[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29035-29036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13970]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Notice of Meeting
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice of a technical workshop; controlling environmental
tobacco smoke exposure in the hospitality industry.
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SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is
sponsoring a technical panel to discuss ventilation engineering
controls for environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in the hospitality
sector. This meeting, which is in the form of a workshop, will be
moderated by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH). The workshop proceedings on recommended and
feasible ventilation engineering controls for the reduction of
occupational ETS exposures in the hospitality industry will be
published by ACGIH for the public.
DATES: The workshop will be held on June 7, 8, and 9, 1998, beginning
at 8:30 a.m. each day and ending at approximately 5:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Drawbridge Inn, I-75 at
Buttermilk Pike, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky 41017 (Phone 606-341-2800).
The conference contact is Alexis Callender, American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists, 1330 Kemper Meadow Dr., Suite 600,
Cincinnati, Ohio 45240; Phone: 513-742-2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The conference contact is Alexis
Callender, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists,
1330 Kemper Meadow Dr., Suite 600, Cincinnati, Ohio 45240; Phone: 513-
742-2020.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On April 5, 1994, OSHA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on
Indoor Air Quality (59 FR 15968). The proposal included a comprehensive
standard that would mandate the proper operation and maintenance of
building systems, require control of point sources of pollutants, and
require control of exposures from air pollutants generated by
renovation and remodeling activities. The proposal also indicated the
conditions under which smoking could be allowed in the workplace. For
example, if smoking were allowed in a workplace, the employer would be
required to establish designated smoking areas and permit smoking only
in such areas. The areas would have to be enclosed and exhausted
directly to the outside and maintained under negative pressure
sufficient to contain tobacco smoke. In addition, employees could not
be required to enter the designated smoking areas as part of their
normal work activities [59 FR at 16037].
The ETS provisions of the proposal received a substantial number of
comments. Information submitted to OSHA during the comment period and
public hearing indicated that the ETS provisions were feasible for many
employers. However, it became apparent to OSHA that in businesses where
there is substantial contact between customers who smoke and workers
(e.g., food, beverage and gaming industries), this provision was not
easily applied as written. During the hearing, OSHA asked
representatives of the hospitality industry for information on
engineering and administrative controls that could be used to protect
workers. Little information on feasible engineering and work practice
controls for this industry was submitted to the Agency in response to
these requests.
OSHA needs more information on this issue and is therefore
sponsoring a workshop on ventilation engineering controls for reducing
ETS exposure in the hospitality industry, which will be run under the
auspices of the ACGIH. The ACGIH will assemble a panel of experts to
identify issues and obtain information to help OSHA resolve feasibility
issues raised by the application of the proposal to the hospitality
industry. It is the intent of OSHA that the workshop results will be
published for the use of professionals who have responsibility for
reducing
[[Page 29036]]
occupational exposures to ETS in these sectors.
Public Attendance
Interested persons are invited to attend the ventilation workshop.
The ACGIH has indicated that 50 seats will be available for observers.
Because of the limited amount of seating available, space will be
assigned on a first come, first served basis. However, if there are
more requests to attend than space available, the ACGIH will give
preference to technical experts. No organization will be permitted more
than one observer unless there is space available after all admissions
requests are filled. All individuals who wish to attend must contact
Alexis Callender, American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists, no later than May 28, 1998 to register for this workshop.
Admittance to the workshop will be limited to those duly registered.
Individuals with disabilities wishing to attend should contact
Alexis Callender, no later than May 28, 1998 to obtain appropriate
accommodations.
The Workshop
The panel will consist of ventilation engineers experienced in
various aspects of ventilation engineering controls currently used in
general industry, and facility management representatives from the
restaurant, bar, and gambling establishments. The panel discussions
will be chaired by a member of the ACGIH's Committee on Industrial
Ventilation. Panel participants were chosen for their technical
expertise and experience in this area. This workshop is technical in
nature. The public is invited to observe the proceedings, but
participation in the discussion is limited to panel members.
Workshop Agenda
On the first day, each panelist will deliver a 15 minute
presentation. These presentations will cover various topics, including
historical perspectives of ACGIH's Industrial Ventilation Guide; local
source capture vs. general dilution ventilation; make up air (e.g.,
supply air islands); ventilation performance monitoring; displacement
ventilation systems; particulate and gas phase removal; and current
practice for design, operations, and maintenance of Heating
Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems in gaming, restaurant,
and beverage (bars) facilities. On the second day of the workshop,
working groups will be formed from the panel to explore the
technological and economic feasibility of applying current prudent
practice for the application of ventilation engineering controls to the
hospitality sector. The third day will involve the summarization of the
work completed by the working groups and discussion of how ACGIH plans
to incorporate the information into a ventilation guide for the
hospitality industry.
Authority and Signature
This document was prepared under the direction of Charles N.
Jeffress, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and
Health, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC, 20210. It is issued pursuant to section 6(b) of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (84 Stat. 1594, 29 U.S.C.
655).
Signed at Washington, D.C. this 19th day of May 1998.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 98-13970 Filed 5-26-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
