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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: Phone: 202-219-8151
How best to combat the dangers of fire in shipyard
employment will be the focus of a public meeting Feb. 4 through 6 in
Jacksonville, Fla. Representatives of shipyard operators, labor unions,
professional groups and government agencies will continue work on a proposed
standard for fire protection covering shipyard workers.
The meeting will mark the first time the Fire Protection
and Shipyard Employment Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee has convened
since its initial gathering, October 15 - 17, 1996, in Portland, Ore.
"Committee members are using the tools of negotiation to
ensure that all groups that have a stake in protecting shipyard workers will
have a say in this matter," said Gregory R. Watchman, acting assistant
secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Through this process,
we hope to reach consensus on what works best to protect these workers against
fire hazards, both on board vessels as well as landside."
The committee's work will result in a proposed rule and
supporting documentation that will become a new standard under the Occupational
Safety and Health Act.
Key issues the committee will address include:
- What should the scope of the new standard be?
- What controls and work practices will provide adequate protection for
employees?
- Should shipyards be required to have in-yard fire brigades?
- Should written fire plans should be required for landside and on
board vessels?
- What advances in fire technology should be incorporated into the
shipyard standard?
- LI>
- What costs would be incurred by shipyards in meeting the provisions
of a new standard? Are there cost savings or benefits that could be
expected?
- Should the new standard include technical information about fire
prevention in an appendix, and, if so, should it be mandatory for shipyards to
use this information in their fire prevention programs?
There is no advance registration for the meeting, which
will be held at the Holiday Inn, 1617 North First St., Jacksonville, Fla., from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Persons who wish to make oral presentations will be
allowed to do so to the extent time allows.
Written comments should be directed to Docket No. S-051.
Four copies should be sent to the OSHA Docket Office, U.S. Dept. Of Labor, Room
N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20210 (Telephone
202-219-7894). Minutes of the committee's previous meeting and materials
prepared for the committee are available for public inspection at this address.
Notice of the Jacksonville, Fla. meeting was published in the Federal Register
on Dec. 24, 1996.
The information in this news release will be made available
to sensory impaired individuals upon request. TDD Message Referral Phone:
1-800-326-2577, Voice phone: (202) 219-7316.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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