Standard on Derricks (29 CFR 1910.181); Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's Approval of Information-Collection (Paperwork) Requirements

AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION:

Request for comment.

SUMMARY:

OSHA requests comment concerning its proposed extension of the information-collection requirements specified by its Standard on Derricks (29 CFR 1910.181). The paperwork provisions of the Standard specify requirements for: Marking the rated load on derricks, inspecting derrick ropes, and preparing certification records to verify that the markings and inspections have been done. Certification records must be maintained and disclosed upon request.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted by the following dates:

Hard Copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) by April 19, 2004.

Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be received by April 19, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

I. Submission of Comments

Regular mail, express delivery, hand-delivery, and messenger service: Submit your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. ICR 1218-0222(2004), Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. OSHA Docket Office and Department of Labor hours of operation are 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., EST.

Facsimile: If your comments, including any attachments, are 10 pages or fewer, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-1648. You must include the docket number, ICR 1218-0222(2004), in your comments.

Electronic: You may submit comments, but not attachments, through the Internet at http://ecomments.osha.gov/.

You may submit comments in response to this document by (1) hard copy, (2) FAX transmission (facsimile), or (3) electronically through the OSHA webpage. Please note you cannot attach materials such as studies or journal articles to electronic comments. If you have additional materials, you must submit three copies of them to the OSHA Docket Office at the address above. The additional materials must clearly identify your electronic comments by name, date, subject and docket number so we can attach them to your comments. 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) 693-2350 for information about security procedures concerning the delivery of materials by express delivery, hand delivery and messenger service.

II. Obtaining Copies of the Supporting Statement for the Information Collection Request

The Supporting Statement for the Information Collection Request is available for downloading from OSHA's Web site at www.osha.gov. The supporting statement is available for inspection and copying in the OSHA Docket Office, at the address listed above. A printed copy of the supporting statement can be obtained by contacting Theda Kenney at (202) 693-2222.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. 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 minimized, collection instruments are understandable, and OSHA's estimate of the information-collection burden is correct.

The Standard specifies several paperwork requirements. The following sections describe who uses the information collected under each requirement, as well as how they use it. The purpose of these requirements is to prevent death and serious injuries among employees by ensuring that the derrick is not used to lift loads beyond its rated capacity and that all the ropes are inspected for wear and tear.

Marking the Rated Load and Capacity (paragraph (c)(1). Paragraph (c)(1) requires that for permanently installed derricks a clearly legible rating chart be provided with each derrick and securely affixed to the derrick. Paragraph (c)(2) requires that for non-permanent installations, the manufacturer provide sufficient information from which capacity charts can be prepared by the employer for the particular installation. The capacity charts must be located at the derrick or at the jobsite office. The data on the capacity charts provide information to the employees to assure the derricks are used as designed and not overloaded or used beyond the range specified in the charts.

Rope Inspections (paragraph(g)). Paragraph (g)(1) requires employers to thoroughly inspect all running rope in use, and do so at least once a month. In addition, before using rope which has been idle for at least a month, it must be inspected as prescribed by paragraph (g)(3) and a record prepared to certify that the inspection was done. The certification records must include the inspection date, the signature of the person conducting the inspection, and the identifier of the rope inspected. Employers must keep the certification records on file and available for inspection. The certification records provide employers, employees, and OSHA compliance officers with assurance that the ropes are in good condition.

Disclosure of Charts Under Paragraph (c) and Inspection Certification Records Under Paragraph (g). Requires the disclosure of charts and inspection certification records if requested during an OSHA inspection.

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 the proper performance of the Agency's functions to protect workers, 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 Actions

OSHA proposes to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the collection-of-information requirements specified in the Standard on Derricks (29 CFR 1910.181). 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 a currently-approved information-collection requirement.

Title: Derricks (29 CFR 1910.181).

OMB Number: 1218-0222.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government; Federal Government.

Number of Respondents: 10,000.

Frequency of Recordkeeping: Annually; Semiannually; On occasion.

Average Time per Response: Varies from one minute (.02 hour) to maintain rated load charts to 10 minutes (.17 hour) to inspect rope on derricks.

Total Annual Hours Requested: 19,404.

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. 5-2002 (67 FR 65008).