AGENCY:
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION:
Request for public comments.
SUMMARY:
OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend OMB approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
DATES:
Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by June 18, 2018.
ADDRESSES:
Electronicall y: You may submit comments and attachments electronically at http://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-2010-0047, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3653, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service) are accepted during the OSHA Docket Office's normal business hours, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., ET.
Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and the OSHA docket number (OSHA-2010-0047) for the Information Collection Request (ICR). All comments, including any personal information you provide, are placed in the public docket without change, and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov. For further information on submitting comments, see the “Public Participation” heading in the section of this notice titled SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the docket, go to http://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 http://www.regulations.gov index; however, some information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download through the website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. You may also contact Theda Kenney at (202) 693-2222 below to obtain a copy of the ICR.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Charles McCormick or Theda Kenney, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, 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 process to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing information collection requirements in accordance 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 OSHA to obtain such information with minimum burden upon employers, especially those operating small businesses, and to reduce to the maximum extent feasible unnecessary duplication of effort in obtaining information (29 U.S.C. 657).
The information collection requirements specified in the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard require employers to: Develop and maintain exposure control plans; develop a housekeeping schedule; provide workers with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) vaccinations, post-exposure medical evaluations and follow-up; maintain medical and training records for specified periods; and provide employees and their authorized representatives with access to these records. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and HBV research laboratories and production facilities must also adopt or develop, and review at least once a year, a biosafety manual. Employers must also establish and maintain a sharps injury log for the recording of percutaneous injuries from contaminated sharps.
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
The Agency is requesting an adjustment increase of 158,940 burden hours (from 5,528,742 hours to 5,687,682). This increase is a result of updated data showing an increase in the number of facilities (from 691,669 to 700,724) and employees (from 8,270,108 to 8,399,358) affected by the Standard.
The operation and maintenance cost increased from $46,093,897 to $51,817,985 due to the increase in medical costs. This increase is also a result of updated data showing an increase in the number of facilities and employees affected by the Standard.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Title: Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030).
OMB Control Number: 1218-0180.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profits.
Number of Respondents: 700,724.
Frequency: On occasion.
Average Time per Response: Varies.
Estimated Number of Responses: 26,656,386.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 5,687,682.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $51,817,985.
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 http://www.regulations.gov,, which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal; (2) by facsimile (fax); or (3) by hard copy. All comments, attachments, and other material must identify the Agency name and the OSHA docket number (Docket No. OSHA-2010-0047) for the ICR. You may supplement electronic submissions by uploading document files electronically. If you wish to mail additional materials in reference to an electronic or facsimile 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 that 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 http://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 http://www.regulations.gov index, some information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download through this website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Information on using the http://www.regulations.gov website to submit comments and access the docket is available at the website's “User Tips” link. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about materials not available through the website, and for assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.
V. Authority and Signature
Loren Sweatt, Deputy 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 April 12, 2018.
Loren Sweatt,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2018-08122 Filed 4-17-18; 8:45 am]
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