[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 155 (Monday, August 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45759-45761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17435]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. OSHA-2010-0046]
QPS Evaluation Services, Inc.: Application for Expansion 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 QPS
Evaluation Services, Inc., for expansion of recognition as a Nationally
Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the agency's
preliminary finding to grant the application.
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 August 31, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments by any of the following methods:
Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments
electronically at: https://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal
eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting
comments.
Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the
docket, go tohttp://www.regulations.gov. Documents in the docket 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 through the OSHA
Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY
(877) 889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the
OSHA docket number for this Federal Register notice (OSHA-2017-0014).
OSHA will place comments and requests to speak, including personal
information, in the public docket, which may be available online.
Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal
information such as Social Security numbers and birthdates. For further
information on submitting comments, see the ``Public Participation''
heading in the section of this notice titled SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of
the comment period on or before August 31, 2021 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-3655, 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, telephone: (202) 693-2110 or email:
robinson.kevin@dol.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Notice of the Application for Expansion
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is providing
notice that QPS Evaluation Services, Inc., (QPS) is applying for
expansion of its current recognition as a NRTL. QPS requests the
addition of eleven test standards to its NRTL scope of recognition.
OSHA recognition of a NRTL signifies that the organization meets
the requirements specified in 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. Each NRTL's scope of recognition includes (1) the
type of products the NRTL may test, with each type specified by its
applicable test standard; and (2) the recognized site(s) that has/have
the technical capability to perform the product-testing and product-
certification activities for test standards within the NRTL's scope.
Recognition is not a delegation or grant of government authority;
however, recognition enables employers to use products approved by the
NRTL to meet OSHA standards that require product testing and
certification.
The agency processes an application by a NRTL for initial
recognition and for an 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. 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. OSHA maintains an informational web page for each NRTL,
including QPS, which details the NRTL's scope of recognition. These
pages are available from the OSHA website at: https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/qps.html.
QPS currently has one facility (site) recognized by OSHA for
product testing and certification, with its headquarters located at:
QPS Evaluation Services, Inc., 81 Kelfield Street, Unit 8, Toronto,
Ontario M9W 5A3 Canada. The scope of QPS NRTL recognition is available
at https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/qps.html.
II. General Background on the Application
QPS submitted an application dated January 30, 2020 (OSHA-2010-
0046-0013), to expand its recognition to include eleven additional test
standards. OSHA staff performed a detailed analysis of the application
packet and other pertinent information. OSHA did not perform any on-
site reviews in relation to this application.
Table 1, below, lists the appropriate test standards found in QPS's
application for expansion for testing and certification of products
under the NRTL Program.
Table 1--Proposed List of Appropriate Test Standards for Inclusion in
QPS's NRTL Scope of Recognition
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Test standard Test standard title
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UL60079-0......................... Explosive Atmospheres--Part 0:
Equipment--General Requirements.
UL60079-1......................... Explosive Atmospheres--Part 1:
Equipment Protection by Flameproof
Enclosures ``d''.
UL60079-2......................... Explosive atmospheres--Part 2:
Equipment protection by pressurized
enclosure `p'.
UL60079-7......................... Explosive Atmospheres--Part 7:
Equipment Protection by Increased
Safety ''e''.
UL60079-11........................ Explosive Atmospheres--Part 11:
Equipment Protection by Intrinsic
Safety `i'.
UL60079-15........................ Explosive atmospheres--Part 15:
Equipment protection by type of
protection `n'.
UL60079-18........................ Explosive Atmospheres--Part 18:
Equipment Protection by
Encapsulation `m'.
UL60079-25........................ Explosive Atmospheres--Part 25:
Intrinsically Safe Electrical
Systems.
UL60079-26........................ Explosive Atmospheres--Part 26:
Equipment for Use in Class I, Zone
0 Hazardous (Classified) Locations.
UL60079-28........................ Standard for Explosive Atmospheres--
Part 28: Protection of Equipment
and Transmission Systems Using
Optical Radiation.
UL60079-31........................ Explosive Atmospheres--Part 31:
Equipment Dust Ignition Protection
by Enclosure ``t''.
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III. Preliminary Findings on the Application
QPS submitted an acceptable application for expansion of its scope
of recognition. OSHA's review of the application file and related
material indicates preliminarily that QPS can meet the requirements
prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding its recognition to include
the addition of these eleven test standards for NRTL testing and
certification listed above. This preliminary finding does not
constitute an interim or temporary approval of QPS's application.
OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether QPS meets the
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of its 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 by the due date for
comments. OSHA will limit any extension to 10 days unless the requester
justifies a longer time period. OSHA may deny a request for an
extension if it is not adequately justified. To obtain or review copies
of the exhibits identified in this notice, as well as comments
submitted to the docket, contact the Docket Office, Occupational Safety
and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, listed in
ADDRESSES. These materials also are available online at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. OSHA-2010-0046.
OSHA staff will review all comments to the docket submitted in a
timely manner and, after addressing the issues raised by these
comments, make a recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for
Occupational Safety and Health on whether to grant QPS's application
for expansion of its scope of recognition. The Assistant Secretary will
make the final decision on granting the application. In making this
decision, the Assistant Secretary 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.
Authority and Signature
James S. Frederick, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Safety and Health, 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. 8-2020
(85 FR 58393, September 18, 2020) and 29 CFR 1910.7.
Signed at Washington, DC, on August 6, 2021.
James S. Frederick,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-17435 Filed 8-13-21; 8:45 am]
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