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News Release USDL: 96-124
Wednesday, March 27, 1996
Contact: Robert Brown (202) 219-8151

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced today that the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health's (NACOSH) workgroup on chemical hazard communication will meet April 24-25 and June 12-13.

The meetings, which will be held in the U.S. Department of Labor's Frances Perkins Building at 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC, are open to the public. The April meeting will be held in Room N3437 A-D and the June meeting in Room N4437 B-D. Both meetings will run from 10-4:30 p.m. the first day and from 8-3 p.m. the second day.

OSHA asked NACOSH to form a workgroup to identify different ways of improving its chemical hazard communication program. OSHA asked for recommendations simplifying Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), reducing required paperwork, improving worker training and revising enforcement policies to focus on the most serious hazards. On April 24-25, the HazCom workgroup will meet to review all these issues and finalize the content of its report and recommendations. On June 12-13, the workgroup will review the total report, make any necessary changes and obtain concurrences of workgroup members. It is anticipated that the workgroup's final product will be submitted to the entire National Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health for action later in the summer.

Views, comments, and written data for consideration by the workgroup may be submitted, preferably with 20 copies, to Joanne Goodell, Directorate of Policy, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Room N3641, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC, 20210. Any submissions will be provided to the workgroup members and will be included in the meeting's record.

Individuals with disabilities who require special accommodations should contact Tom Hall at OSHA's Office of Information and Consumer Affairs at (202) 219-8615, extension 105, a week before each meeting. For additional information, contact Joanne Goodell at (202) 219-8021, extension 107.

NACOSH was formed by authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to advise the Secretaries of Labor and of Health and Human Services on occupational safety and health matters.

Notice of the Chemical HazCom workgroup meeting appeared in the March 26, 1996, Federal Register.