Occupational Exposure to Noise Standard; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements, 45981-45983 [2013-18280]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45981-45983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18280]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2010-0017]


Occupational Exposure to Noise Standard; 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 comments.

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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to 
extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements 
specified in the Occupational Exposure to Noise Standard (29 CFR 
1910.95). The information collection requirements specified in the 
Noise Standard protect workers from suffering material hearing 
impairment.

DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by 
September 30, 2013.

ADDRESSES: 
    Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments 
electronically at https://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 a copy of your comments and 
attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2010-0017, 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-2010-
0017). All comments, including any personal information you provide, 
are placed in the public docket without change, and may be made 
available online at https://www.regulations.gov. For further information 
on submitting comments see the ``Public Participation'' heading in the 
section of

[[Page 45982]]

this notice titled SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to https://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 https://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 Theda Kenney at 
the address below to obtain a copy of the ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Owen or Theda Kenney, 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 accord 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 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 information collection requirements specified in the Noise 
Standard protect workers from suffering material hearing impairment. 
The Standard requires employers to: Monitor worker exposure to noise 
when it is likely that such exposures may equal or exceed 85 decibels 
measured on the A scale (dBA) for an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) 
(action level); take action to reduce noise exposures to the 90 dBA 
permissible exposure limit (PEL); and provide an effective hearing 
conservation program (HCP) for all workers exposed to noise at a level 
greater than, or equal to, a TWA of 85 dBA.
    The HCP contains information on: Conducting noise monitoring; 
notifying workers when they are exposed at or above an 8-hour time-
weighted average of 85 decibels; providing workers with initial and 
annual audiograms; notifying workers of a loss in hearing based on 
comparing audiograms; training workers on the effects of noise, hearing 
protectors, and audiometric examinations; maintaining records of 
workplace noise exposure and workers' audiograms; and allowing OSHA, 
workers, and their designated representatives access to materials and 
records required by the Standard.

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 requesting an adjustment decrease of burden hours 
associated with the paperwork requirements in the Standard from 
2,604,597 hours to 2,068,736 hours (a total decrease of 535,861 hours). 
The Agency is also requesting an adjustment decrease in the cost under 
Item 13 from $82,190,075 to $26,296,876; a total decrease of 
$55,893,199. The Agency determined that it had counted the cost of 
worker travel and the cost of worker time under Item 12 in previous 
ICRs. Thus, it found that it had been double counting hours under 
certain instances.
    OSHA has reduced the number of establishments and workers by 19.6%. 
The 19.6% reduction reflects that virtually all sectors affected by the 
Noise Standard are in manufacturing; and, that the number of workers in 
manufacturing has decreased from 13.3 million in 2009 to 10.7 million 
today.
    Additionally, the Agency has determined that training is not 
subject to PRA-95 and has removed the burden hours and cost associated 
with it.
    The Agency is requesting a decrease in the burden hours from 
2,604,597 to 2,068,736 hours for a total decrease of 535,861 hours. The 
reduction is a result of a 19.6% reduction in the number of workers and 
manufacturing establishments. Also, the Agency now assumes that 50% of 
small establishment workers will receive audiometric exams via mobile 
testing vans. The previous ICR assumed that all small establishment 
workers would go off-site to receive their audiometric examination.
    OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in response to this 
notice, and will include this summary in its request to OMB to extend 
the approval of the information collection requirements contained in 
the Occupational Exposure to Noise Standard (29 CFR 1910.95).
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Title: Occupational Exposure to Noise (29 CFR 1910.95).
    OMB Control Number: 1218-0048.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
    Number of Respondents: 209,851.
    Total Responses: 16,458,932.
    Frequency of Responses: On occasion.
    Average Time per Response: Varies from 1 minute (.02 hour) for a 
manager to provide a worker with a copy of a referral or notification 
of the need for an ontological examination to 1 hour for a worker to 
travel to a testing site, take the audiometric exam and return to work.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 2,068,736.
    Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $26,296,876.

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 https://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal 
e-Rulemaking Portal; (2) by facsimile (fax); or (3) by hard copy. All 
comments, attachments, and other materials must clearly identify the 
Agency name and the OSHA docket number for the ICR (Docket No. OSHA-
2010-0017). You may supplement electronic submissions by uploading 
document files electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials 
in reference to an electronic or facsimile

[[Page 45983]]

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 https://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about 
submitting personal information such as social security numbers and 
dates of birth. Although all submissions are listed in the https://www.regulations.gov index, some information (e.g., copyrighted 
material) is not publically 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 https://www.regulations.gov Web site to submit 
comments and access the docket is available through 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

    David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, 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. 1-2012 
(77 FR 3912).

    Signed at Washington, DC, on July 25, 2013.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2013-18280 Filed 7-29-13; 8:45 am]
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