[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25068-25069]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11562]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. GE2003-1]


Request for Comments on the Draft Ergonomics for the Prevention 
of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Guidelines for Retail Grocery Stores

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); 
Department of Labor.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor is inviting comments on its draft 
Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Guidelines 
for Retail Grocery Stores (draft guidelines). The draft guidelines are 
available on OSHA's Web site and through its publications office. 
Interested persons may submit written or electronic comments on the 
draft guidelines. The agency will also hold a stakeholder meeting where 
the public is invited to express its views on the draft guidelines.

DATES: Written Comments: Comments must be submitted by the following 
dates:
    Hard Copy: You must submit your comments (postmarked or sent) by 
July 8, 2003.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: You must submit your 
comments by July 8, 2003.
    (Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below for additional 
information on submitting comments.)
    Stakeholder meeting: OSHA will hold a one-day stakeholder meeting 
in the Washington, DC metropolitan area to discuss the draft 
guidelines. OSHA will announce the exact location and date of the 
stakeholder meeting prior to the close of the comment period. OSHA 
requests that interested parties submit their intention to participate 
in the stakeholder meeting through express delivery, hand delivery, 
messenger service, fax or electronic means by July 8, 2003.

ADDRESSES:

I. Submission of Comments and Intention To Participate in Stakeholder 
Meeting

    Regular mail, express delivery, hand-delivery, and messenger 
service: You must submit three copies of your comments and attachments 
to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. GE2003-1, Room N-2625, U.S. 
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20210, telephone (202) 693-2350 (OSHA's TTY number is (877) 889-5627). 
The OSHA Docket Office and the Department of Labor hours of operation 
are 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., E.S.T. You must submit one copy of your 
intent to participate in the stakeholder meeting by express delivery, 
hand delivery, or messenger service to the above address.
    Facsimile: If your comments, including any attachments, are 10 
pages or fewer, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 
693-1648. You must include the docket number of this document, Docket 
No. GE2003-1, in your comments. You may also fax your intention to 
participate in the stakeholder meeting.
    Electronic: You may submit comments (but not attachments) and your 
intention to participate in the stakeholder meeting through the 
Internet at http://ecomments.osha.gov/. (Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION below for additional information on submitting comments.)

II. Obtaining Copies of the Draft Guidelines

    You can download the draft guidelines for the retail grocery 
industry from OSHA's Web site at www.osha.gov. A printed copy of the 
draft guidelines is available from the OSHA Office of Publications, 
Room N-3101, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210, or by telephone at (800) 321-OSHA (6742). You may 
fax your request for a copy of the draft guidelines to (202) 693-2498.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven F. Witt, OSHA Directorate of 
Standards and Guidance, Room N-3718, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693-
1950.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Submission of Comments and Internet Access to Comments

    You may submit comments in response to this document by (1) hard 
copy, (2) fax transmission (facsimile), or (3) electronically through 
the OSHA Web site. Please note that you cannot attach materials such as 
studies or journal articles to electronic comments. If you have 
additional materials, you must submit three copies of them to the OSHA 
Docket Office at the address above. The additional materials must 
clearly identify your electronic comments by name, date, subject and 
docket number so we can attach them to your comments. Because of 
security-related problems there may be a significant delay in the 
receipt of comments and intentions to participate

[[Page 25069]]

in the stakeholder meeting by regular mail. Please contact the OSHA 
Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY (877) 889-5627) for information 
about security procedures concerning the delivery of materials by 
express delivery, hand delivery and messenger service.
    All comments and submissions will be available for inspection and 
copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the above address. Comments and 
submissions will be posted on OSHA's Web site at http://www.osha.gov. 
OSHA cautions you about submitting personal information such as social 
security numbers, date of birth, etc. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at 
(202) 693-2350 (TTY (877) 889-5627) for information about materials not 
available through the OSHA Web site and for assistance in using the Web 
site to locate docket submissions.
    OSHA is providing the public with 60 days to provide comments on 
the draft retail grocery store ergonomics guidelines. During the 
development of the nursing home ergonomics guidelines (the final 
version was published march 13, 2003), the agency provided 30 days for 
comment, then extended the comment period for an additional 30 days at 
the request of several stakeholders. The 60-day period provided 
adequate time for the public to provide comments, so OSHA believes that 
allowing 60 days for the public to comment on the draft retail grocery 
guidelines is adequate.

II. Background

    On April 5, 2002, the Department of Labor announced a four-pronged 
comprehensive approach for addressing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), 
which calls for OSHA to develop industry- or task-specific guidelines. 
OSHA's second industry-specific guidelines address ergonomic concerns 
in retail grocery stores and supercenters (combined full-line 
supermarket and discount merchandisers). While other business 
operations, such as distribution centers, banks, post offices, or other 
retail or wholesale operations may also be located in grocery stores, 
these guidelines are not intended to apply to these other businesses. 
The guidelines are also not intended to apply to other retail and 
distribution operations, such as warehouses or convenience stores.
    The draft guidelines contain an introduction and two main sections. 
The introduction provides an overview of MSDs in retail grocery stores. 
It also explains the role of ergonomics in reducing the incidence of 
these injuries. A section entitled ``A Process for Protecting Workers'' 
describes a process for developing and implementing a strategy for 
analyzing the workplace, implementing ergonomic solutions, training, 
addressing reports of injuries, and evaluating progress.
    The Implementing Solutions section describes examples of ergonomic 
solutions that may be used by grocery stores to control exposure to 
ergonomic risk factors in grocery stores. The Implementing Solutions 
section includes general corrective actions, followed by solutions for 
certain grocery store departments, including:
    [bull] Stocking,
    [bull] Bakery,
    [bull] Produce, and
    [bull] Meat department.

The draft guidelines finish with a list of references and sources of 
additional information grocery store managers can use to help them with 
their ergonomic efforts.
    OSHA encourages interested parties to comment on all aspects of the 
draft guidelines. The agency is particularly interested in any 
information about successful ergonomics efforts, and individual 
ergonomic interventions, that the grocery store industry has used to 
address ergonomic concerns.

III. Stakeholder Meeting

    Following the close of the comment period, OSHA will hold a 
stakeholder meeting in the Washington, DC metropolitan area during the 
week of July 28, 2003. The agency will announce the exact date and 
location of the stakeholder meeting at a later date.
    This notice was prepared under the direction of John L. Henshaw, 
Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health. It is issued 
under sections 4 and 8 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 
1970 (29 U.S.C. 653, 657).

    Issued at Washington, DC, this 6th day of May, 2003.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 03-11562 Filed 5-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M