[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 89 (Thursday, May 8, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26391-26392]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09851]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

33 CFR Parts 140, 142, and 150

46 CFR Part 197

[Docket No. USCG-2014-0014]


Workplace Safety and Health for Merchant Mariners

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Request for comments on petition for rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard seeks public comment on a petition that 
requests the Coast Guard to initiate a rulemaking to address mariner 
occupational health and safety. In the attachments to its petition, 
which asserts that the Coast Guard has failed to provide adequate 
workplace safety and health measures to protect limited tonnage 
merchant mariners, the National Mariner's Association has identified 
several safety and occupational health issues that are not currently 
addressed under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard 
will consider all comments received in response to this notice in 
determining whether or not to initiate the requested rulemaking.

DATES: Comments and related material must either be submitted to our 
online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before August 6, 
2014, or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2014-0014 using any one of the following methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (3) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (4) Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.
    To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods. 
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on 
submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this notice, 
contact Mr. Dan Lawrence, Office of Vessel and Facility Operating 
Standards (CG-OES-2), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, at telephone 202-
372-1382, or by email at [email protected]. If you have 
questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Cheryl 
Collins, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    We encourage you to submit comments and related material on the 
rulemaking petition described below regarding workplace safety and 
health for merchant mariners. All comments received will be posted, 
without change, to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided.
    Submitting comments: If you submit a comment, please include the 
docket number for this notice (USCG-2014-0014) and provide a reason for 
each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and 
material online, or by fax, mail or hand delivery, but please use only 
one of these means. We recommend that you include your name and a 
mailing address, an email address, or a telephone number in the body of 
your document so that we can contact you if we have questions regarding 
your submission.
    To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
and follow the instructions on that Web site. The following link will 
take you directly to the docket where you may submit your comment: 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=USCG-2014-0014. If you 
submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an 
unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for 
copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would 
like to know that they reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, 
self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all comments and 
material received during the comment period.
    Viewing the rulemaking petition and comments: To view the petition 
and comments that have been submitted to the docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the instructions on that Web site. The 
following link will take you directly to the docket: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=USCG-2014-0014. If you do not have 
access to the internet, you may view the docket in person by visiting 
the Docket Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of 
the Department of Transportation West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. We have an agreement with the 
Department of Transportation to use the Docket Management Facility.
    Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review a 
Privacy Act, system of records notice regarding our public dockets in 
the January 17, 2008, issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

Description of Petition for Rulemaking

    In its Petition for Rulemaking dated November 12, 2013, the 
National Mariners Association (NMA) asserts that the Coast Guard has 
not provided adequate workplace safety and health measures comparable 
to the workplace safety and health measures of the Occupational Safety 
and Health Administration (OSHA). The NMA views it as the Coast Guard's 
responsibility, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 
to provide regulations, comparable to the workplace safety and health 
regulations of OSHA, in order to protect the safety and health of 
merchant mariners.

Workplace Safety and Health for Merchant Mariners Determination

    The NMA requests that the Coast Guard establish adequate workplace 
safety and health regulations, comparable to OSHA workplace safety and 
health regulations, in order to

[[Page 26392]]

protect merchant mariners. The petitioner identifies several workplace 
related safety and health issues where the petitioner has determined 
that merchant mariners are not currently protected.

Request for Comments

    We invite you to review the petition in the docket and submit 
relevant comments, including comments on whether a rulemaking would be 
beneficial, or not. The Coast Guard has determined that public comments 
are needed to aid in the determination whether or not a rulemaking is 
appropriate. The Coast Guard will consider the petition, any comments 
received from the public, and other information to determine whether or 
not to initiate the requested rulemaking.
    This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 33 CFR 
1.05-20.

    Dated: April 24, 2014.
F.J. Sturm,
Acting Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, U.S. Coast 
Guard.
[FR Doc. 2014-09851 Filed 5-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P