May 1, 1987
MEMORANDUM FOR THOMAS KOMAREK
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Assistant Secretary
Administration and Management
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| FROM: |
JOHN PENDERGRASS
Assistant Secretary
Occupational Safety and Health
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| SUBJECT: |
DOL Representation on the Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in Construction |
The National Bureau of Standards (NBS) has drafted an Executive Order on
Seismic Safety of Federal and Federally assisted or regulated construction.
The NBS is a member of the Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in
Construction (ICSSC) in which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
is the lead agency. The NBS proposal for and Executive Order requires
Federal preparedness and activities to be implemented to reduce the risk to
life and property from future earthquakes. When the Executive Order becomes
final, each agency must implement its provision.
In a memorandum dated April 28, 1986 to Patrick Tyson, you requested that
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) review the documents
developed on seismic safety and designate an individual to serve as the
Department's spokesperson and representative on ICSSC. The Directorate of
Technical Support of OSHA has reviewed the seismic safety documents for
technical accuracy from the safety and health aspects. However, OSHA has not
selected a DOL representative to address departmental issues or to implement
the Executive Order in the future.
Since the program is intended to reduce risk to the lives of occupants of
buildings owned or used by the Federal Government, we believe that this task
would be better handled in the DOL's Office of Safety and Health. Therefore,
I suggest that you assign a DOL Seismic Safety Coordinator from the Office of
Safety and Health to represent DOL on ICSSC and to implement the Executive
Order when it becomes final. Since OSHA is the lead agency in occupational
safety and health, OSHA provides Federal agencies with guidance necessary to
implement effective safety and health programs, but OSHA does not administer
such programs.
The following documents are attached for your action:
1. Seismic Design Guidelines for Federal Buildings prepared by ICSSC.
2. A letter from Mr. Richard Krimm, Chairman of the Interagency
Coordinating Committee, to Mr. Raymond Kunicki, Safety Engineer, OSHA,
regarding a project to prepare historic and baseline data on earthquake
hazards reduction.
Thank you for your support.
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