. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/USA/280 
18 June 2007 
 (07-2570) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Occupational Safety and Hea lth Administration (OSHA) (290) 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Power presses   
(ICS:  25.060, 25.080) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Power Presses 
(6 pages, in English) 
6. Description of content:   Mechanical power press safety is regulated under OSHA's 
mechanical power presses standard. OSHA adopted  the standard in 1971, basing it upon the 
1971 edition of American National Standard s Institute (ANSI) B11.1, the industry 
consensus standard for mechan ical power presses.  This ANS I standard has been updated a 
number of times since OSHA adopted the 1971 version.  The most recent edition was issued 
in 2001.  Hydraulic and pneumatic power presses are not covered by OSHA's current 
standard.  The original standard also did not address the use of presence-sensing-device 
initiation (PSDI) systems.  When a press is equipped with PSDI, the press cycle will not 
initiate until the PSDI system senses that th e danger zone is clear. OSHA updated the 
mechanical power presses standard on 14 March 1988, (53 FR 8353), to permit the use of 
PSDI systems.  However, it requires an OSHA-approved third party to validate the PSDI 
system at installation and annually thereafter.  Since the adoption of this provision, no third 
party has sought OSHA's approval.  Consequently, PSDI systems are not being used with 
mechanical power presses.  OSHA is seeking comments on whether and how the 
mechanical power presses standard should be amended, including whether the requirements 
pertaining to the use of PSDI systems should be revised and whether the scope of the 
standard should be expanded to  cover other types of presses. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human life 
8. Relevant documents:   72 Federal Register (FR) 3 0729 4 June 2007; Title 29 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Part  1910. Will appear in the Federal Register when adopted. G/TBT/N/USA/280 
Page 2  
 
  9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:   3 August 2007 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
Internet URLs:  
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-
10655.htm 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/
E7-10655.pdf