OSHA Seeks Hazardous Waste Operations, Emergency Response Comments

SEATTLE (Waste 360): The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) seeks public comments concerning the proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) Standard.

Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent or received) by January 7, 2020, according to a filing in the Federal Register.

All submissions must include the agency name and the OSHA docket number (OSHA-2011-0862) for the Information Collection Request. All comments, including any personal information provided such as social security numbers and date of births, are placed in the public docket without change and may be made available at www.regulations.gov.

The HAZWOPER Standard specifies a number of collection of information (paperwork) requirements. Employers can use the information collected under the HAZWOPER rule to develop the various programs the standard requires and to ensure that their workers aretrained properly about the safety and health hazards associated with hazardous waste operations and emergency response to hazardous waste releases. OSHA will use the records developed in response to this standard to determine adequate compliance with the standard's safety and health provisions. The employer's failure to collect and distribute the information required in this standard will significantly affect OSHA's effort to control and reduce injuries and fatalities. Such failure would also be contrary to the direction Congress provided in Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act.

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.
•          Ways to minimize the burden on employers who must comply; for example, by using automated or other technological information collection and transmission techniques.

Courtesy: www.waste360.com