
[Federal Register: November 14, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 221)]
[Notices]               
[Page 67546-67548]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14no08-122]                         

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2008-0041]

 
OSHA Strategic Partnership Program for Worker Safety and Health 
(OSPP)

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Request for public comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 67547]]

SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comment concerning its proposal to extend 
the Office of Management Budget's (OMB) approval of the information 
collection requirements specified in the OSHA Strategic Partnership 
Program for Worker Safety and Health (OSPP).

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
January 13, 2009.

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.
    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, Docket No. OSHA-2008-0041, 
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, 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. to 4:45 p.m., e.t.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and OSHA 
docket number for the Information Collection Request (ICR) (OSHA-2008-
0041). All documents, 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 may also contact Cathy Oliver at 
the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cathy Oliver, Office of Partnerships 
and Recognition, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Room N-3700, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, 
(202) 693-2208.

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 (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 OSH Act) (29 U.S.C. 651 
et seq.) authorizes information collection by employers as necessary or 
appropriate for enforcement of the OSH Act or for developing 
information regarding the causes and prevention of occupational 
injuries, illnesses, and accidents (29 U.S.C. 657). The OSH Act also 
requires that OSHA obtain such information with minimum burden upon 
employers, especially those operating small businesses, and to reduce 
to the maximum extent feasible unnecessary duplication of efforts in 
obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657).
    The OSPP allows OSHA to enter into an extended, voluntary, 
cooperative relationship with groups of employers, employees, and 
representatives (sometimes including other stakeholders, and sometimes 
involving only one employer) to encourage, assist and recognize their 
efforts to eliminate serious hazards and to achieve a high level of 
employee safety and health that goes beyond what historically has been 
achieved through traditional enforcement methods. Each OSHA Strategic 
Partnership (OSP) determines which information will be needed, selects 
the best collection method, and specifies how the information will be 
used. At a minimum, each OSP must identify baseline illness and injury 
data corresponding to all summary line items on the OSHA 300 logs, and 
must track changes at either the worksite level or participant-
aggregate level. An OSP may also include other measures of success, 
such as training activity, self inspections, and/or workers' 
compensation data. In this regard, the information collection 
requirements for the OSPP is used by the Agency to gauge the 
effectiveness of its programs, identify needed improvements, and ensure 
that its resources are being used to good and effective purposes.

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 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 is proposing to extend the information collection requirements 
contained in the Strategic Partnership Program for Worker Safety and 
Health (OSPP) (5 CFR 1320.5). The Agency is requesting to increase its 
current burden hour total from 57,923 to 361,416 hours for a total 
increase of 303,493 hours. The increase is a result of a growth in the 
number of partnerships and in accounting burden hours for individual 
employers in partnerships. 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 a currently approved collection.
    Title: OSHA Strategic Partnership Program for Worker Safety and 
Health (OSPP).
    OMB Number: 1218-0244.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits; Federal Government; 
State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 32,586.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Average Time Per Response: Eleven (11) hours to develop the 
partnership requirements, draft agreement language, and conduct an 
internal review process.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 361,416.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.

[[Page 67548]]

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 material must identify the Agency name 
and the OSHA docket number for the ICR (Docket No. OSHA-2008-0041). You 
may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files 
electronically. 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. 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://www.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.

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. 5-2007 (72 FR 
31159).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on November 6, 2008.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
 [FR Doc. E8-26981 Filed 11-13-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
