[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29035-29036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13970]


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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.

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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

[[Page 29036]]

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