Longshoring and Marine Terminals

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a final rule on July 25, 1997, revising all of 29 CFR part 1918 (the Longshoring Standard) and related sections of 29 CFR part 1917 (the Marine Terminals Standard) (62 FR 40152). In the preamble of the final rule, OSHA discussed the practice of lifting two empty intermodal containers together, one on top of the other, connected by semi-automatic twist locks (hereafter referred to as ``piggybacking'' of two containers using twist locks). To secure them for shipping, containers have twist locks placed between the corner fittings of one container and the bottom fittings of the container that rests on top of the first. In a piggyback lift, the bottom container's weight is borne by the top container and twist locks. The force of lifting the bottom container is also transferred through the twist locks to the bottom fittings of the top container. Although OSHA expressed safety concerns regarding piggybacking, the rulemaking record did not contain enough information to enable OSHA to determine how to regulate this practice. Therefore, OSHA is reopening the record to conduct a second phase of the rulemaking to determine whether to allow ``piggybacking,'' and if so, under what conditions. Based on the information gathered during this extension of the rulemaking's proceedings, OSHA will issue a proposal to address this practice. This notice requests written comment and schedules an informal public meeting on safety issues and risks and on the technological and economic feasibility associated with piggybacking of two containers using twist locks.