Federal Register: August 30, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 169)
DOCID: FR Doc 02-22285
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Docket ID: [Docket No. GE2002-1]
NOTICE: NOTICES
ACTION: Reports and guidance documents; availability, etc.:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Request for comments.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Request for Comments on Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Guidelines for Nursing Homes
DATES: Written Comments: Comments must be submitted by the following dates: Hard Copy. Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or sent) by September 30, 2002.
Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be sent by September 30, 2002.
(Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below for additional information on submitting comments.)
Stakeholder meeting. A oneday stakeholder meeting will be held in the Washington, DC metropolitan area to discuss the draft guidelines. The exact location and date of the stakeholder meeting will be announced following the close of the comment period. OSHA requests that interested parties submit their intention to participate in the stakeholder meeting through express delivery, hand delivery, messenger service, fax or electronic means by September 19, 2002.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
The Department of Labor is inviting comments on its draft Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Guidelines for Nursing Homes (draft guidelines). The draft guidelines are available on OSHA's Web site and through its publications office. Interested persons may submit written comments on the draft guidelines. The Department will also hold a stakeholder meeting where the public will be invited to express its views on the draft guidelines.
SUMMARY:
Ergonomics for prevention of musculoskeletal disorders; nursing home guidelines; comment request,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
I. Submission of Comments on This Notice and Internet Access to Comments
You may submit comments in response to this document by (1) hard copy, (2) fax transmission (facsimile), or
[[Page 55885]]
(3) electronically through the OSHA webpage. Please note that you
cannot attach materials such as studies or journal articles to
electronic comments. If you have additional materials, you must submit
three copies of them to the OSHA Docket Office at the address above.
The additional materials must clearly identify your electronic comments
by name, date, subject and docket number so we can attach them to your
comments. Because of securityrelated problems there may be a
significant delay in the receipt of comments and intentions to
participate in stakeholder meetings by regular mail. Please contact the
OSHA Docket Office at (202) 6932350 for information about security
procedures concerning the delivery of materials by express delivery, hand delivery and messenger service.
All comments and submissions will be available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the above address. Comments and submissions will be posted on OSHA's Web site at www.osha.gov. OSHA cautions you about submitting personal information such as social security numbers and birth dates. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 6932350 for information about materials not available through the OSHA webpage and for assistance in using the webpage to locate docket submissions.
II. Background
On April 5, 2002, the Department of Labor announced a fourpronged comprehensive approach for addressing muskuloskeletal disorders (MSDs). One of those prongs called for OSHA to develop industry or task specific guidelines. OSHA's first industryspecific guidelines will address MSD hazards in the nursing home industry.
The draft guidelines contain an introduction and three main
sections. The introduction provides an overview of the nature and scope
of the problem of MSDs in nursing homes. It also explains the role of
ergonomics in reducing the incidence of these injuries. The three main
sections set out the major components of an effective ergonomics process:
OSHA encourages interested parties to comment on all aspects of the draft guidelines.
III. Stakeholder Meeting
Following the close of the comment period, OSHA will be holding a stakeholder meeting in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In a future Federal Register notice, the Department will announce the date and precise location of the stakeholder meeting.
This notice was prepared under the direction of John L. Henshaw, Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health. It is issued under sections 4 and 8 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 653, 657).
Issued at Washington, DC, this 27th day of August, 2002. John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 0222285 Filed 82902; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 451026M
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Steven F. Witt, OSHA Directorate of Standards and Guidance, Room N3718, Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693 1950.