Department of Labor July 5, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

OSHA invites interested parties to participate in informal stakeholder meetings concerning occupational exposure to infectious diseases. OSHA plans to use the information gathered at these meetings to explore the possible development of a proposed rule to protect workers from occupational exposure to infectious agents in settings, either where workers provide direct patient care or where workers perform tasks other than direct patient care that also have occupational exposure. These other work tasks include: Providing patient support services (e.g., housekeeping, facility maintenance); handling, transporting, receiving or processing infectious items or wastes (e.g., transporting medical specimens, disposing of medical waste); conducting autopsies or performing mortuary services; and performing tasks in laboratories.

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 and Training Administration is soliciting comments concerning the collection of data about the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this notice.