DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

29 CFR Part 1926

[Docket No. S-775]

RIN No. 1218-AA65

Safety Standards for Steel Erection

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of establishment of Negotiated Rulemaking Committee.

SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is announcing its decision to establish a Steel Erection Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee under the Negotiated Rulemaking Act (NRA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

DATES: The Charter will be filed on May 27, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Any written comments in response to this notice should be sent, in quadruplicate, to the following address: Docket Office, Docket S-775, room N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20210; Telephone (202) 219-7894.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James F. Foster, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Information and Consumer Affairs, room N-3647, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; Telephone: (202) 219-8151.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Title 5 U.S.C. App. I), section 3 of the Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1990, Title 5 U.S.C. 561 et seq. and after consultation with the General Services Administration (GSA), the Secretary of Labor has determined that the establishment of the Steel Erection Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee is in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the Department by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.).

The Committee will function as an integral part of the Department's rulemaking on revising safety standards for steel erection. It will attempt, via face-to-face negotiations, to reach consensus on the coverage and the substance of these rules, which can be used as the basis of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The Committee is responsible for identifying the key issues, gauging their importance, analyzing the information necessary to resolve the issues, arriving at a consensus, and submitting to the Secretary of Labor the proposed regulatory text and supporting rationale and documentation for an occupational safety standard governing worker safety during steel erection.

Meetings shall be held, as necessary, at the discretion of the Chairperson, however, no fewer than six meetings shall be held. The Committee will terminate two years from the date of this Charter or until the promulgation of the final standard, whichever is later.

The Committee is composed of no more than 25 members including a facilitator, appointed by the Secretary of Labor, unless the Secretary of Labor determines that a greater number of members is necessary for the functioning of the Committee or to achieve balanced membership. Members may represent the following interests in appropriate balance: Architectural, design, and engineering firms; developers, property owners and general contractors; erection contractors using steel; fabricators of structural steel products; insurance organizations and public interest groups; labor organizations representing employees who perform erection work; manufacturers and suppliers of fall protection safety equipment; manufacturers and suppliers of structural members and pre-engineered components; and government entities.

The Committee will report to the Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health. It will function solely as an advisory body and in compliance with the provisions of the FACA and the NRA. Its Charter will be filed under the FACA fifteen (15) days from the date of this publication.

Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding the establishment of the Steel Erection Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee. Any written comments in response to this notice should be sent, in quadruplicate, to the following address: Docket Office, Docket S-775, room N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20210; Telephone (202) 219-7894.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 5th day of May 1994.

Robert B. Reich,
Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 94-11391 Filed 5-10-94; 8:45 am]