Reestablished advisory committee holds first meeting

Fifteen members of the Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health were scheduled to hold their first meeting since being appointed by Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Solis reestablished the panel to protect workers in the shipyard, longshoring, and marine terminal industries.

The maritime industry was selected for special attention due to the high injury and illness rates and the specialized nature of some occupations, according to OSHA. The committee will hold approximately three meetings a year, which are open to the public.

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The 15 appointees will each serve a two-year term. Included are five representatives each from management and labor, two each from the occupational safety and health professions and government, and a representative from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health who was appointed by the secretary of HHS.

OSHA will seek advice from the committee on a variety of topics, possibly including updating regulatory requirements; developing guidance and outreach materials tailored to individual sectors of the industry; and other activities to help reduce work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses, according to an OSHA statement. The panel may also provide guidance in new areas in which OSHA chooses to pursue or expand its maritime programs to address specific needs.

Read more at the WorkersComp Forum homepage.

May 2, 2011

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