OSHA announces MACOSH membership, upcoming meeting

Washington — OSHA has announced the appointment of 15 members to its Maritime Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. 

The members will serve two-year terms that expire April 13, 2025. The committee is scheduled to meet two times each year. The next meeting is set for May 23-24, according to a notice published in the April 25 Federal Register.

The committee’s Shipyard and Longshoring workgroups will meet at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on May 23. MACOSH will meet at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on May 24. Public attendance will be in a hybrid format – in person or virtually.

The tentative agenda for the MACOSH meeting includes an introduction of the new members; reports from the Shipyard and Longshoring workgroups; and updates from the Office of the Assistant Secretary, the Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, and the Office of Maritime and Agriculture.

The new members and their areas of expertise:

Employee representatives:

• Aaron Arabaski, Noble Drilling
• Robert Fiore, International Longshoremen’s Association
• Michael Oathout, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
• Adam Wetzell, International Longshore and Warehouse Union

Employer representatives:

• Solomon Egbe, National Maritime Safety Association
• Amy Liu, Sound Testing Inc.
• John Ratcliffe, Virginia International Terminals LLC
• David Turner, Yusen Terminals LLC

Safety and health professional representatives:

• Thresa Nelson, American Industrial Hygiene Association
• Donald V. Raffo, Marine Chemist Association
• Lawrence Russell, National Fire Protection Association

Government representatives:

• John Goering, U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration
• James Rone, Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
• Alice Shumate, NIOSH
• David Ward, U.S. Coast Guard

Christopher Godfrey from the Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs is the special agency liaison to the committee.

MACOSH advises OSHA on issues related to the safety and health of maritime employees “that will result in more effective enforcement, training, outreach programs and streamlined regulatory efforts.”