[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 4, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 32199-32200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12928]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

29 CFR Part 1910

[Docket Number: OSHA-2007-0073]
RIN 1218-AC17


Emergency Response and Preparedness

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

ACTION: Notice of stakeholder meeting.

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SUMMARY: OSHA invites interested parties to participate in an informal 
stakeholder meeting on emergency response and preparedness. OSHA plans 
to use the information obtained at the stakeholder meeting as it 
considers the development of a proposed standard for emergency response 
and preparedness.

DATES: Date and location for the stakeholder meeting are: July 30, 
2014, at 9:00 a.m., in Washington, DC. If needed, a second session will 
be held July 31, 2014.
    The deadline to request registration for the meeting is July 2, 
2014.

ADDRESSES:

I. Registration

    Submit your request to attend the stakeholder meeting by one of the 
following methods:
     Electronic. Register at http://ersregistration.pec1.net/ 
(follow the instructions online).
     Facsimile. Fax your request to (240) 686-3959 and label it 
``Attention: OSHA Emergency Response and Preparedness Stakeholder 
Meeting Registration.''
     Regular or express mail, hand delivery, or messenger 
(courier) service. Send your request, postmarked by July 2, to: Project 
Enhancement Corporation, 20300 Century Blvd. Ste. 175, Germantown, MD 
20874; Attention: OSHA Emergency Response and Preparedness Stakeholder 
Meeting Registration.

II. Stakeholder Meeting

    The stakeholder meeting will be held at the Frances Perkins 
Building, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC, 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information regarding this notice is 
available from the following sources:
     Press inquiries. Contact Frank Meilinger, Director, OSHA 
Office of Communications, Room N-3647, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC, 20210;

[[Page 32200]]

telephone: (202) 693-1999; email: [email protected].
     General and technical information. Contact Mat Chibbaro or 
Bill Hamilton, Fire Protection Engineers, Office of Safety Systems, 
OSHA Directorate of Standards and Guidance, Room N-3609, U.S. 
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC, 
20210; telephone: (202) 693-2255; email: [email protected] or 
[email protected].
     Copies of this Federal Register notice. Electronic copies 
are available at http://www.regulations.gov. This Federal Register 
notice, as well as news releases and other relevant information and 
documents, also are available on the OSHA Web page at http://www.osha.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Emergency response is one of the most hazardous occupations in 
America (see the National Fire Protection Association report 
``Firefighter Fatalities in the United States--2012'' and the 2012 
Federal Emergency Management Agency report ``Firefighter Fatalities in 
the United States in 2012''). Emergency responders include 
firefighters, emergency medical service personnel, hazardous material 
employees, and technical rescue specialists. Also, law enforcement 
officers usually are considered emergency responders because they often 
assist in emergency response incidents. OSHA notes, however, that there 
are no standards issued by the Agency that specifically address 
occupational hazards uniquely related to law enforcement activities. 
Many emergency responders have cross training in these specialties, and 
may serve in multiple roles depending upon the type of emergency 
incident involved. Skilled support employees are not emergency 
responders, but nonetheless have specialized training that can be 
important to the safe and successful resolution of an emergency 
incident.
    The Agency issued a Request for Information (RFI) (74 FR 51735, 
Sept. 11, 2007) that solicited comments from the public to evaluate 
what action, if any, the Agency should take to further address 
emergency response and preparedness. Recent events, such as the April 
2013 tragedy in West, Texas, that killed several emergency responders, 
and an analysis of the information provided in response to the 2007 
RFI, make it clear that emergency responder health and safety continues 
to be an area of ongoing concern. Accordingly, OSHA determined it would 
be beneficial to hold a stakeholder meeting to gather additional 
information. OSHA plans to use the information received in response to 
the 2007 RFI and obtained at this stakeholder meeting when considering 
a proposed standard for emergency response and preparedness.

II. Stakeholder Meeting

    OSHA will conduct the stakeholder meeting as a group discussion 
addressing views, concerns, and issues surrounding emergency response 
and preparedness. To facilitate as much group interaction as possible, 
OSHA is not permitting formal presentations. OSHA will focus the 
meeting on major issues such as scope and approach. OSHA will provide 
participants with additional information on the major issues for 
discussion prior to the meeting.

 III. Public Participation

    The meeting will accommodate about 20 participants. Members of the 
general public (if registered) may observe, but not participate in, the 
meeting if space permits. OSHA staff will be present to take part in 
the discussions. PEC Solutions, Inc. (PEC) is managing the logistics 
for the meeting. Accordingly, PEC will provide a facilitator and 
compile notes summarizing the discussion; these notes will list 
participants and their affiliations, but will not attribute specific 
comments to individual speakers. PEC also will make an audio recording 
of each session to ensure that the summary notes are accurate, but will 
not transcribe these recordings. OSHA will post the summary notes in 
the docket for this rulemaking, Docket No. OSHA 2007-0073; the docket 
is available at http://www.regulations.gov and OSHA's Docket Office.
    The meeting will take place July 30, 2014, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 
p.m., at the Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC, 20210. Based on the number of interested participants, 
OSHA may hold a second meeting on July 31, 2014.
    To participate in the stakeholder meeting, or to be a 
nonparticipating observer, you must submit a request using one of the 
three methods specified above under ADDRESSES by the deadline specified 
under DATES. OSHA will select participants to ensure a fair 
representation of interests and diverse viewpoints, and will send you 
confirmation of your registration no later than one week prior to the 
meeting. OSHA will not accommodate walk-in attendees at the meeting. 
When submitting your request, please provide the following information:
     Name, address, phone, fax, and email;
     Organization for which you work;
     Organization you represent (if different);
     Participant or nonparticipating observer; and
     Stakeholder category: public fire/rescue service, federal 
fire/rescue service, contract fire/rescue service, private fire 
brigade, emergency medical service, technical rescue, emergency 
management, law enforcement, other (please specify).

Authority and Signature

    David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor, authorized 
the preparation of this notice pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 653, 655, and 657, 
Secretary of Labor's Order No. 1-2012 (77 FR 3912; Jan. 25, 2012), and 
29 CFR part 1911.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on May 28, 2014.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2014-12928 Filed 6-3-14; 8:45 am]
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