The Bloodborne Pathogen Standard is an occupational safety and health standard that prevents occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens. The standard's information collection requirements are essential components that protect workers from occupational exposure. The information is used by employers and workers to implement the protection required by the Standard. OSHA compliance officers will use some of the information in their enforcement of the Standard.
US Code:
29 USC 657
Name of Law: Occupational Safety and Health Act
US Code:
29 USC 651
Name of Law: Occupational Safety and Health Act
US Code:
29 USC 655
Name of Law: Occupational Safety and Health Act
The Agency is requesting an adjustment decrease in the number of burden hours from 14,518,778 to 5,528,742 hours (a decrease of 8,990,036 hours). The Agency updated the industry profile and estimates that the number of facilities and employees affected by the Standard has increased. However, the Agency calculates an overall decrease in burden hours. This is primarily related to an administrative error found in the previous ICR which overestimated the burden hours and costs related to health care professional time associated with the Hepatitis B vaccination. Also, part of the decrease in burden hours is related to the determination that the training provision of the Standard, although still in effect, is not considered to be a collection of information. The operation and maintenance cost increased from $34,342,534 to $46,093,897 due to the increase in medical costs (administration of the Hepatitis B Vaccine and HIV antibody tests, and the PEP treatment).
The industry profile was updated using the 2011 County Business Patterns where OSHA's sectors, originally based on the 1997 County Business Patterns and 1987 SIC, could be reasonably represented by a selection of 2007 NAICS industries. For government entities, the 2011 Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages was used where 2007 NAICS industries could reasonably represent the original industry sectors. This resulted in an increase in affected facilities from 666,933 to 691,669. The agency increased employment relative to the change in the number of affected facilities resulting in an increase of affected employees from 7,551,260 to 8,720,108.
The updated industry profile contributed to changes in the number of burden hours and total costs of the exposure control plan, Hepatitis B vaccination and post-exposure evaluation and follow-up, and recordkeeping requirements in Item 12. For Item 13, updates to the industry profile contributed to changes to Tables 3 and 4 (the costs for the administration of the Hepatitis B Vaccine and HIV antibody tests).
Other causes contributing to changes to Item 12 burden hours and costs include adding rounding to the calculations in various tables and corrections to some administrative errors in the calculations in the tables in the Appendix. One key correction was to Table 3 which counted the Item 13 costs of the vaccinations as burden hours. This adjustment resulted in a decrease of roughly 6 million burden hours.
The Agency updated the cost of PEP treatment using the 2013 VA Pharmaceutical Drug Pricing resulting in a change in the cost per employee from $1,601 to $2,843. Corrections to the calculations in Tables 4 cont, 8, and 10 caused the changes for the administration of HBV source tests, HBV antibody tests for non-vaccinated workers, and HBIG tests for vaccinated workers.
Usually, OSHA will request access to records during compliance inspections. Information collected by the Agency during the investigation is not subject to the PRA under 5 CFR 1320.4(a)(2). Therefore, OSHA takes no burden or cost in Items 12 and 14 of this Supporting Statement
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.