DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice of a technical workshop; controlling environmental tobacco smoke exposure in the hospitality industry.

SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is sponsoring a technical panel to discuss ventilation engineering controls for environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in the hospitality sector. This meeting, which is in the form of a workshop, will be moderated by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). The workshop proceedings on recommended and feasible ventilation engineering controls for the reduction of occupational ETS exposures in the hospitality industry will be published by ACGIH for the public.

DATES: The workshop will be held on June 7, 8, and 9, 1998, beginning at 8:30 a.m. each day and ending at approximately 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Drawbridge Inn, I-75 at Buttermilk Pike, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky 41017 (Phone 606-341-2800). The conference contact is Alexis Callender, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, 1330 Kemper Meadow Dr., Suite 600, Cincinnati, Ohio 45240; Phone: 513-742-2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The conference contact is Alexis Callender, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, 1330 Kemper Meadow Dr., Suite 600, Cincinnati, Ohio 45240; Phone: 513- 742-2020.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On April 5, 1994, OSHA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Indoor Air Quality (59 FR 15968). The proposal included a comprehensive standard that would mandate the proper operation and maintenance of building systems, require control of point sources of pollutants, and require control of exposures from air pollutants generated by renovation and remodeling activities. The proposal also indicated the conditions under which smoking could be allowed in the workplace. For example, if smoking were allowed in a workplace, the employer would be required to establish designated smoking areas and permit smoking only in such areas. The areas would have to be enclosed and exhausted directly to the outside and maintained under negative pressure sufficient to contain tobacco smoke. In addition, employees could not be required to enter the designated smoking areas as part of their normal work activities [59 FR at 16037].

The ETS provisions of the proposal received a substantial number of comments. Information submitted to OSHA during the comment period and public hearing indicated that the ETS provisions were feasible for many employers. However, it became apparent to OSHA that in businesses where there is substantial contact between customers who smoke and workers (e.g., food, beverage and gaming industries), this provision was not easily applied as written. During the hearing, OSHA asked representatives of the hospitality industry for information on engineering and administrative controls that could be used to protect workers. Little information on feasible engineering and work practice controls for this industry was submitted to the Agency in response to these requests.

OSHA needs more information on this issue and is therefore sponsoring a workshop on ventilation engineering controls for reducing ETS exposure in the hospitality industry, which will be run under the auspices of the ACGIH. The ACGIH will assemble a panel of experts to identify issues and obtain information to help OSHA resolve feasibility issues raised by the application of the proposal to the hospitality industry. It is the intent of OSHA that the workshop results will be published for the use of professionals who have responsibility for reducing occupational exposures to ETS in these sectors.

Public Attendance

Interested persons are invited to attend the ventilation workshop. The ACGIH has indicated that 50 seats will be available for observers. Because of the limited amount of seating available, space will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. However, if there are more requests to attend than space available, the ACGIH will give preference to technical experts. No organization will be permitted more than one observer unless there is space available after all admissions requests are filled. All individuals who wish to attend must contact Alexis Callender, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, no later than May 28, 1998 to register for this workshop. Admittance to the workshop will be limited to those duly registered.

Individuals with disabilities wishing to attend should contact Alexis Callender, no later than May 28, 1998 to obtain appropriate accommodations.

The Workshop

The panel will consist of ventilation engineers experienced in various aspects of ventilation engineering controls currently used in general industry, and facility management representatives from the restaurant, bar, and gambling establishments. The panel discussions will be chaired by a member of the ACGIH's Committee on Industrial Ventilation. Panel participants were chosen for their technical expertise and experience in this area. This workshop is technical in nature. The public is invited to observe the proceedings, but participation in the discussion is limited to panel members.

Workshop Agenda

On the first day, each panelist will deliver a 15 minute presentation. These presentations will cover various topics, including historical perspectives of ACGIH's Industrial Ventilation Guide; local source capture vs. general dilution ventilation; make up air (e.g., supply air islands); ventilation performance monitoring; displacement ventilation systems; particulate and gas phase removal; and current practice for design, operations, and maintenance of Heating Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems in gaming, restaurant, and beverage (bars) facilities. On the second day of the workshop, working groups will be formed from the panel to explore the technological and economic feasibility of applying current prudent practice for the application of ventilation engineering controls to the hospitality sector. The third day will involve the summarization of the work completed by the working groups and discussion of how ACGIH plans to incorporate the information into a ventilation guide for the hospitality industry.

Authority and Signature

This document was prepared under the direction of Charles N. Jeffress, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20210. It is issued pursuant to section 6(b) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (84 Stat. 1594, 29 U.S.C. 655).

Signed at Washington, D.C. this 19th day of May 1998.

Charles N. Jeffress,

Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 98-13970 Filed 5-26-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-26-P