[Federal Register: August 17, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 159)][Notices] [Page 47532-47534]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17au06-85]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. NRTL1-88]
MET Laboratories, Inc., Application for Expansion of Recognition
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces the application of MET Laboratories,
Inc., for expansion of its recognition to use additional test
standards, and presents the Agency's preliminary finding to grant this
request for expansion. This preliminary finding does not constitute an
interim or temporary approval of this application.
DATES: You must submit information or comments, or any request for
extension of the time to comment, by the following dates:
Hard copy: postmarked or sent by September 1, 2006.
Electronic transmission or facsimile: sent by September 1,
2006.
ADDRESSES: You may submit information or comments to this notice--
identified by docket number NRTL1-88--by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
OSHA Web site: http://ecomments.osha.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments on OSHA's Web page.
Fax: If your written comments are 10 pages or fewer, you
may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-1648.
Regular mail, express delivery, hand delivery and courier
service: Submit three copies to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No.
NRTL1-88, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room
N-2625, Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2350. (OSHA's TTY
number is (877) 889-5627). OSHA Docket Office hours of operation are 8:15 a.m.
to 4:45 p.m., EST.
Instructions: All comments received will be posted without change
to http://dockets.osha.gov, including any personal information
provided. OSHA cautions you about submitting personal information such
as social security numbers and birth dates.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to http://dockets.osha.gov. Contact the OSHA
Docket Office for information about materials not available through the
OSHA Web page and for assistance in using the Web page to locate docket
submissions.
Extension of Comment Period: Submit requests for extensions
concerning this notice to the Office of Technical Programs and
Coordination Activities, NRTL Program, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Room N-3655, Washington, DC 20210. Or, fax to (202) 693-1644.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Technical Programs and
Coordination Activities, NRTL Program, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Room N-3655, Washington, DC 20210, or phone (202) 693-2110.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Notice of Application
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hereby
gives notice that MET Laboratories, Inc. (MET) has applied for
expansion of its current recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing
Laboratory (NRTL). MET's expansion request covers the use of additional
test standards. OSHA's current scope of recognition for MET may be
found in the following informational Web page: http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/met.html.
OSHA recognition of an NRTL signifies that the organization has met
the legal requirements in Sec. 1910.7 of Title 29, Code of Federal
Regulations (29 CFR 1910.7). Recognition is an acknowledgment that the
organization can perform independent safety testing and certification
of the specific products covered within its scope of recognition and is
not a delegation or grant of government authority. As a result of
recognition, employers may use products ``properly certified'' \1\ by
the NRTL to meet OSHA standards that require testing and certification.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Properly certified means, in part, that the product is
labeled or marked with the NRTL's ``registered'' certification mark
(i.e., the mark the NRTL uses for its NRTL work) and that the
product certification falls within the scope of recognition of the
NRTL.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Agency processes applications by an NRTL for initial
recognition or for expansion or renewal of this recognition following
requirements in Appendix A to 29 CFR 1910.7. This appendix requires
that the Agency publish two notices in the Federal Register in
processing an application. In the first notice, OSHA announces the
application and provides its preliminary finding and, in the second
notice, the Agency provides its final decision on the application.
These notices set forth the NRTL's scope of recognition or
modifications of that scope. We maintain an informational Web page for
each NRTL, which details its scope of recognition. These pages can be
accessed from our Web site at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html.
The most recent notice published by OSHA specifically related to
MET's recognition granted an expansion of its NRTL scope, which became
effective on December 5, 2005 (70 FR 72470).
The current address of the MET facility already recognized by OSHA
is: MET Laboratories, Inc., 914 West Patapsco Avenue, Baltimore, MD
21230.
General Background on the Application
MET has submitted an application, dated August 23, 2005 (see
Exhibit 39-1) to expand its recognition to include 10 additional test
standards. MET later amended its application through a follow-up
request to add 10 more test standards (see Exhibit 39-2). The NRTL
Program staff has determined that each of these 20 standards is an
``appropriate test standard'' within the meaning of 29 CFR 1910.7(c).
However, one standard is already included in MET's scope. Therefore,
OSHA would approve 19 test standards for the expansion.
MET seeks recognition for testing and certification of products for
demonstration of conformance to the following test standards:
UL 82 Electric Gardening Appliances
UL 234 Low Voltage Lighting Fixtures for Use in Recreational Vehicles
UL 298 Portable Electric Hand Lamps
UL 588 Seasonal and Holiday Decorative Products
UL 867 Electrostatic Air Cleaners
UL 917 Clock-Operated Switches
UL 987 Stationary and Fixed Electric Tools
UL 1081 Swimming Pool Pumps, Filters, and Chlorinators
UL1090 Electric Snow Movers
UL 1363 Relocatable Power Taps
UL 1447 Electric Lawn Mowers
UL 1448 Electrical Hedge Trimmers
UL 1450 Motor-Operated Air Compressors, Vacuum Pumps, and Painting
Equipment
UL 1559 Insect-Control Equipment--Electrocution Type
UL 1563 Electric Spas, Equipment Assemblies, and Associated Equipment
UL 1662 Electric Chain Saws
UL 1776 High-Pressure Cleaning Machines
UL 1994 Luminous Egress Path Marking Systems
UL 2089 Vehicle Battery Adapters
OSHA's scope of recognition of MET, or any NRTL, for a particular
test standard is limited to equipment or materials (i.e., products) for
which OSHA requires third-party testing and certification before use in
the workplace. Consequently, if a test standard also covers any
product(s) for which OSHA does not require such testing and
certification, an NRTL's scope of recognition does not include that
product(s).
Many UL test standards are approved as American National Standards
by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). However, for
convenience, we use the designation of the standards developing
organization for the standard as opposed to the ANSI designation. Under
our policy, any NRTL recognized for an ANSI-approved test standard may
use either the latest proprietary version of the test standard or the
latest ANSI version of that standard. You may contact ANSI to find out
whether or not a test standard is currently ANSI-approved.
Preliminary Finding on the Application
MET has submitted an acceptable request for expansion of its
recognition as an NRTL. In connection with this request, OSHA did not
perform an on-site review of MET's NRTL testing facilities. However,
NRTL Program assessment staff reviewed information pertinent to the
request and recommended that MET's recognition be expanded to include
the additional test standards listed above (see Exhibit 39-3). Our
review of the application file, the assessor's recommendation, and
other pertinent documents indicate that MET can meet the requirements,
as prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7, for expansion of its scope to include
the additional test standards listed above. This preliminary finding
does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of the
application.
OSHA welcomes public comments, in sufficient detail, as to whether
MET has met the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of its
recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. Your comments
should consist of pertinent written documents and exhibits. Should you
need more time to comment, you must request it in writing, including
reasons for the request. OSHA must receive your written request for
extension at the address provided above no later than the last date for
comments. OSHA will limit any extension to 30 days, unless the requester
justifies a longer period. We may deny a request for extension if it is
not adequately justified. You may obtain or review copies of MET's requests,
the on-site review report, other pertinent documents, and all submitted
comments, as received, by contacting the Docket Office, Room N-2625,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor,
at the above address. Docket No. NRTL1-88 contains all materials in the
record concerning MET's application.
The NRTL Program staff will review all timely comments and, after
resolution of issues raised by these comments, will recommend whether
to grant MET's expansion request. The Assistant Secretary will make the
final decision on granting the expansion and, in making this decision,
may undertake other proceedings that are prescribed in Appendix A to 29
CFR Section 1910.7. OSHA will publish a public notice of this final
decision in the Federal Register.
Signed at Washington, DC this 9th day of August, 2006.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-13549 Filed 8-16-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
