB.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Title: Recordkeeping and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (29 CFR part 1904).

OMB Control Number: 1218-0176.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profits farms; not-for-profit institutions; State and local government.

Number of Respondents: 5,113,141.

Frequency: On occasion.

Average Time per Response: Various.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2,048,626.

Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.

IV. Public Participation—Submission of Comments on This Notice and Internet Access to Comments and Submissions

You may submit comments in response to this document as follows: (1) Electronically at http://www.regulations.gov , which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal; (2) by facsimile (fax); or (3) by hard copy. All comments, attachments, and other materials must identify the agency name and the OSHA docket number for the ICR (Docket No. OSHA-2010-0055). You may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files electronically. Please note: While OSHA's Docket Office is continuing to accept and process submissions by regular mail, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Docket Office is closed to the public and not able to receive submissions to the docket by hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service. If you wish to mail additional materials in reference to an electronic or facsimile submission, you must submit them to the OSHA Docket Office (see the section of this notice titled ADDRESSES ). The additional materials must clearly identify your electronic comments by your name, date, and the docket number so the agency can attach them to your comments.

Because of security procedures, the use of regular mail may cause a significant delay in the receipt of comments.

Comments and submissions are posted without change at http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about submitting personal information such as social security numbers and date of birth. Although all submissions are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index, some information ( e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download from this website.

All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Information on using the http://www.regulations.gov website to submit comments and access the docket is available at the website's “User Tips” link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about materials not available from the website, and for assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.

V. Authority and Signature

Douglas L. Parker, 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. 1-2012 (77 FR 3912).