OSHA extends comment period for vertical tandem lift rules

OSHA extends comment period for vertical tandem lift rules    The U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has extended until Feb. 13 the public comment period for the agency's proposal to allow vertical tandem lifts of two containers at marine terminals.
   The original date for submissions on the proposal was Dec. 15. OSHA decided to grant the 60-day extension to permit written comments on the proposed revision to the Longshoring Standard and related sections of the Marine Terminals Standard.
   The proposed changes would provide procedures for lifting empty or loaded containers with a total weight of no more than 20 tons. The revision also addresses certification, annual liftlock inspections, installation of mandatory load indication devices on cranes, restrictions on hazardous materials that can be lifted in tandem and a plan for transporting vertical containers in terminals.
   For technical inquiries, contact Paul Rossi, OSHA's Office of Maritime, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, at (202) 693-2086.