[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 123 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34934-34935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16949]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
[OSHA Docket Number H-122]


Meeting on Risk Assessment Methodology for Occupational Exposure 
to Environmental Tobacco Smoke

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is 
sponsoring a scientific workshop to evaluate risk assessment 
methodology for developing estimates of risk due to occupational 
exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). This workshop will be 
organized and hosted by the Johns Hopkins University, School of Hygiene 
and Public Health. The workshop proceedings will be published by a peer 
reviewed journal, to be selected by Johns Hopkins.

DATES: The workshop will be held on July 9 and 10, 1998, beginning at 
8:30 a.m. each day and ending at approximately 5:30 p.m. Applications 
to attend the workshop must be submitted by July 6, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Admiral Fell Inn, 888 South 
Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland 21231; phone: 410-522-7377. Send 
applications to attend the workshop and requests by individuals with 
disabilities for special accommodations to Ms. Charlotte Gerczak, 
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Hygiene 
and Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Suite W6041, Baltimore, 
Maryland 21205-2179; phone: 410-614-0903.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Charlotte Gerczak.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On April 5, 1994, OSHA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on 
Indoor Air Quality (59 FR 15968). The ETS provisions of the proposed 
rule were supported by a preliminary finding of significant risk for 
lung cancer and heart disease due to workplace exposure to ETS.
    This workshop will attempt to resolve issues raised in the public 
record pertaining to OSHA's ETS quantitative risk assessment (e.g., 
data sources, analytical methodology, dose-response risk models) and 
further scientific knowledge in this area. OSHA needs additional 
information on these issues to develop a risk assessment upon which a 
final rule can be based. To address OSHA's concerns, Johns Hopkins has 
assembled a group of experts to identify issues and discuss appropriate 
quantitative methodologies for estimating occupational risks from ETS 
exposures in the workplace. It is the intent of OSHA that the workshop 
results will be published in a peer reviewed journal.

Public Attendance

    Interested persons are invited to attend the ETS risk assessment 
workshop. Because of the limited amount of seating available, 
interested persons are encouraged to contact Johns

[[Page 34935]]

Hopkins as soon as possible. If there are more requests to attend than 
space available, Johns Hopkins will give preference to scientists with 
expertise in risk assessment issues. No organization will be permitted 
more than one observer unless there is space available after all 
admissions requests are filled. Admittance to the workshop will be 
limited to those duly registered.

The Workshop

    The workshop participants will consist of experts in the fields of 
risk assessment, epidemiology, and mathematical modeling. The panel 
discussions will be chaired by Jonathan M. Samet, M.D., Chairman, 
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Hygiene 
and Public Health. The workshop participants have been chosen for their 
scientific expertise and experience in this area. This workshop is 
scientific in nature. The public is invited to observe the proceedings, 
but participation in the discussion is limited to workshop 
participants.

Workshop Objectives

    Under the direction of Jonathan Samet, M.D., the workshop 
participants will address key issues related to ETS risk assessment 
methodology. Specifically, the participants will:
    1. Consider various health end points to be included in the ETS 
risk assessment and make recommendations with regard to these specific 
health end points.
    2. Consider all available studies addressing the recommended health 
end points and evaluate the quality of data for estimating occupational 
risk.
    3. Review and evaluate available mathematical models for estimating 
occupational risk due to ETS exposure.
    4. Examine properties of dose-response risk models and characterize 
the models with regard to validity and uncertainty and their 
applicability to estimating occupational risk attributable to ETS 
exposure in the workplace.

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, DC this 22nd of June 1998.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 98-16949 Filed 6-25-98; 8:45 am]
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