[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33536-33538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14080]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. GE2003-2]


Request for Comments on Ergonomics for the Prevention of 
Musculoskeletal Disorders: Guidelines for Poultry Processing

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 Poultry Processing (draft guidelines). The draft guidelines are 
available on OSHA's Web page 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 
August 4, 2003.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: You must submit comments by 
August 4, 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 August 4, 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. GE2003-2, 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., EST. You must submit one copy of your 
intention to participate in the stakeholder meeting by regular mail, 
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

[[Page 33537]]

document, Docket No. GE2003-2, in your comments. You may also fax your 
intention to participate in the stakeholder meeting.
    Electronic: You may submit comments 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 poultry processing 
industry from OSHA's Web site at http://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. 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 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 poultry processing 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 an additional 30 days at the request of several 
stakeholders. The 60-day period provided adequate time for the public 
to provide comments on the nursing home guidelines, so OSHA is also 
allowing 60 days for the public to comment on the poultry processing 
ergonomics guidelines.

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 and task-specific guidelines. 
OSHA's third industry-specific guidelines address ergonomic concerns in 
poultry processing facilities. The draft poultry are compatible with 
OSHA's 1990 Ergonomic Program Management Guidelines for Meatpacking 
Plants. The two documents are similar in several key respects, 
recommending an ergonomics process that relies on management support, 
employee involvement, training, problem identification, solutions, 
addressing reports of injuries, and evaluating ergonomics efforts. 
However, the documents are also different in some respects, reflecting 
the advances in understanding that have occurred during the 13 years 
that have passed since the publication of the meatpacking guidelines. 
The poultry guidelines are based on the meatpacking guidelines, but 
have been shortened and formatted to resemble OSHA's more recent 
ergonomics guidelines for nursing homes and the retail grocery 
industries. The other major differences are that the poultry 
guidelines:
    [sbull] Use terms ``musculoskeletal disorder'' and ``MSD'' instead 
of ``cumulative trauma disorder'' and ``CTD'',
    [sbull] Include many more examples of practical ergonomic solutions 
tailored to the poultry industry, and
    [sbull] Are less detailed and more flexible about how to address 
reports of injuries and provide medical management.
    OSHA invites comment on the similarities and differences between 
the two guidelines, particularly whether the draft guidelines affect 
the ergonomics efforts that poultry processors have developed using the 
meatpacking guidelines.
    The draft guidelines contain an introduction and two main sections. 
The introduction provides an overview of MSDs in poultry processing and 
explains the role of ergonomics in reducing the incidence of these 
injuries. A section entitled ``Ergonomics Process'' 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 heart of the guidelines, the Implementing Solutions section, 
describes examples of ergonomic solutions (engineering solutions, work 
practices, and personal protective equipment) that may be used in 
poultry processing to control exposure to ergonomic risk factors 
commonly encountered in the industry. The recommendations cover 
workstation design, tools, manual material handling, and fitting/
selection of personal protective equipment. The draft guidelines finish 
with a list of references and sources of additional information poultry 
processing facilities can use to help them with their ergonomics 
efforts.
    OSHA encourages interested parties to comment on all aspects of the 
draft guidelines. The Agency is particularly interested in:
    [sbull] Information about successful ergonomics efforts firms in 
the poultry processing industry have used to address ergonomic 
concerns,
    [sbull] Innovative solutions poultry processing firms have used to 
effectively solve ergonomic problems, and
    [sbull] Checklists or flowcharts poultry processing firms use to 
identify workplace problems, identify risk factors, or evaluate aspects 
of their ergonomics process. OSHA is particularly interested in short, 
user-friendly checklists for identifying workplace problems that 
employers have successfully in their workplaces.

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 August 18. 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

[[Page 33538]]

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 30th day of May, 2003.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 03-14080 Filed 6-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M