Department of Labor December 29, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Employment Standards Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed collection: Employment of Apprentices, Messengers and Learners (Including Student-Learners and Student- Workers), Forms WH-205 and WH-209. A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this Notice.

In 1996, OSHA published a technical amendment revising the construction and agriculture standards that regulate testing of roll- over protective structures (``ROPS'') used to protect employees who operate wheel-type tractors. This revision removed the original ROPS standards and replaced them with references to national consensus standards for ROPS-testing requirements. The Agency believed that the national consensus standards essentially duplicated the ROPS standards they replaced, and that any differences between them were not substantive. Subsequently, OSHA identified several substantive differences between the national consensus standards and the original ROPS standards. Therefore, the Agency is reinstating the original ROPS standards by issuing this direct final rule. The reinstated ROPS standards for both construction and agriculture also contain a number of minor revisions that OSHA believes are not substantive and will improve comprehension of, and compliance with, the standards.