• Publication Date:
  • Publication Type:
    Notice
  • Fed Register #:
    85:42436-42438
  • Standard Number:
  • Title:
    SGS North America, Inc.: Request for Renewal of Recognition
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 135 (Tuesday, July 14, 2020)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 42436-42438]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 2020-15059]


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    DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

    Occupational Safety and Health Administration

    [Docket No. OSHA-2006-0040]


    SGS North America, Inc.: Request for Renewal of Recognition

    AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

    ACTION: Notice.

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    SUMMARY: In this notice, OSHA announces the application of SGS North 
    America, Inc.'s (SGS), requesting renewal of recognition as a 
    Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).

    DATES: Submit comments, information, and documents in response to this 
    notice, or requests for an extension of time to make a submission, on 
    or before July 29, 2020.

    ADDRESSES: Submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments 
    electronically at: http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal 
    eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting 
    comments.
    Facsimile: If your comments, including attachments, are not longer 
    than 10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-
    1648.
    Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger, or courier service: 
    When using this method, you must submit a copy of your comments and 
    attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2006-0040, 
    Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
    Labor, Room N-3653, 200 Constitution Avenue NW,


    Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger, and 
    courier service) are accepted during the Docket Office's normal 
    business hours, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., ET.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the 
    OSHA docket number (OSHA-2006-0040). OSHA places comments and other 
    materials, including any personal information, in the public docket 
    without revision, and these materials will be available online at 
    http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, the agency cautions commenters 
    about submitting statements they do not want made available to the 
    public, or submitting comments that contain personal information 
    (either about themselves or others) such as Social Security Numbers, 
    birth dates, and medical data.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
    docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the OSHA Docket Office at 
    the above address. All documents in the docket (including this Federal 
    Register notice) are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index; 
    however, some information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly 
    available to read or download through the website. All submissions, 
    including copyrighted material, are available for inspection at the 
    OSHA Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for assistance in 
    locating docket submissions.
    Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of 
    the comment period on or before July 29, 2020 to the Office of 
    Technical Programs and Coordination Activities, Directorate of 
    Technical Support and Emergency Management, Occupational Safety and 
    Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 
    Avenue NW, Room N-3653, Washington, DC 20210, or by fax to (202) 693-
    1644.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information regarding this notice is 
    available from the following sources:
    Press inquiries: Contact Mr. Frank Meilinger, Director, OSHA Office 
    of Communications, U.S. Department of Labor, telephone: (202) 693-1999; 
    email: meilinger.francis2@dol.gov.
    General and technical information: Contact Mr. Kevin Robinson, 
    Director, Office of Technical Programs and Coordination Activities, 
    Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management, Occupational 
    Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, phone: 
    (202) 693-2110 or email: robinson.kevin@dol.gov.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    I. Background

    OSHA recognition of a NRTL signifies that the organization meets 
    the 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 approved by the NRTL 
    to meet OSHA standards that require testing and certification. OSHA 
    maintains an informational web page for each NRTL that details its 
    scope of recognition available at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html.
    OSHA processes applications by a NRTL for renewal of recognition 
    following requirements in appendix A to 29 CFR 1910.7. OSHA conducts 
    renewals in accordance with the procedures in 29 CFR 1910.7, appendix 
    A, Section II.C. In accordance with these procedures, NRTLs submit a 
    renewal request to OSHA, not less than nine months or no more than one 
    year, before the expiration date of its current recognition. The 
    submission request includes a request for renewal and any additional 
    information the NRTL wishes to submit to demonstrate its continued 
    compliance with the terms of its recognition and 29 CFR 1910.7. If OSHA 
    has not conducted an on-site assessment of the NRTL's headquarters and 
    key sites within the past 18 to 24 months, it will schedule the 
    necessary on-site assessments prior to the expiration date of the 
    NRTL's recognition. Upon review of the submitted material and, as 
    necessary, the successful completion of the on-site assessment, OSHA 
    announces its preliminary decision to grant or deny renewal in the 
    Federal Register and solicit comments from the public. OSHA then 
    publishes a final Federal Register notice responding to any comments 
    and renewing the NRTL's recognition for a period of five years, or 
    denying the renewal of recognition.
    SGS initially received OSHA recognition as a NRTL on March 23, 1993 
    (58 FR 15509). SGS's most recent renewal was on July 14, 2014, for a 
    five-year period ending on July 14, 2019. SGS submitted a timely 
    request for renewal, dated October 2, 2018 (OSHA-2006-0040-0050), and 
    retains its recognition pending OSHA's final decision in this renewal 
    process. The current addresses of the SGS facilities recognized by OSHA 
    and included as part of the renewal request are:
    (1) SGS North America, Inc., 620 Old Peachtree Road, Suwanee, 
    Georgia 30024;
    (2) Consumer Testing Services, SGS Tecnos S.A., C/. Trespaderne 29, 
    Edificio Barajas 1, 28042 Madrid, Spain;
    (3) SGS--Baseefa Limited, Rockhead Business Park, Staden Lane, 
    Buxton SK17 9RZ, United Kingdom;
    (4) SGS--Fimko, Ltd., Sarkiniementie 3, FI-00210 Helsinki, Finland;
    (5) SGS--Guangzhou, 198 Kezhu Road, Scientech Park, Guangzhou 
    Economic & Technology Development District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 
    China;
    (6) SGS--Ningbo, 1-5/F., West of Building 4, Lingyun Industry Park, 
    No. 1177, Lingyun Road, Ningbo National Hi-Tech Zone, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 
    China;
    (7) SGS--Shanghai, No. 588 West Jindu Road, Xinqiao Town, Songjiang 
    District 201612, Shanghai, China;
    (8) SGS--Shenzhen Branch, No. 1 Workshop, M-10, Middle Section, 
    Science & Technology Park, Nan Shan District, Shenzhen, China; and
    (9) SGS--Shunde, 198 Kezhu Road, Scientech Park Building 1, 
    European Industrial Park, No. 1, Shunde South Road, Wusha, Daliang, 
    Shunde District, Foshan, Guangdong, China.

    II. Notice of Preliminary Findings

    OSHA is providing notice that SGS is applying for renewal of its 
    recognition as a NRTL. This renewal covers SGS's existing NRTL scope of 
    recognition. OSHA evaluated SGS's application for renewal and 
    preliminarily determined that SGS can continue to meet the requirements 
    prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for recognition. Accordingly, OSHA is 
    making a determination that it does not need to conduct an additional 
    on-site review of SGS's facilities based on its evaluations of SGS's 
    application and all other available information. This information 
    includes OSHA's audits of SGS's recognized NRTL sites during this 
    recognition period, and the satisfactory resolution of non-conformances 
    with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7. This preliminary finding does 
    not constitute an interim or temporary approval of the request.
    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether SGS meets the 
    requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for renewal of their recognition as a 
    NRTL. Comments should consist of pertinent written documents and 
    exhibits. Commenters needing more time to comment must submit a request 
    in writing, stating the reasons for the request. OSHA must receive the 
    written request for an extension by the due date for comments. OSHA 
    will limit any extension to 30


    days unless the requester justifies a longer period. OSHA may deny a 
    request for an extension if it is not adequately justified. To obtain 
    or review copies of the publicly available information in SGS's 
    application and other pertinent documents (including exhibits), as well 
    as all submitted comments, contact the Docket Office, Room N-3653, 
    Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
    Labor, at the above address; these materials also are available online 
    at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. OSHA-2006-0040.
    OSHA staff will review all comments to the docket submitted in a 
    timely manner and, after addressing the issues raised by these 
    comments, will make a recommendation to the Assistant Secretary on 
    whether to grant SGS's application for renewal. The Assistant Secretary 
    will make the final decision on granting the application and, in making 
    this decision, may undertake other proceedings prescribed in appendix A 
    to 29 CFR 1910.7. OSHA will publish a public notice of this final 
    decision in the Federal Register.

    III. Authority and Signature

    Loren Sweatt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
    Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, 
    DC 20210, authorized the preparation of this notice. Accordingly, the 
    agency is issuing this notice pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 657(g)(2), 
    Secretary of Labor's Order No. 1-2012 (77 FR 3912, Jan. 25, 2012), and 
    29 CFR 1910.7.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on July 7, 2020.
    Loren Sweatt,
    Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety 
    and Health.
    [FR Doc. 2020-15059 Filed 7-13-20; 8:45 am]
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