[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 11, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51846-51848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17770]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2007-0030]


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

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor is inviting comments on its draft 
document entitled ``Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal

[[Page 51847]]

Disorders: Guidelines for Shipyards.'' 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 may also hold a stakeholder meeting where 
the public is invited to express its views on the draft guidelines.

DATES: Written Comments: You must submit your comments by the following 
dates:
    Regular mail, hand-delivery, express delivery, messenger or courier 
service: You must submit your comments (postmarked or sent) by November 
13, 2007.
    Facsimile and electronic transmission: You must submit your 
comments by November 13, 2007. OSHA is providing the public with 60 
days to submit comments on the ergonomics guidelines for shipyards, as 
was the case with OSHA's ergonomics guidelines for nursing homes, 
retail grocery stores, and poultry processing.
    Stakeholder meeting: Should stakeholders express sufficient 
interest, OSHA will hold a one-day stakeholder meeting to discuss the 
draft guidelines. OSHA requests that interested parties submit their 
requests for a stakeholder meeting through express delivery, hand 
delivery, messenger service, fax or electronic means by October 11, 
2007.

ADDRESSES:

I. Submitting Comments and Requests for a Stakeholder Meeting

    You may submit comments and requests for a stakeholder meeting in 
response to this document as a hardcopy, fax transmission (facsimile), 
or electronically. The additional materials must clearly identify your 
submissions by name, date, and docket number, Docket No. OSHA-2007-
0030, so OSHA can attach them to your submissions.
    (1) Regular mail, hand-delivery, express delivery, messenger, or 
courier service: You must submit three copies of your comments and 
attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2007-0030, U.S. 
Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 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., ET. To request a 
stakeholder meeting, you must submit one copy of your request by 
express mail, hand delivery, messenger and courier service to the above 
address.
    Because of security-related procedures, the use of regular mail may 
cause a significant delay in the receipt of submissions. Please contact 
the OSHA Docket Office at: (202) 693-2350 (TTY (877) 899-5627) for 
information about security procedures concerning the delivery of 
materials by express delivery, hand delivery, and messenger service.
    (2) Facsimile: If your comments, including any attachments, do not 
exceed 10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 
693-1648. You must include the docket number of this document, Docket 
No. OSHA-2007-0030, in your comments. You may also fax your request for 
a stakeholder meeting.
    (3) Electronically: You may submit your comments or request for a 
stakeholder meeting electronically at: http://www.regulations.gov, 
which is the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Information on using the 
http://www.regulations.gov Web site to submit comments, requests for 
stakeholder meeting and attachments, and to access the docket, is 
available at the Web site's ``User Tips'' link. You may supplement 
electronic submissions by uploading document attachments and files 
electronically. If, instead, you wish to mail additional materials in 
reference to an electronic or fax submission, you must submit three 
copies to the OSHA Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for 
assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.

II. Obtaining Copies of the Draft Guidelines

    You can download the draft guidelines for the shipyard 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: Michael Seymour, 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. Internet Access to Comments

    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 without change at http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about 
submitting personal information such as social security numbers, dates 
of birth, etc. Although all submissions are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index, some information (e.g., copyrighted 
material) is not publicly available to read or download through http://www.regulations.gov. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 
(TTY (877) 899-5627) for information about materials not available 
through the OSHA Web site and for assistance in using the Web site to 
locate docket submissions.
    Electronic copies of this Federal Register document are available 
at http://www.regulations.gov. This document, news releases and other 
relevant information, also are available at OSHA's Web page at http://www.osha.gov.

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 fourth industry-specific guidelines address ergonomic concerns 
in shipyards.
    The draft guidelines contain an introduction and two main sections. 
The introduction provides an overview of MSDs in shipyards and explains 
the role of ergonomics in reducing the incidence of these injuries. A 
section entitled ``Process for Protecting Employees'' describes a 
process for developing and implementing a strategy for identifying 
ergonomic concerns, 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 shipyards to control exposure to ergonomics-related risk 
factors encountered in the industry. The recommendations cover site-
wide ergonomics issues, material/equipment handling, power tools, metal 
work, shipside work, and personal protective equipment. The draft 
guidelines conclude with a list of references and sources of additional 
information that shipyards 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:

[[Page 51848]]

     Information about successful ergonomic efforts that 
shipyards have used to address ergonomic concerns,
     innovative solutions that shipyards have used to 
effectively solve ergonomic problems, and
     checklists or flowcharts that shipyards use to identify 
workplace problems, identify risk factors, or evaluate aspects of their 
ergonomics process.

III. Stakeholder Meeting

    Should stakeholders express sufficient interest, OSHA will hold a 
stakeholder meeting following the close of the comment period. The 
Agency will announce the exact location and date of the stakeholder 
meeting prior to the close of the comment period.
    This notice was prepared under the direction of Edwin G. Foulke, 
Jr., 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 4th day of September, 2007.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. E7-17770 Filed 9-10-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P