Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Hazard Communication

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. ICR 97-46]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; Hazard Communication

ACTION: Extension of comment period; Supplemental Information.

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SUMMARY: On November 21, 1997, the Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA) published a Federal Register notice soliciting

comments concerning the proposed extension of the information

collection request for the Hazard Communication Standard 29 CFR

1910.1200; 1915; 1918; 1926, and 1928. With this notice, OSHA is

providing supplemental information and extending the close of the

comment period from January 20, 1998 to February 19, 1998.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the

ADDRESSES section below on or before February 19, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments are to be submitted to the Docket Office, Docket

No. ICR-97-46, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution

Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone (202) 219-7894. Written

comments limited to 10 pages or less in length may also be transmitted

by facsimile to (202) 219-5046.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Adrian Corsey, Directorate of Health Standards Programs, Occupational

Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-

3718, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20210. Telephone:

(202) 219-7075 extension 105. Copies of the referenced information

collection request are available for inspection and copying in the

Docket Office and will be mailed to persons who request copies by

telephoning Adrian Corsey (202) 219-7057 extension 105, or Barbara

Bielaski on 219-8076, extension 142. For electronic copies of the

Hazard Communication Information Collection Request, contact the Labor

News Bulletin Board (202) 219-4784; or OSHA's WebPage on Internet at

http://www.osha.gov/ and click on standards.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OSHA requested public comment on the

proposed extension of the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS)

Information Collection Request on November 21, 1997 (92 FR 62355). The

deadline for submitting comments was January 20, 1998. The November 21,

1997, Federal Register notice estimated the total burden hours for

hazard communication to be 7,301,762 hours. This notice provides

additional information reqarding the burden hour estimate.

Specifically, the Agency is proposing to reduce the burden hours for

HCS from 13,198,751 to 7,301,762 hours, a burden reduction of 5,896,991

hours. The majority of this burden reduction resulted when the Agency

eliminated the burden it had assigned to the task of affixing labels to

certain containers. Under the implementing rules and regulations of the

Paperwork Reduction Act, activities that are normal and customary are

not counted when assessing the burden associated with a collection of

information. The Agency believes that placing labels on containers is a

normal and customary business practice for manufacturers and importers

of hazardous chemicals. OSHA's revised estimates include only the

burden to develop (i.e., determine) the specific information required

by OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard that is beyond normal and

customary business practices. To support the Agency's belief that

affixing labels in normal and customary, OSHA points out that the

Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, the

Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Food and Drug

Administration require labeling. In addition, international standards

require labeling. OSHA also believes that manufacturers normally affix

labels to identify and promote their products.

In the November 21, 1997 Federal Register Notice on this collection

of information, OSHA did not fully explain how it arrived at its

estimated reduction. For this reason OSHA believes it is reasonable and

appropriate to provide this supplemental information and to give

commenters an additional 30 days to comment on the

[[Page 66133]]

Information Collection Request [paperwork package]. Comments submitted

in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the

request for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information

collection request; they will also become a matter of public record.

Dated: December 9, 1997.

Adam M. Finkel,

Director, Directorate of Health Standards Programs.

[FR Doc. 97-32863 Filed 12-16-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-26-M