29 CFR 1926, Subpart L - Scaffolds

OSHA is correcting its regulations that were amended by the Hazard Communication Standard final rule, published in the Federal Register on March 26, 2012. The majority of the corrections are to references inadvertently missed in the original publication of the final rule. Other corrections include correcting values or notations in tables, and updating references to terms.

OSHA published a direct final rule and a companion notice of proposed rulemaking on November 9, 2012, to broaden the exemption for digger derricks in its construction standard for cranes and derricks. OSHA received a significant adverse comment on the direct final rule and is, therefore, withdrawing the direct final rule. OSHA will issue a final rule at a later date based on the notice of proposed rulemaking.

OSHA is confirming the effective date of its direct final rule that revises the Head Protection standards for general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals, longshoring, and construction by updating the reference to a standard published by a standards-developing organization, the American National Standards Institute. In the June 22, 2012, direct final rule, OSHA stated that it would withdraw the companion proposed rule and confirm the effective date of the direct final rule if the Agency received no significant adverse comments. OSHA did not receive significant adverse comments on the direct final rule. Therefore, OSHA is confirming that the direct final rule became effective on September 20, 2012.

OSHA is broadening the exemption for digger derricks in its standard for cranes and derricks. OSHA issued a final standard updating the requirements for cranes and derricks on August 9, 2010, and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) petitioned for review of the standard in the United States Court of Appeals. After petitioning, EEI provided OSHA with new information regarding digger derricks. OSHA reviewed the additional information and the rulemaking record, and decided to broaden the exemption for digger derricks used in the electric-utility industry by means of this direct final rule.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is announcing that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the revised information collection requirements contained in the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) (29 CFR parts 1910, 1915, and 1926) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA-95). The OMB control number is 1218-0072.

On August 9, 2010, OSHA issued a final standard updating the requirements for cranes and derricks used in construction work. For most construction work, the final rule replaced a prior cranes and derricks standard. However, the prior standard continues to apply to demolition and underground construction work. Through this direct final rule, OSHA is applying the updated requirements to that work. With this direct final rule, OSHA also is correcting inadvertent errors made to the demolition and underground construction standards when it issued the final rule for cranes and derricks in construction.

OSHA is correcting the medical evaluation questionnaire in Appendix C of its Respiratory Protection standard by removing the term “fits” in a question. OSHA also is correcting its Mechanical Power Presses standard for general industry by restoring requirements that were removed inadvertently from the regulatory text. Finally, the Agency is correcting a cross reference made in two paragraphs in Appendix A to subpart L of its scaffold standards for construction.

OSHA is correcting a direct final rule (DFR) with regard to the construction industry head protection standards to eliminate confusion resulting from a drafting error. OSHA published the DFR on June 22, 2012 (77 FR 37587). OSHA also is publishing a correction to the proposed rule that it published the same day in the Federal Register (77 FR 37617).

OSHA is correcting its regulations that were amended by the Hazard Communication Standard final rule, published in the Federal Register on March 26, 2012. The majority of the corrections are to references inadvertently missed in the original publication of the final rule. Other corrections include correcting values or notations in tables, and updating references to terms.

OSHA published a direct final rule and a companion notice of proposed rulemaking on November 9, 2012, to broaden the exemption for digger derricks in its construction standard for cranes and derricks. OSHA received a significant adverse comment on the direct final rule and is, therefore, withdrawing the direct final rule. OSHA will issue a final rule at a later date based on the notice of proposed rulemaking.

OSHA is initiating a regulatory review of its existing safety and health standards in response to the President's Executive Order 13563, “Improving Regulations and Regulatory Review” (76 FR 38210). The Agency conducted similar regulatory reviews of its existing standards previously as “standards improvement projects.” OSHA is issuing this request for information to initiate another of these regulatory reviews, and naming this review the Standards Improvement Project—Phase IV (SIP-IV). The purpose of SIP-IV is to improve and streamline OSHA standards by removing or revising requirements that are confusing or outdated, or that duplicate, or are inconsistent with, other standards. The purpose of the regulatory review is to reduce regulatory burden while maintaining or enhancing employees' safety and health. SIP-IV will focus primarily on OSHA's construction standards. The purpose of this notice is to invite the public, including employers, employees, and employee representatives involved in the construction industry, to submit recommendations for revisions to existing construction standards, including the rationale for these recommendations. OSHA will review this information to determine the need for, and the content of, any subsequent SIP-IV rulemaking.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is announcing that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the revised information collection requirements contained in the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) (29 CFR parts 1910, 1915, and 1926) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA-95). The OMB control number is 1218-0072.

OSHA is correcting the medical evaluation questionnaire in Appendix C of its Respiratory Protection standard by removing the term “fits” in a question. OSHA also is correcting its Mechanical Power Presses standard for general industry by restoring requirements that were removed inadvertently from the regulatory text. Finally, the Agency is correcting a cross reference made in two paragraphs in Appendix A to subpart L of its scaffold standards for construction.