[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 239 (Friday, December 12, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65446-65447]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32541]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. NRTL-3-92]


TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc., Request for Expansion of 
Recognition

(Authority: 29 CFR 1910.7)

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of request for expansion of recognition as a Nationally 
Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), and preliminary finding.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the application of TUV Rheinland of 
North America, Inc., for expansion of its recognition as a NRTL under 
29 CFR 1910.7, for test standards, and presents the Agency's 
preliminary finding.

DATES: The last date for interested parties to submit comments is 
February 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send comments concerning this notice to: NRTL Recognition 
Program, Office of Variance Determination, Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, N.W., Room N3653 Washington, D.C. 20210.


[[Page 65447]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernard Pasquet, Office of Variance 
Determination, NRTL Recognition Program at the above address, or phone 
(202) 219-7056.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of Application

    Notice is hereby given that TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc., 
(TUV), has made application pursuant to 29 CFR 1910.7, for expansion of 
its recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory for the 
equipment or materials listed below. TUV previously made application 
pursuant to 29 CFR 1910.7, for recognition as a Nationally Recognized 
Testing Laboratory (58 FR 61101, 11/19/93), and was so recognized (60 
FR 42594, 8/16/95).
    The address of the TUV laboratory covered by this application is: 
TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc., 12 Commerce Road, Newton, 
Connecticut 06470.

Background

    This Federal Register notice announces TUV's application for 
expansion of recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory 
for additional test standards, dated May 12, 1997 (see Exhibit 13A). 
TUV's application for expansion also included a request for recognition 
of an additional site. However, in a letter to OSHA dated September 15, 
1997 (see Exhibit 13B), TUV requested that the expansion for the 
standards be processed first since the recognition of the additional 
site required additional processing time on OSHA's part.
    TUV requests recognition for the following standards when 
applicable to equipment or materials that will be used in environments 
under OSHA's jurisdiction. TUV desires recognition for testing and 
certification of products tested for compliance with these test 
standards, which are appropriate within the meaning of 29 CFR 
1910.7(c):

UL 2601-1  Medical Electrical Equipment, Part 1: General 
Requirements for Safety
UL 3101-1  Electrical Equipment for Laboratory Use; Part 1: General 
Requirements
UL 3111-1  Electrical Measuring and Test Equipment; Part 1: General 
Requirements
UL 6500  Audio/Video and Musical Instrument Apparatus for Household, 
Commercial, and Similar General Use

    The NRTL staff performed an on-site survey (review) of TUV's 
Newton, CT facility on June 23-24, 1997. In the cover memo for the on-
site review report, dated October 10, 1997 (see Exhibit 14), the NRTL 
staff recommended that TUV's recognition be expanded to include these 
additional test standards. Recognition for these standards will be 
granted on condition that TUV perform the testing and certification 
activities associated with these standards at its Newton, CT facility 
only. This condition will be eliminated upon OSHA's grant of 
recognition to TUV to permit use of other programs and procedures 
described in the March 9, 1995 Federal Register notice. (60 FR 12980 
entitled, ``Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories; Clarification 
of the Types of Programs and Procedures'')

Preliminary Finding

    Based upon a review of the complete application, the on-site review 
report, and the recommendations of the staff, the Assistant Secretary 
has made a preliminary finding that TUV Rheinland of North America, 
Inc., can meet the requirements as prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for the 
expansion of its recognition to include the four (4) test standards 
previously listed, subject to the condition noted above.
    All interested members of the public are invited to supply detailed 
reasons and evidence supporting or challenging the sufficiency of the 
applicant's having met the requirements for expansion of its 
recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, as required 
by 29 CFR 1910.7 and Appendix A to 29 CFR 1910.7. Submission of 
pertinent written documents and exhibits shall be made no later than 
February 10, 1998, and must be addressed to the NRTL Program, Office of 
Variance Determination, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 
U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N3653, 
Washington, D.C. 20210. Copies of the TUV application letter, the on-
site survey (review) report, and all submitted comments, as received, 
are available for inspection and duplication (under Docket No. NRTL-3-
92) at the Docket Office, Room N2634, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, at the above address.
    The Assistant Secretary's final decision on whether the applicant 
(TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc.) satisfies the requirements for 
expansion of its recognition as an NRTL will be made on the basis of 
the entire record including the public submissions and any further 
proceedings that the Assistant Secretary may consider to be appropriate 
in accordance with Appendix A to Section 1910.7.

    Signed at Washington, D.C. this 1st day of December, 1997.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-32541 Filed 12-11-97; 8:45 am]
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