[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 18, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-25764]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 18, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. C-04]
Notice of Public Meeting on OSHA's Standards Planning Process
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department
of Labor.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is
developing a new standards planning process for standards setting and
other agency activities. This new system will ensure that the agency's
limited resources are directed appropriately and result in the
promulgation of standards and other appropriate agency actions that
have the maximum public health impact.
One of the early steps in this process is the solicitation of
suggestions from interested individuals for workplace hazards or issues
that might warrant appropriate OSHA action.
This notice requests such written comments, and announces a public
meeting to provide an opportunity for interested individuals to
informally discuss the workplace hazards or issues included on a
preliminary list of suggestions. Also, in accordance with Executive
Order 12866, OSHA requests written comments from the public regarding
how existing OSHA standards can be improved.
DATES: The public meeting will be held on Monday, November 21, 1994, in
room C5515, Seminar Rooms 1A-B of the Frances Perkins Building, 200
Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20210. The meeting will
begin at 9:30 a.m. and is scheduled to end at 4:45 p.m.
Requests to Appear: OSHA requests that any person wishing to appear
at the public meeting notify OSHA in writing. To assume that time is
provided for oral comments, the request should be received by OSHA no
later than Monday, November 7, 1994, and should identify the person
and/or organization intending to appear, address and phone/fax number,
the amount of time requested, and a brief summary of the comments. OSHA
also requests that any suggestions for hazards or issues which should
be included on the OSHA Action List, including comments on existing
OSHA standards, be submitted to OSHA in writing no later than Monday,
November 7, 1994. To facilitate discussion at the public meeting, all
persons who notify OSHA of their intention to appear will receive a
package of material containing a preliminary list of suggestions, along
with additional background material prior to the meeting.
Please send written requests to appear, and any written comments,
to Sue Andrei at the address listed below. All comments received from
interested parties will be included in Docket C-04, and available for
public review in the OSHA Docket Office, Room N2625, 200 Constitution
Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20210, telephone (202) 219-7894.
Persons with disabilities, who need special accommodations, should
contact Sue Andrei, by November 16, 1994, at the address indicated
below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue Andrei, Directorate of Policy,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Room N3641, 200
Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, Telephone (202) 219-
8055, extension 113, FAX (202) 219-4383.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Assistant Secretary has assigned the
development of priorities under the agency's new standards planning
process to an internal committee, the Standards Planning Committee. The
committee will be assisted by experts from other governmental agencies,
and will seek public input in its decisions. The Assistant Secretary
retains authority over all decisions for agency action.
The primary task of the committee is to develop a list of up to 50
workplace hazards or issues that warrant appropriate OSHA action (the
``OSHA Action List''). For all of the items on the OSHA Action List,
the committee will recommend appropriate agency action (e.g.,
rulemaking, revision of existing standards, issuance of a hazard alert,
enforcement emphasis, consultation, etc.) to the Assistant Secretary
and the Director of NIOSH, including a subset of up to 20 items (the
``Regulatory Intent List'') intended for rulemaking.
The committee sent letters to a broad range of readily identifiable
stakeholders, including labor and industry groups, professional
organizations, academia, Occupational Safety and Health State Plan
Designees, Federal government agencies, and others, soliciting
suggestions of possible workplace hazards or issues for inclusion on
the OSHA Action List. Continuing this search for additional stakeholder
suggestions, the Standards Planning Committee invites all interested
parties who have not yet been contacted individually to provide written
comments for the committee's consideration.
The committee will review all suggestions submitted by the November
7, 1994, due date and prepare a preliminary list for discussion at the
public meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to give equal opportunity
for interested parties to discuss their particular views with OSHA
concerning which hazards or issues should be included on the OSHA
Action List.
When submitting suggestions for hazards or issues to OSHA, please
include (1) the name of the hazard/issue (these include chemical,
biological or physical hazards such as chromium, tuberculosis, or
noise; safety hazards such as unguarded machines; program needs such as
exposure assessment or medical surveillance); and (2) a brief
description of the hazard/issue. In making suggestions, the following
criteria should be considered. (1) How serious is the hazard/issue
(i.e., what are the possible consequences to exposed employees? Death?
Loss of limb? Cancer? How likely is it that exposed workers would be
affected?)? (2) How many workers are exposed? What is the number of
workers experiencing injury, illness or death due to the hazard (please
indicate if these numbers are estimates, and if not, the source of the
data)? What types of workplaces and industries are affected? (3) How
reliable and accurate is available risk information? (4) What is the
risk reduction potential of OSHA action (i.e., can agency action be
reasonably expected to reduce or eliminate exposure to the hazard? What
risk reduction technologies are available and are technologically and
economically feasible? Could regulation of the hazard/issue potentially
force or stimulate technological change?)?
In making recommendations for which hazards or issues should be
included on the OSHA Action List, the committee will consider a number
of factors, including: (1) The seriousness of the hazard; (2) the
number of exposed workers; (3) the quality of available risk
information; and (4) risk reduction potential, among others. The
committee will also consider additional factors in recommending
specific agency actions, such as: (1) administrative efficiency or
feasibility; (2) legal feasibility; and (3) other public policy
considerations. The Regulatory Intent List is a source from which OSHA
will draw items for its Regulatory Calendar. As final standards are
published, items from the Regulatory Intent List will be moved up to
the Regulatory Calendar for rulemaking.
Persons making timely written requests to speak at the public
meeting will be given priority for oral comments, as time permits.
Other persons wishing to speak should register at the meeting from
8:45-9:15. The Standards Planning Committee will make every effort to
accommodate individuals wishing to speak at the public meeting.
Authority: This document was prepared under the direction of
Joseph A. Dear, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety
and Health, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210.
Signed at Washington, D.C., this 12th day of October, 1994.
Joseph A. Dear,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 94-25764 Filed 10-17-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M
