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EPA, OSHA Seek Health & Safety Panel Members

Monday, October 18, 2010

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency are both seeking experienced professionals to serve on their health and safety Advisory Committees. The deadline for nominations for both agencies is Nov. 12.

OSHA: Construction Health & Safety

OSHA is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH). The committee advises the Secretary of Labor on developing standards and policies that affect the safety and health of construction workers.

Established as a continuing advisory committee under the Construction Safety Act of 1969, ACCSH and the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA have consulted for nearly 40 years on construction safety issues.

Nominees should have experience and expertise in construction-related safety and health issues. Selected nominees will fill eight vacancies in employee, employer, public and state safety and health agency representative groups. All 15 ACCSH members serve two-year terms, except the representative designated by the Department of Health and Human Services and appointed by the Secretary of Labor, who serves indefinitely. ACCSH meets two to four times a year.

Nominations may be submitted at www.regulations.gov or mailed to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2010-0028, U.S. Department of Labor, N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. Nominations not exceeding 10 pages may be faxed to 202-693-1648.

For more information, contact Francis Dougherty, OSHA Office of Construction Services, at 202-693-2020.

EPA: Hazardous Exposures Panel

The EPA is seeking nominations for its National Advisory Committee for the Development of Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Hazardous Substances. This panel, established in 1995, develops exposure guidelines for use in chemical emergency programs; the guidelines are submitted to the National Academies for peer review and publication.

While the committee's initial list of 85 chemicals was published in the Federal Register on May 21, 1997, there are now AEGL values for about 300 chemical substances. Information about the committee and its work is available at http://www.epa.gov/oppt/aegl/.

Candidate requirements include extensive professional knowledge of toxicological methodologies and development of human health standards for acute exposure, as well as a demonstrated ability to examine and analyze complicated human health issues with objectivity and integrity. Members are asked to volunteer about 10 to 15 hours per month for committee activities, including teleconferences and preparing text for reports.

The committee usually meets twice a year, and members serve for two years. EPA expects to fill the vacancies by March 2011.

Submit nominations to: Paul S. Tobin, Designated Federal Officer, Office of the Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (MC 7403M), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460, or e-mail to tobin.paul@epa.gov.