99-744. National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health; Notice of Meeting

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2236-2237]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-744]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration


National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health; 
Notice of Meeting

    Notice is hereby given of the date and location of the next meeting 
of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health 
(NACOSH), established under section 7(a) of the Occupational Safety and 
Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 656) to advise the Secretary of Labor and 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services on matters relating to the 
administration of the Act. NACOSH will hold a meeting on February 10 
and 11, 1999, in Room N3437 A-D of the Department of Labor Building 
located at 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. The meeting is 
open to the public and will begin at 2:00 p.m. lasting until 
approximately 5:30 p.m. the first day, February 10. On February 11, the 
meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. and last until approximately 4:00 p.m.
    During its last meeting November 9-10, NACOSH decided that one of 
its areas of activity over the next two years should be to study OSHA's 
standard-setting and regulatory process. The Committee plans to examine 
and discuss the different models available to the agency for 
promulgating standards and regulations, including the full 6(b) 
process, negotiated rulemaking, and the use of standards advisory 
committees. NACOSH will also examine the use of voluntary consensus 
standards and guidelines in the standard setting process; models used 
in other jurisdictions; and the role of professional organizations in 
the process. The Committee will focus on specific standards to inform 
its discussions. Methylene chloride will be used as an example of the 
6(b) process, steel erection as an example of negotiated rulemaking, 
and metal working fluids as an example of the standards advisory 
committee model. NACOSH will invite key players who were or are 
involved in each of these regulatory areas to make presentations at 
upcoming meetings. These include representatives from industry and 
labor, employers, involved health and safety professionals; and others, 
as well as the involved government officials from OSHA and NIOSH. 
Members of the public are invited to submit comments.

Discussion Points for Presentations on Different Models for OSHA's 
Regulatory Process

    Presenters are asked to address the following issues/questions in 
their remarks.
    1. How did you become involved in the process? What was the role?
    2. What were the key issues in the process? (e.g., technical, 
economic, political feasibility; scope of the standard; nature of the 
regulated community)
    3. What went right and what went wrong with the process? That is, 
what were the major obstacles and what were the strengths of the 
process?
    4. Based on your experience and expertise, how could the process be 
improved? That is, how could it be done better, faster, more 
efficiently, less contentiously, etc.? Consider what all the different 
parties might contribute in this context--not just what the agency 
should do.
    5. What advice would you give OSHA if it were to embark on another 
rulemaking using the same process?
    The entire morning of February 11 will be devoted to this subject. 
Other agenda items will include: a brief overview of current activities 
of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a brief 
discussion of OSHA's regulatory agenda for the coming three years, a 
presentation by NIOSH on the changing workforce and nature of work, 
workgroup reports and a committee discussion of how to structure its 
interest in partnerships over the coming year.

[[Page 2237]]

    Written data, views or comments for consideration by the committee 
may be submitted, preferably with 20 copies, to Joanne Goodell at the 
address provided below. Any such submissions received prior to the 
meeting will be provided to the members of the Committee and will be 
included in the record of the meeting. Because of the need to cover a 
wide variety of subjects in a period of time, there is usually 
insufficient time on the agenda for members of the public to address 
the committee orally. However, any such requests will be considered by 
the Chair who will determine whether or not time permits. Any request 
to make an oral presentation should state the amount of time desired, 
the capacity in which the person would appear, and a brief outline of 
the content of the presentation. Individuals with disabilities who need 
special accommodations should contact Theresa Berry (phone: 202-693-
1999; FAX: [phone]) one week before the meeting.
    An official record of the meeting will be available for public 
inspection in the OSHA Technical Data Center (TDC) located in Room 
N2625 of the Department of the Labor Building (202-693-2350). For 
additional information contact: Joanne Goodell, Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration (OSHA); Room N-3641, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, D.C., 20210 (phone: [phone]; FAX: [phone]; e-mail 
[e-mail]; or at www.osha.gov).

    Signed at Washington, D.C., this 7th day of January, 1999.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 99-744 Filed 1-12-99; 8:45 am]
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