OSHA Seeks Comments on Cotton Dust Standard Information Collection Requirements

On November 13, 2014, the Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration published in the Federal Register (79 FR 67462) Cotton Dust Standard; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements. Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by January 12, 2015.

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.

OSHA is requesting to increase its current burden hours from 20,558 to 22,381 hours, a total increase of 1,823 hours. Although the cost of exposure monitoring sampling increased slightly from $19 to $20, there was a $14,976 increase in the overall cost of sampling (from $79,344 to $94,320). Further, although the cost of a medical exam increased from $175 to $187, there was a $976,550 increase in the overall cost of medical exams (from $2,369,850 to $2,848,384), as a result of the increase in the number of medical exams.