The information collected is used --
and will be used -- by FRA to ensure that each employer--railroad
or contractor -- conducting operations subject to Part 243
develops, adopts, submits, and complies with a training program for
each category and subcategory of safety-related railroad employee.
FRA reviews the required training programs to ensure that they
include initial, ongoing, and on-the-job criteria; testing and
skills evaluation measures designed to foster continual compliance
with Federal standards; and the identification of critical safety
defects and plans for immediate remedial actions to correct them.
Responses to this information collection are mandatory. The
respondent universe for this information collection comprises the 7
Class I railroads, 44 Class II railroads, 704 Class III railroads,
and 795 contractors/railroad associations/ learning
institutions/learning organizations. The frequency of collection is
ion occasion. Affected employers/respondents are required to
develop, adopt, submit an comply with a training program for
safety-related railroad employees, which must be submitted to FRA
for approval. Railroads utilizing contractor employees to perform
safety-related duties and that rely on contractor-provided training
for those employees must retain a record or validation document
indicating that the contractor's program was approved by FRA.
Respondents must submit to FRA an informational filing when
previously approved programs are modified. New portions or
revisions to an approved program must be submitted to FRA for
approval. Railroads, training organizations, and learning
institutions must maintain records for each safety-related railroad
employee trained in accordance with Part 243. The purpose of this
information collection is to ensure that each employer -- railroad
or contractor -- conducting operations subject to Part 243
develops, adopts, submits, and complies with a training program for
each category and sub-category of safety-related railroad employee.
Under this rule, each training program must cover Federal safety
laws, regulations, and orders that safety-related employees are
required to comply with or the railroad rules that cover them and
which are, at a minimum, as stringent.
US Code:
49
USC 20162 Name of Law: Railroad Safety Improvement Act of
2008
US Code: 49 USC 20162 Name of Law: Rail
Safety Improvement Act of 2008
This is a revision to the
previously approved collection of information. The total burden has
increased by 13,501 hours and decreased by 317 responses from the
last submission. Overall, the main general adjustment was due to
the estimated # of employer training programs increasing; thus
increasing the estimated number of total hours under Parts 217
& Part 218. There is one (1) program change which is shown in
the two tables provided in the answer to question 15 of the
attached Supporting Justification. The program change depicted in
the provided table decreased the burden by 122 hours and 486
responses. This program change pertains to section 243.201(a)(2),
Railroad designation of safety-related employees by occupational
category or subcategory. FRA extended the effective date of this
provision of the regulation. This provision now does not go into
effect until September 1, 2021, and thus is outside the scope of
the normal review/approval period of an agency information
collection submission. There is no burden for this requirement then
until 2021, and FRA does not have to account for this burden until
its next submission. Thus, the burden decreased by 122 hours and
486 responses. Total adjustments shown in the table provided
increased the burden by 13,623 hours and 169 responses. The current
inventory for this information collection exhibits a total of
269,323 hours and 78,464 responses, while the present submission
shows a total 282,824 hours and 78,147 responses. Hence, there is a
total burden increase of 13,501 hours and a total burden decrease
of 317 responses. There is no change in costs to respondents.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
49 CFR 214, 232, 243.doc
Dec. 11, 2017, FR Notice (30-Day).pdf
Training, Qualification, and Oversigiht for Safety-Related Railroad Employees