Longshoring and Marine Terminals; Proposed Rule DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposes to revise its Safety and Health Regulations for Longshoring and, to a far lesser extent, to amend its Safety and Health Regulations for Marine Terminals. The proposed rule covers cargo handling and related activities conducted aboard vessels and at Marine Terminals. The proposed amendments to the Marine Terminals standard are intended primarily to provide regulatory consistency with the proposed Longshoring ship-board rules. The proposed rules would be ``vertical'' standards which apply to longshoring and marine terminal activities only, except for those general industry provisions referenced within this proposed rule. This proposal contains requirements for longshoring and marine terminal operations; the testing and certification of specific types of cargo lifting appliances and associated auxiliary gear; other cargo handling equipment such as conveyors and industrial trucks; access to vessels; working surfaces; and personal protective equipment. Additionally, specialized longshoring operations such as containerized cargo, roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) and menhaden are specifically addressed. The principal hazards addressed by this proposal are injuries and accidents associated with cargo lifting gear, vehicular cargo transferral, manual cargo handling, hazardous atmospheres and materials, and finally, those hazards posed by the more modern and sophisticated cargo handling methods brought about by intermodalism. This provides notice of OSHA's intent to schedule informal public hearings on OSHA's proposed rulemaking on Longshoring and the related Marine Terminal provisions.