

[Federal Register: February 15, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 31)]
[Notices]               
[Page 7464-7465]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15fe07-97]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2007-0008]

 
Standard on Formaldehyde; 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.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to 
extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements 
contained in its Formaldehyde Standard (29 CFR 1910.1048). The Standard 
protects employees from the adverse health effects that may result from 
occupational exposure to Formaldehyde, including an itchy, runny, and 
stuffy nose; a dry or sore throat; eye irritation; headache; and cancer 
of the lung, buccal cavity, and pharynx.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
April 16, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    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.
    Facsimile: If your comments, including attachments, are not longer 
than 10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-
1648.
    Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger, or courier service: 
When using this method, you must submit three copies of your comments 
and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, OSHA Docket No. OSHA-2007-
0008, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger, 
and courier service) are accepted during the Department of Labor's and 
Docket Office's normal business hours, 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m., e.t.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and OSHA 
docket number for this ICR (OSHA Docket No. OSHA-2007-0008). All 
comments, including any personal information you provide, are placed in 
the public docket without change, and may be made available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov. For further information on submitting 

comments see the ``Public Participation'' heading in the section of 
this notice titled Supplementary Information.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the OSHA Docket Office at 

the address above. All documents in the docket (including this Federal 
Register notice) 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 Web site. All submissions, 
including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and 
copying at the OSHA Docket Office. You also may contact Todd Owen at 
the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jamaa Hill or Todd Owen, 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 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) 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 principal paperwork provisions of the Formaldehyde Standard 
require employers to perform exposure monitoring to determine 
employees' exposure to Formaldehyde, notify employees of their 
Formaldehyde exposures, provide medical surveillance to employees, 
provide examining physicians with specific information, ensure that 
employees receive a copy of their medical examination results, maintain 
employees' exposure

[[Page 7465]]

monitoring and medical records for specific periods, and provide 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 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 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 is requesting OMB to extend its approval of the information 
collection requirements contained in the Formaldehyde Standard, 
including an increase of 28,664 burden 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: Extension of currently approved information 
collection requirement.
    Title: Formaldehyde Standard (29 CFR 1910.1048).
    OMB Number: 1218-0145.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
    Number of Respondents: 112,638.
    Frequency: On occasion, semi-annually, annually.
    Total Responses: 1,903,049.
    Average Time per Response: Time per response ranges 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: 519,076 hours.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $55,325,688.

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; or (3) by hard copy. All 
comments, attachments, and other material must identify the Agency name 
and the OSHA docket number for this ICR (OSHA Docket No. OSHA-2007-
0008). You may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document 
files electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials in 
reference to an electronic or a 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 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. For information about 
security procedures concerning the delivery of materials by hand, 
express delivery, messenger or courier service, please contact the OSHA 
Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY (877) 889-5627).
    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 through this 
Web site. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are 
available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. 
Information on using the http://regulations.gov Web site to submit 

comments and access the docket is available at the Web site's ``User 
Tips'' link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about 
materials not available through the Web site, and for assistance in 
using the internet to locate docket submissions.
    Electronic copies of this Federal Register document are available 
at http://regulations.gov. This document, as well as news releases and 

other relevant information, also are available at OSHA's Web page at 
http://www.osha.gov.


V. Authority and Signature

    Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., 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).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on February 12, 2007.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
 [FR Doc. E7-2665 Filed 2-14-07; 8:45 am]

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