[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 222 (Tuesday, November 18, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65018-65019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28767]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

29 CFR Part 1926

[Docket No. S-030]
RIN No. 1218-AC01


Safety Standards for Cranes and Derricks

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

ACTION: Notice of Negotiated Rulemaking Committee meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 
announces the fifth and sixth meetings of the Crane and Derrick 
Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee (C-DAC). 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 meetings will be on December 3, 4, 5, 2003, and January 5, 
6, 7, 2004. The December meeting will begin each day at 8:30 a.m. The 
January meeting will begin at 1 p.m. on January 5th and at 8:30 a.m. 
the last two meeting days. 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, November 21, 2003, for the, December meeting and no later than 
Monday, December 22, 2003, for the January meeting. Each C-DAC meeting 
is expected to last two and a half days.

ADDRESSES: The December 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-4437 B, C, D. The January meeting will be held at the 
UBC International Training Center, 6801 Placid Street, Las Vegas, NV 
89119.
    Written comments to the Committee may be submitted in any of three 
ways: by mail, by fax, or by email. 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: Michael Buchet, 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) 693-2345.

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), 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 on 
issues discussed at prior meetings and address additional issues. While 
the pace of the discussions at the C-DAC meetings varies, C-DAC 
anticipates discussing the following items at the December meeting: 
wire rope, hoisting personnel, access to work zones, overhead and 
gantry cranes, and responsibility for site and ground conditions. At 
the January meeting, C-DAC anticipates discussing crane operations near 
electric power lines.

III. Anticipated Key Issues for Negotiation

    OSHA anticipates that key issues to be addressed at future C-DAC 
meetings will include:

[[Page 65019]]

Being Discussed

    1. Scope.
    2. Definitions.
    3. Assembly & Disassembly (including reeving/rigging).
    4. Operation Procedures.
    5. Signals.
    6. Operator Qualifications, Training & Testing.
    7. Inspections.
    8. Modifications.
    9. Keeping Clear of the Load.
    10. Fall Protection.
    a. Ladder access and cat walks.
    b. Fall arrest.
    11. Hoisting Personnel.
    12. Machine Guarding.
    13. Qualifications of Maintenance & Repair Workers.
    14. Work Zone Control.

Additional Subjects (anticipated order):

    1. Wire Rope.
    2. Responsibility for environmental considerations, site conditions 
and ground conditions.
    3. Safety Devices: fail-safe, warning, secondary brake system, and 
other safety-related devices/technology.
    4. Operating Near Power Lines.
    5. Floating Cranes; Cranes on Barges.
    6. Overhead & Gantry Cranes.
    7. Derricks.
    8. Verification criteria for the structural adequacy of crane 
components and stability testing requirements.
    9. Free Fall/Power Down.
    10. Critical Lifts and Engineered Lifts.
    11. Tower Cranes.
    12. Operator Cab Criteria (roll over, visibility, overhead 
protection).
    13. Limited Requirements for cranes with a rated capacity of 2,000 
pounds or less.

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 
December 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, November 21, 
2003, for the December meeting and no later than Monday, December 22, 
2003, for the January meeting. Each C-DAC meeting is expected to last 
two 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.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 12th day of November, 2003.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 03-28767 Filed 11-17-03; 8:45 am]
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