to interested parties for informal conference or hearing concerning the petition.

(f) Action. After review of the petition, and of any comments submitted in regard thereto, and upon completion of any necessary appropriate investigation concerning the petition, if the Regional Commissioner or the Assistant Commissioner, as the case may be, finds that the alternative procedure proposed will not hamper or interfere with the purposes of the Act and will provide equivalent information, he may grant the petition subject to such conditions as he may determine appropriate, and subject to revocation for

cause.

(g) Publication. Whenever any relief is granted to an applicant under this Act, notice of such relief, and the reasons therefor, shall be published in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

(h) Revocation. Whenever any relief under this section is sought to be revoked for any failure to comply with the conditions thereof, an opportunity be afforded to the employers and affected employees, or their representatives. Except in cases of willfulness or where public safety or health requires otherwise, before the commencement of any such informal proceeding, the employer shall:

(1) Be notified in writing of the facts or conduct which may warrant the action; and

(2) Be given an opportunity to demonstrate or achieve compliance.

(i) Compliance after submission of petitions. The submission of a petition or any delay by the Regional Commissioner, or the Assistant Commissioner, as the case may be, in acting upon a petition shall not relieve any employer from any obligation to comply with this part. However, the Regional Commissioner or the Assistant Commissioner, as the case may be, shall give notice of the denial of any petition within a reasonable time.

(j) Consultation. There shall be consultation between the appropriate representatives of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Bureau of Labor Statistics in order to

insure the effective implementation of this section.

[36 FR 12612, July 2, 1971, as amended at 37 FR 737, Jan. 18, 1972; 42 FR 65166, Dec. 30, 1977]

§ 1904.14 Employees not in fixed establishments.

Employers of employees engaged in physically dispersed operations such as occur in construction, installation, repair or service activities who do not report to any fixed establishment on a regular basis but are subject to common supervision may satisfy the provisions of §§ 1904.2, 1904.4, and 1904.6 with respect to such employees by:

(a) Maintaining the required records for each operation or group of operations which is subject to common supervision (field superintendent, field supervisor, etc.) in an established central place;

(b) Having the address and telephone number of the central place available at each worksite; and

(c) Having personnel available at the central place during normal business hours to provide information from the records maintained there by telephone and by mail.

[37 FR 20822, Oct. 5, 1972]

§ 1904.15 Small employers.

An employer who had no more than ten (10) employees at any time during the calendar year immediately preceding the current calendar year need not comply with any of the requirements of this part except the following:

(a) Obligation to report under § 1904.8 concerning fatalities or multiple hospitalization accidents; and

(b) Obligation to maintain a log of occupational injuries and illnesses under $1904.2 and to make reports under §1904.21 upon being notified in writing by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that the employer has been selected to participate in a statistical survey of occupational injuries and ill

nesses.

[42 FR 38568, July 29, 1977, as amended at 47 FR 145, Jan. 5, 1982; 47 FR 14706, Apr. 6, 1982; 62 FR 44552, Aug. 22, 1997]

§ 1904.16 Establishments classified in Standard Industrial Classification Codes (SIC) 52-89, (except 52-54, 70, 75, 76, 79 and 80).

An employer whose establishment is classified in SIC's 52-89, (excluding 5254, 70, 75, 76, 79 and 80) need not comply, for such establishment, with any of the requirements of this part except the following:

(a) Obligation to report under § 1904.8 concerning fatalities or multiple hospitalization accidents; and

(b) Obligation to maintain a log of occupational injuries and illnesses under §1904.21, upon being notified in writing by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that the employer has been selected to participate in a statistical survey of occupational injuries and ill

nesses.

[47 FR 57702, Dec. 28, 1982]

§ 1904.17 Annual OSHA injury and illness survey of ten or more employ

ers.

(a) Each employer shall, upon receipt of OSHA's Annual Survey Form, report to OSHA or OSHA's designee the number of workers it employed and number of hours worked by its employees for periods designated in the Survey Form and such information as OSHA may request from records required to be created and maintained pursuant to 29 CFR part 1904.

(b) Survey reports shall be sent to OSHA by mail or other means described in the Survey Form within 30 calendar days, or the time stated in the Survey Form, whichever is longer.

(c) Employers exempted from keeping injury and illness records under §§ 1904.15 and 1904.16 shall maintain injury and illness records required by §§ 1904.2 and 1904.4, and make Survey Reports pursuant to this Section, upon being notified in writing by OSHA, in advance of the year for which injury and illness records will be required, that the employer has been selected to participate in an information collection.

(d) Nothing in any State plan approved under Section 18 of the Act shall affect the duties of employers to comply with this section.

(e) Nothing in this section shall affect OSHA's exercise of its statutory

authorities to investigate conditions related to occupational safety and health.

[62 FR 6442, Feb. 11, 1997]

STATISTICAL REPORTING OF OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES AND ILLNESSES

§ 1904.20 Description of statistical program.

(a) Section 24 of the Act directs the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, to develop and maintain a program of collection, compilation, and analysis of occupational safety and health statistics. The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been delegated this authority by the Secretary of Labor. The program shall consist of periodic surveys of occupational injuries and illnesses.

(b) The sample design encompasses probability procedures, detailed stratification by industry and size, and a systematic selection within strata. Stratification and sampling will be carried out by State and other jurisdictions in order to provide the most efficient sample for eventual State estimates. Some industries will be sampled more heavily than others depending on the injury rate level based on previous experience. Nationally, the survey should produce adequate estimates for most four-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) industries in manufacturing and for three-digit SIC classification in nonmanufacturing. In participating States where the sample size has been supplemented significantly, comparable estimates are possible.

[37 FR 2439, Feb. 1, 1972, as amended at 42 FR 65166, Dec. 30, 1977]

§ 1904.21 Duties of employers.

Upon receipt of an Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Survey Form, the employer shall promptly complete the form in accordance with the instructions contained therein, and return it in accordance with the aforesaid in

structions.

[42 FR 65166, Dec. 30, 1977, as amended at 47 FR 145, Jan. 5, 1982; 47 FR 14706, Apr. 6, 1982]

1905.3 Petitions for amendments to this part.

1905.4 Amendments to this part. 1905.5 Effect of variances.

1905.6 Public notice of a granted variance, limitation, variation, tolerance, or exemption.

1905.7 Form of documents; subscription; copies.

Subpart B-Applications for Variances, Limitations, Variations, Tolerances, Exemptions and Other Relief

1905.10 Variances and other relief under section 6(b)(6)(A).

1905.11 Variances and other relief under section 6(d).

1905.12 Limitations, variations, tolerances, or exemptions under section 16.

1905.13 Modification, revocation, and renewal of rules or orders.

1905.14 Action on applications.

1905.15 Requests for hearings on applications.

1905.16 Consolidation of proceedings.

Subpart C-Hearings

1905.20 Notice of hearing. 1905.21 Manner of service.

1905.22 Hearing examiners; powers and duties.

1905.23 Prehearing conferences.

1905.24 Consent findings and rules or orders.
1905.25 Discovery.
1905.26 Hearings.

1905.27 Decisions of hearing examiners.
1905.28 Exceptions.
1905.29

Transmission of record.

1905.30 Decision of the Assistant Secretary.

Subpart D-Summary Decisions

1905.40 Motion for summary decision. 1905.41 Summary decision.

Subpart E-Effect of Initial Decisions 1905.50 Effect of appeal of a hearing examiner's decision.

1905.51 Finality for purposes of judicial review.

AUTHORITY: Secs. 6, 8, 16, Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 655, 657, 665), Secretary of Labor's Order No. 12-71 (36 FR 8754), 8-76 (41 FR 25059), or 9-83 (48 FR 35736) as applicable.

SOURCE: 36 FR 12290, June 30, 1971, unless otherwise noted.

Subpart A-General

§ 1905.1 Purpose and scope.

(a) This part contains rules of practice for administrative proceedings

(1) To grant variances and other relief under sections 6(b)(6)(A) and 6(d) of the Williams-Steiger Occupational

Safety and Health Act of 1970, and

(2) To provide limitations, variations, tolerances, and exemptions under section 16 of the Act.

(b) These rules shall be construed to secure a prompt and just conclusion of proceedings subject thereto.

(a) Act means the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of

1970.

(b) Secretary means the Secretary of Labor.

(c) Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.

(d) Person means an individual, partnership, association, corporation, business trust, legal representative, and organized group of individuals, or an agency, authority, or instrumentality of the United States or of a State.

(e) Party means a person admitted to participate in a hearing conducted in accordance with subpart C of this part. An applicant for relief and any affected employee shall be entitled to be named parties. The Department of Labor, represented by the Office of the Solicitor, shall be deemed to be a party without the necessity of being named.

(f) Affected employee means an employee who would be affected by the grant or denial of a variance, limitation, variation, tolerance, or exemption, or any one of his authorized representatives, such as his collective bargaining agent.

§ 1905.3 Petitions for amendments to this part.

Any person may at any time petition the Assistant Secretary in writing to revise, amend, or revoke any provisions of this part. The petition should set forth either the terms or the substance of the rule desired, with a concise statement of the reasons therefor and the effects thereof.

§ 1905.4 Amendments to this part.

The Assistant Secretary may at any time revise, amend, or revoke any provisions of this part, on his own motion or upon the written petition of any per

son.

§ 1905.5 Effect of variances.

All variances granted pursuant to this part shall have only future effect. In his discretion, the Assistant Secretary may decline to entertain an application for a variance on a subject or issue concerning which a citation has been issued to the employer involved and a proceeding on the citation or a related issue concerning a proposed

penalty or period of abatement is pending before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission or appropriate State review authority until the completion of such proceeding.

[36 FR 12290, June 30, 1971, as amended at 40 FR 25449, June 16, 1975]

§ 1905.6 Public notice of a granted variance, limitation, variation, tolerance, or exemption.

Every final action granting a variance, limitation, variation, tolerance, or exemption under this part shall be published in the FEDERAL REGISTER. Every such final action shall specify the alternative to the standard involved which the particular variance permits.

§ 1905.7 Form of documents; subscription; copies.

(a) No particular form is prescribed for applications and other papers which may be filed in proceedings under this part. However, any applications and other papers shall be clearly legible. An original and six copies of any application or other papers shall be filed. The original shall be typewritten. Clear carbon copies, or printed or processed copies are acceptable copies.

(b) Each application or other paper which is filed in proceedings under this part shall be subscribed by the person filing the same or by his attorney or other authorized representative.

§ 1905.10 Variances and other relief under section 6(b)(6)(A).

(a) Application for variance. Any employer, or class of employers, desiring a variance from a standard, or portion thereof, authorized by section 6(b)(6)(A) of the Act may file a written application containing the information specified in paragraph (b) of this section with the Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC 20210.

(b) Contents. An application filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section shall include:

(1) The name and address of the applicant;

(2) The address of the place or places of employment involved;

(3) A specification of the standard or portion thereof from which the applicant seeks a variance;

(4) A representation by the applicant, supported by representations from first-hand qualified persons having knowledge of the facts represented, that he is unable to comply with the standard or portion thereof by its effective date and a detailed statement of the reasons therefor;

(5) A statement of the steps the applicant has taken and will take, with specific dates where appropriate, to protect employees against the hazard covered by the standard;

(6) A statement of when the applicant expects to be able to comply with the standard and of what steps he has taken and will take, with specific dates where appropriate, to come into compliance with the standard;

(7) A statement of the facts the applicant would show to establish that

(i) The applicant is unable to comply with a standard by its effective date because of unavailability of professional or technical personnel or of materials and equipment needed to come into compliance with the standard or because necessary construction or alteration of facilities cannot be completed by the effective date;

(ii) He is taking all available steps to safeguard his employees against the hazards covered by the standard; and

(iii) He has an effective program for coming into compliance with the standard as quickly as practicable;

(8) Any request for a hearing, as provided in this part;

(9) A statement that the applicant has informed his affected employees of the application by giving a copy thereof to their authorized representative, posting a statement, giving a summary of the application and specifying where a copy may be examined, at the place or places where notices to employees are normally posted, and by other appropriate means; and

(10) A description of how affected employees have been informed of the application and of their right to petition the Assistant Secretary for a hearing.

(11) Where the requested variance would be applicable to employment or places of employment in more than one State, including at least one State with a State plan approved under section 18 of the Act, and involves a standard, or portion thereof, identical to a State standard effective under such plan:

(i) A side-by-side comparison of the Federal standard, or portion thereof, involved with the State standard, or portion thereof, identical in substance and requirements;

(ii) A certification that the employer or employers have not filed for such variance on the same material facts for the same employment or place of employment with any State authority having jurisdiction under an approval plan over any employment or place of employment covered in the application; and

(iii) A statement as to whether, with an identification of, any citations for violations of the State standard, or portion thereof, involved have been issued to the employer or employers by any of the State authorities enforcing the standard under a plan, and are pending.

(c) Interim order—(1) Application. An application may also be made for an interim order to be effective until a decision is rendered on the application for the variance filed previously or concurrently. An application for an interim order may include statements of fact and arguments as to why the order should be granted. The Assistant Secretary may rule ex parte upon the application.

(2) Notice of denial of application. If an application filed pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of this section is denied, the applicant shall be given prompt notice of the denial, which shall include, or be accompanied by, a brief statement of the grounds therefor.

(3) Notice of the grant of an interim order. If an interim order is granted, a copy of the order shall be served upon the applicant for the order and other parties and the terms of the order shall be published in the FEDERAL REGISTER.