[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 249 (Friday, December 27, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78962-78963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-31066]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

[CDC-2013-0025, Docket Number NIOSH-266]


Criteria for a Recommended Standard; Occupational Exposure to 
Heat and Hot Environments; Draft Criteria Document Availability

AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice of draft document for public comment and public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces the 
availability of a draft Criteria Document entitled Criteria for a 
Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Heat and Hot 
Environments for public comment. To view the notice and related 
materials, visit http://www.regulations.gov and enter CDC-2013-0025 in 
the search field and click ``Search.'' Comments may be provided to the 
NIOSH docket, as well as given orally at the meeting.

DATES: Public comment period: Comments must be received by February 25, 
2014.
    Public Meeting Time and Date: February 13, 2014, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 
Eastern Time. Please note that public comments may end before the time 
indicated, following the last call for comments. Members of the public 
who wish to provide public comments should plan to attend the meeting 
at the start time listed.
    Place: Robert A. Taft Laboratories, 4676 Columbia Pkwy., 
Cincinnati, OH 45226. Room: Taft Auditorium.
    Status: The meeting is open to the public, limited only by the 
space available. The meeting space accommodates approximately 100 
people. In addition, there will be an audio teleconference line for 
those who cannot attend in person. There is no registration fee to 
attend this public meeting. However, those wishing to attend are 
encouraged to register by February 5, 2014 with the NIOSH Docket Office 
at 513/533-8611 or email [email protected].
    Security Considerations: Due to mandatory security clearance 
procedures at the Robert A. Taft Laboratories, in-person attendees must 
present valid government-issued picture identification to security 
personnel upon entering the building and go through an airport-type 
security check.
    Non-U.S. Citizens: Because of CDC Security Regulations, any non-
U.S. citizen wishing to attend this meeting must provide the following 
information in writing to the NIOSH Docket Officer at the address below 
no later than January 13, 2014 to allow time for mandatory CDC facility 
security clearance procedures to be completed.
    1. Name:
    2. Gender:
    3. Date of Birth:
    4. Place of Birth (city, province, state, country):
    5. Citizenship:
    6. Passport Number:
    7. Date of Passport Issue:
    8. Date of Passport Expiration:
    9. Type of Visa:
    10. U.S. Naturalization Number (if a naturalized citizen):
    11. U.S. Naturalization Date (if a naturalized citizen):
    12. Visitor's Organization:
    13. Organization Address:
    14. Organization Telephone Number:
    15. Visitor's Position/Title within the Organization:
    This information will be transmitted to the CDC Security Office for 
approval. Visitors will be notified as soon as approval has been 
obtained. Non-U.S. citizens are encouraged to participate in the audio 
conferencing due to the extra clearance involved with in-person 
attendance.
    Attendee and Speaker Registration: Attendees are encouraged to sign 
up by

[[Page 78963]]

February 5, 2014 with the NIOSH Docket Office. Individuals wishing to 
speak during the meeting may sign up when registering with the NIOSH 
Docket Office no later than February 5, 2014, at 513/533-8611 or by 
email at [email protected]. Those who have not signed up to present 
in advance may be allowed to present at the meeting if time allows.
    Persons wanting to provide oral comments will be permitted up to 20 
minutes. If additional time becomes available, presenters will be 
notified. Oral comments given at the meeting must also be submitted to 
the docket in writing in order to be considered by the Agency.
    Priority for attendance will be given to those providing oral 
comments. Other requests to attend the meeting will then be 
accommodated on a first-come basis. Unreserved walk-in attendees will 
not be admitted due to security clearance requirements.
    Purpose of the Meeting: To discuss and obtain comments on the draft 
document, ``Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure 
to Heat and Hot Environments''. Special emphasis will be placed on 
discussion of the following:

Overall Questions

    (1) Is worker acclimatization clearly explained and presented?
    (2) Are there any additional recommendations that should be made?
    (3) Is there any additional information on hydration that should be 
considered?
    (4) Are there any additional risk factors for heat-related 
illnesses that should be discussed?
    (5) Are there any additional examples of auxiliary body cooling and 
protective clothing that should be included?
    (6) Are there any additional research needs that should be 
mentioned?
    (7) Are there any additional references that should be included?
    Written comments will be accepted at the meeting. Written comments 
may also be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: NIOSH Docket Office, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, 
4676 Columbia Parkway, MS C-34, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226.
    All material submitted to the Agency should reference the agency 
name and docket number (CDC-2013-0025; NIOSH-266). All electronic 
comments should be formatted as Microsoft Word. Please make reference 
to CDC-2013-0025 and Docket Number NIOSH-266.
    All information received in response to this notice will be 
available for public examination and copying at the NIOSH Docket 
Office, Room 109, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45226.
    Background: Workers who are exposed to extreme heat or work in hot 
environments may be at risk of heat stress. Exposure to extreme heat 
can result in occupational illnesses and injuries. Heat stress can 
result in heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, 
heat cramps, or heat rashes. Heat can also increase the risk of 
injuries in workers as it may result in sweaty palms, fogged-up safety 
glasses, and dizziness. Burns may also occur as a result of accidental 
contact with hot surfaces or steam. Workers at risk of heat stress 
include outdoor workers and workers in hot environments such as 
firefighters, bakery workers, farmers, construction workers, miners, 
boiler room workers, factory workers, and others.
    In 1986, NIOSH published a Criteria Document on hot environments 
[DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 86-113] http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/86-113/86-113.pdf which identified many of the effects of heat, provided 
information on appropriate measuring techniques, and made 
recommendations for occupational standards, prevention and control. In 
recent years, including during the oil spill response of 2010, 
questions were raised regarding whether this document needed to be 
updated with additional research and findings. Recent literature was 
reviewed to determine areas that needed updating and revision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Jacklitsch, Phone: (513) 533-
8369, Email: [email protected], NIOSH, MS-C32, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, 
4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226.

    Dated: December 20, 2013.
John Howard,
Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2013-31066 Filed 12-26-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P