DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of the Secretary
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories Standard
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, “Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories Standard” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
DATES: Submit comments on or before [INSERT DATE 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
ADDRESSES: A copy of this ICR with applicable supporting documentation; including a description of the likely respondents, proposed frequency of response, and estimated total burden may be obtained from the RegInfo.gov Web site, http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, on the day following publication of this notice or by contacting Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or sending an email to [email protected].
Submit comments about this request to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn: OMB Desk Officer for the Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, Telephone: 202-395-6929/Fax: 202-395-6881 (these are not toll-free numbers), email: [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Michel Smyth by telephone at 202-693-4129 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories Standard applies to laboratories that use hazardous chemicals in accordance with the Standard’s definitions for “laboratory use of hazardous chemicals” and “laboratory scale.” The Standard requires that these laboratories maintain worker exposures at or below the permissible exposure limits specified for the hazardous chemicals in 29 CFR part 1910, subpart Z. They do so by developing a written Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) that describes standard operating procedures for using hazardous chemicals; hazard-control techniques; equipment-reliability measures; worker information-and-training programs; conditions under which the employer must approve operations, procedures, and activities before implementation; and medical consultations and examinations. The CHP also designates personnel responsible for implementing the CHP and specifies the procedures used to provide additional protection to workers exposed to particularly hazardous chemicals.
Other information collection requirements of the Standard include documenting exposure monitoring results; notifying workers in writing of these results; presenting specified information and training to workers; establishing a medical surveillance program for overexposed workers; providing required information to the physician; obtaining the physician’s written opinion on using proper respiratory equipment; and establishing, maintaining, transferring, and disclosing exposure monitoring and medical records. These collection of information requirements, including the CHP, control worker overexposure to hazardous laboratory chemicals thereby preventing serious illnesses and death among workers exposed to such chemicals.
This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and the public is generally not required to respond to an information collection, unless it is approved by the OMB under the PRA and displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the collection of information does not display a valid OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6. The DOL obtains OMB approval for this information collection under OMB Control Number 1218-0131. The current OMB approval is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2012; however, it should be noted that existing information collection requirements submitted to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo review. For additional information, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on November 22, 2011 (76 FR 72216).
Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the OMB, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. In order to help ensure appropriate consideration, comments should reference OMB Control Number 1218-0131. The OMB is particularly interested in comments that:
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and
Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.
Agency: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Title of Collection: Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories Standard.
OMB Control Number: 1218-0131.
Affected Public: Private Sector—Business or other for-profits.
Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 48,461.
Total Estimated Number of Responses: 911,113.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 293,373.
Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $41,271,276.
Dated: January 26, 2012.
Michel Smyth,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
BILLING CODE: 4510—26—P
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | DEPARTMENT OF LABOR |
| Author | OSHA-USER |
| Last Modified By | Michel Smyth |
| File Modified | 2012-01-26 |
| File Created | 2012-01-26 |