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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8151
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),
after consulting with its Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health
(ACCSH), today proposed including construction industry operators in improved
training being developed for powered industrial truck operators.
The original proposal announced March 14, 1995, had
covered only operators in the general and maritime industries. OSHA also is
reopening the record to receive additional information from those sectors.
OSHA is scheduling a public hearing for all sectors April
30 and May 1, 1996.
The proposed improvements to training requirements include
covering topics necessary for safe operation and practical experience.
Operators are to be evaluated to determine if they can safely drive the trucks
on the job and then must be evaluated periodically or after an accident.
Operators do not need to repeat training they have already received and
successfully completed.
ACCSH also made recommendations that OSHA believes may
have merit for all sectors covered by the proposal.
The issues raised by ACCSH are:
- Should an employer be allowed to accept the certification of training
by a third party such as a union, manufacturer, consultant, or other public or
private organization? Because OSHA does not accredit certifiers, what criteria
should be used to establish their credibility?
- What type of testing should be conducted during initial training to
judge the competency of the trainee (performance testing and oral and/or
written tests)?
- A. If tests are administered, what subjects should be tested,
and what methods, if any, should be used to judge that the tests are reliable
and address the subject matter adequately?
- B. What, if any, should be the acceptable pass/fail requirement
for the tests?
- Are some of the training areas listed not needed?
- Should an employee receive refresher or remedial training only if
operating a vehicle unsafely or if involved in an accident? Is a one-year
interval too frequent for retraining or recertification?
Written comments for construction, general industry and
maritime must be postmarked by April 1 and submitted in quadruplicate to the
Docket Office, Docket No. S-008, Room N-2624, U.S. Department of Labor,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 200 Constitution Ave., NW,
Washington, D.C., 20210. They will be made a part of the record and will be
available for public inspection and copying at the Docket Office. The public
hearing will be held April 30 and May 1, 1996, starting at 9:30 a.m., in the
auditorium, Frances Perkins Building, U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 20210. The dates for the hearing may be
extended or shortened, depending on the number of requests for participation.
Persons desiring to participate in the hearing must file
in quadruplicate a notice of intention to appear, postmarked on or before April
1, 1996, and mailed to Thomas Hall, OSHA Division of Consumer Affairs, Docket
S-008, Room N-3647, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. NW,
Washington, D.C., 20210; telephone (202) 219-8615. The notice also may be
transmitted by facsimile to (202) 219-5986 (Attention: Thomas Hall), provided
the original and three copies are sent to the same address and postmarked no
more than three days later.
The notice of intention to appear must contain the
following information: 1) the name, address, and telephone number of each
person to appear; 2) the capacity in which the person will appear; 3) the
approximate amount of time required for the presentation; 4) the issues that
will be addressed; (5) a brief statement of the position that will be taken
with respect to each issue; and (6) whether the party intends to submit
documentary evidence and, if so, a brief summary of it.
Any person requesting more than 10 minutes for a
presentation, or who will submit documentary evidence, must provide it in
quadruplicate to Thomas Hall, OSHA Division of Consumer Affairs, at the address
above. It must be postmarked no later than April 15, 1996.
Any person who has not filed a notice of intention to
appear may be allowed to testify for no more than 10 minutes as time permits,
at the discretion of the administrative law judge conducting the hearing.
Notices of intention to appear, testimony and evidence
will be available for copying at the Docket Office.
Notices about extending the proposal to the construction
industry, the issues raised by ACCSH, and the public hearing are published in
the Tuesday, Jan. 30, 1996, Federal Register.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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