OSHA and Coast Guard authority over lift-boat workers

March 7, 1986
Mr. Jim Burnett
Chairman
National Transportation Safety Board
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Burnett:
This is an update of our January 2, response to your letter of December 17, 1985 regarding Safety Recommendation M-85-116.
After receiving those recommendations regarding the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) regulatory responsibility in this matter, we contacted the U.S. Coast Guard with whom we share that responsibility for establishing and enforcing maritime safety regulations. The opinion of the U.S. Coast Guard is that it is their intention to classify self-elevating lift boats, such as the AMAY S, as inspected vessels. Since the Coast Guard has exclusive responsibility for safety aboard "inspected" vessels, OSHA would be precluded from promulgating parallel rules.
Should the Coast Guard, for some reason, not address safety and health issues aboard these types of vessels, then OSHA would explore the promulgation of such regulations.
Sincerely,
Barry J. White
Director, Directorate of Safety
Standards Programs

[The National Transportation Safety Board's recommendation and supporting accident narrative reproduced on OSHA's page are omitted here.]