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

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.

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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: 202-693-1641) 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: 202-693-2400; FAX: 202-693-1641; e-mail

[email protected]; 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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