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TRADE NEWS RELEASE
March 21, 2002
Contact: Lydia Kleiner
Phone: (202) 693-1999

WASHINGTON, DC -- OSHA today withdrew four proposed safety standards for shipyard employment safety standards, including scaffolds, welding, cutting and heating, access and egress and fall protection. The agency intends to devote its resources to higher priority shipyard standards.

The proposed shipyard rules were originally published on November 29, 1988, to update and consolidate coverage of various shipyard hazards into one standard. OSHA received only a few comments in response to each proposal, which provided insufficient information on which to proceed. Further, newer technologies have been developed over the past 14 years and would need to be incorporated before final rules could be issued.

The specific proposed rules being withdrawn are (1) Scaffolds in Shipyard Employment, Subpart N, (2) Welding, Cutting and Heating in Shipyard Employment, Subpart D, (3) Access and Egress in Shipyards, Subpart E; and (4) Fall Protection for Shipyard Employment, Subpart M. The hazards that these revised rules would address are currently covered under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 29 CFR, Part 1915, Subparts D, E and I.

For more information, please go to http://www.osha.gov/dts/maritime/index.html

The notice of withdrawal takes effect upon publication in the Federal Register, scheduled for March 21.