Subpart R (“Steel Erection”); 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 comment.

SUMMARY:

OSHA solicits comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements contained in Subpart R of 29 CFR part 1926 (“Steel Erection”). This Subpart requires employers to: Notify designated parties, especially steel erectors, that building materials, components, steel structures, and fall-protection equipment are safe for specific uses; and to ensure that employees exposed to fall hazards receive specified training in the recognition and control of fall hazards.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted by the following dates:

Hard copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or received) by February 25, 2005.

Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be received by February 25, 2005.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by OSHA Docket No. ICR-1218-0241 (2005), 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 Webpage 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. Public Participation—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 Webpage. 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 (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 Webpage are available at http://www.OSHA.gov. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about materials not available through the OSHA Webpage and for assistance using the Webpage to locate docket submissions.

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

Electronic copies of this Federal Register notice as well as other relevant documents are available on OSHA's Webpage. Since all admissions become public, private information such as social security numbers should not be submitted.

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 cost) 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).

The following provisions of 29 CFR part 1926, subpart R (the “Subpart”) contain paperwork requirements: §§ 1926.752(a)(1) and (a)(2); 1926.753(c)(5) and (e)(2); 1926.757(a)(7), (a)(9), and (e)(4)(i); 1926.758(g); 1926.760(e) and (e)(1); 1926.761; and paragraph (c)(4)(ii) of Appendix G. These provisions ensure that: Designated parties, especially steel erectors, receive notice that building materials, components, steel structures, and fall-protection equipment are safe for specific uses; and employees exposed to fall hazards receive the required training in the recognition and control of fall hazards. These paperwork requirements provide a direct and efficient means for controlling contractors and steel erectors to inform others (e.g., employees) of steel-erection hazards and their control, thereby preventing death and serious injury by ensuring that structural steel members remain stable and that employees use fall protection correctly.

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 cost) 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 in 29 CFR par 1926, Subpart R (“Steel Erection”). 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 requirement.

Title: Subpart R Steel Erection 29 CFR 1926.750 through 1926.761.

OMB Number: 1218-0241.

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

Number of Respondents: 20,781.

Frequency of Response: Varies from one occurrence per project for most of the paperwork requirement to 10 occurrences per project for an employer to have a qualified rigger determine that it is safer to hoist and place purlins and single joists using deactivated safety latches on hooks rather than allowing the latches to remain activated.

Average Time per Response: Varies from one minute for a controlling contractor to inform a steel erector to leave fall protection at the jobsite to three hours for controlling contractors to obtain approval from the project structural engineer of record before modifying anchor bolts.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 30,786.

Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.

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).