Safety Standards for Cranes and Derricks

AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor.

ACTION:

Notice of Negotiated Rulemaking Committee meeting.

SUMMARY:

The Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announces the meeting of the Crane and Derrick Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee (C-DAC) on May 4, 5, 6 and 7. The Committee will review summary notes of the prior meeting, review draft regulatory text and continue to address substantive issues. The meetings will be open to the public.

DATES:

The meeting will be on May 4, 5, 6, 7, 2004. It will begin each day at 8:30 a.m. Individuals with disabilities wishing to attend should contact Luz DelaCruz by telephone at 202-693-2020 or by fax at 202-693-1689 to obtain appropriate accommodations no later than Friday, April 23, 2004 for the May meeting. The meeting is expected to last three and a half days.

ADDRESSES:

The May meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210 and will be in conference room N-3437 A, B, C.

Written comments to the Committee may be submitted in any of three ways: by mail, by fax, or by e-mail. Please include “Docket No. S-030” on all submissions.

By mail, submit three (3) copies to: OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. S-030, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-2625, Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693-2350. Note that receipt of comments submitted by mail may be delayed by several weeks.

By fax, written comments that are 10 pages or fewer may be transmitted to the OSHA Docket Office at fax number (202) 693-1648.

Electronically, comments may be submitted through OSHA's Web page at http://ecomments.osha.gov. Please note that you may not attach materials such as studies or journal articles to your electronic comments. If you wish to include such materials, you must submit three copies to the OSHA Docket Office at the address listed above. When submitting such materials to the OSHA Docket Office, clearly identify your electronic comments by name, date, subject, and Docket Number, so that we can attach the materials to your electronic comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Audrey Rollor, Office of Construction Standards and Guidance, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3468, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; Telephone: (202) 693-2020.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

On July 16, 2002, OSHA published a notice of intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee, requesting comments and nominations for membership (Volume 67 of the Federal Register, page 46612). In subsequent notices the Department of Labor announced the establishment of the Committee (Volume 68 of the Federal Register, page 35172, June 12, 2003), requested comments on a list of proposed members (68 FR 9036, February 27, 2003), published a final membership list (68 FR 39877, July 3, 2003), and announced the first meeting, (68 FR 39880, July 3, 2003), which was held July 30-August 1, 2003. The Agency published notices announcing the subsequent meetings.

II. Agenda

The Committee will review draft materials prepared by the Agency based on discussions at prior meetings, and will address additional issues. While the pace of the discussions at the C-DAC meetings varies, C-DAC anticipates the committee will be discussing limited requirements for cranes with a rated capacity of 2,000 pounds or less as well as continuing its discussions of key issues from the list.

III. Anticipated Key Issues for Negotiation

OSHA anticipates that CDAC will continue discussing key issues from the following list in upcoming meetings:

1. Scope

2. General Requirements

3. Assembly/Disassembly

4. Operation—Procedures

5. Authority to Stop Operation

6. Signals

7. Requirements for equipment with a manufacturer-rated hoisting/lifting capacity below 2,000 pounds

8. Operational Aids/Safety Devices

9. Inspections

10. Equipment Modifications

11. Personnel Training

12. Wire Rope

13. Operator Qualifications

14. Keeping Clear of the Load

15. Fall Protection (ladder access and catwalks, fall arrest)

16. Hoisting Personnel

17. Qualifications of Maintenance & Repair Workers

18. Machine Guarding

19. Responsibility for environmental considerations, site conditions, ground conditions

20. Work Zone Control (access/egress)

21. Power line safety

22. Derricks

23. Verification criteria for structural adequacy of crane components and stability testing requirements

24. Floating Cranes & Cranes on Barges

25. Free Fall/Power Down

26. Multiple Crane Lifts

27. Tower Cranes

28. Operator Cab Criteria

29. Overhead & Gantry Cranes

30. Definitions

IV. Public Participation

All interested parties are invited to attend these public meetings at the times and places indicated above. Note, however, that a government issued photo ID card (State or Federal) is required for entry into the Department of Labor building. No advance registration is required. The public must enter the Department of Labor for the meeting through the 3rd and C Street, NW. entrance. Seating will be available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Individuals with disabilities wishing to attend should contact Luz DelaCruz by telephone at 202-693-2020 or by fax at 202-693-1689 to obtain appropriate accommodations no later than Friday, April 23, 2004, for the May meeting. The meeting is expected to last three and a half days.

In addition, members of the general public may request an opportunity to make oral presentations to the Committee. The Facilitator has the authority to decide to what extent oral presentations by members of the public may be permitted at the meeting. Oral presentations will be limited to statements of fact and views, and shall not include any questioning of the committee members or other participants.

Minutes of the meetings and materials prepared for the Committee will be available for public inspection at the OSHA Docket Office, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20210; Telephone (202) 693-2350. Minutes will also be available on the OSHA Docket Web page: http://dockets.osha.gov/.

The Facilitator, Susan Podziba, can be reached at Susan Podziba and Associates, 21 Orchard Road, Brookline, MA 02445; telephone (617) 738-5320, fax (617) 738-6911.