[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 73 (Friday, April 16, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18939-18940]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9577]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. NRTL-3-93]


Factory Mutual Research Corporation, Application for Expansion of 
Recognition

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


[[Page 18940]]


ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the application of Factory Mutual 
Research Corporation (FMRC) for expansion of its recognition as a 
Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) under 29 CFR 1910.7, 
and presents the Agency's preliminary finding. This preliminary finding 
does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of this 
application.

DATES: Comments submitted by interested parties must be received no 
later than June 15, 1999.

ADDRESS: Send comments concerning this notice to: Office of Technical 
Programs and Coordination Activities, NRTL Program, Occupational Safety 
and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW, Room N3653, Washington, DC 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernard Pasquet, Office of Technical 
Programs and Coordination Activities, NRTL Program at the above 
address, or phone (202) 693-2110.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of Application

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hereby 
gives notice that Factory Mutual Research Corporation (FMRC) has 
applied for expansion of its current recognition as a Nationally 
Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). FMRC's expansion request covers 
the use of additional test standards. OSHA recognizes an organization 
as an NRTL, and processes applications related to such recognitions, 
following requirements in section 1910.7 of Title 29, Code of Federal 
Regulations (29 CFR 1910.7). Appendix A to this section requires that 
OSHA publish this public notice of the preliminary finding on an 
application.
    FMRC's previous application as an NRTL covered its renewal of 
recognition as an NRTL (60 FR 16167, 3/29/95), which OSHA granted on 
August 16, 1995 (60 FR 42590).
    The current addresses of the testing facilities (sites) that OSHA 
recognizes for FMRC are:

Factory Mutual Research Corporation, 1151 Boston-Providence Turnpike, 
Norwood, Massachusetts 02062
Factory Mutual Research Corporation, 743 Reynolds Road, West 
Gloucester, Rhode Island 02814

General Background on the Application

    FMRC submitted a request, dated October 8, 1998 (see Exhibit 7A), 
to expand its recognition as an NRTL to include four (4) additional 
test standards. Then it submitted a request, dated November 18, 1998 
(see Exhibit 7B), to expand its recognition for one more test standard. 
FMRC seeks recognition for testing and certification of products to 
demonstrate compliance to the following 5 test standards, and OSHA has 
determined the standards are appropriate, as prescribed by 29 CFR 
1910.7(c). OSHA recognition of any NRTL for a particular test standard 
is limited to products for which OSHA standards require third party 
testing and certification before use in the workplace.

ANSI/UL 1950  Information Technology Equipment Including Electrical 
Business Equipment
FMRC 2000  Automatic Sprinklers for Fire Protection
FMRC 2008  Early Suppression-Fast Response (ESFR) Automatic Sprinklers
FMRC 3260  Flame Radiation Detectors for Automatic Fire Alarm Signaling
FMRC 3900  Less or nonflammable Liquid-Insulated Transformers

    The designations and titles of the above test standards were 
current at the time of the preparation of this notice.

Preliminary Finding on the Application

    FMRC 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 FMRC's NRTL testing facilities. However, 
NRTL Program assessment staff reviewed information pertinent to the 
request and, in a memo dated February 10, 1999 (see Exhibit 8), 
recommended that FMRC's recognition be expanded to include the 
additional test standards listed above.
    Following a review of the application file, the assessor's 
recommendation, and other pertinent documents, the NRTL Program staff 
has concluded that OSHA can grant, to the FMRC facilities listed above, 
the expansion of recognition to use the additional 5 test standards. 
The staff therefore recommended to the Assistant Secretary that the 
application be preliminarily approved.
    Based upon the recommendation of the staff, the Assistant Secretary 
has made a preliminary finding that the Factory Mutual Research 
Corporation facilities listed above can meet the recognition 
requirements, as prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7, for the expansion of 
recognition. This preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or 
temporary approval of the application.
    OSHA welcomes public comments, in sufficient detail, as to whether 
FMRC has met the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of its 
recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. Your comment 
should consist of pertinent written documents and exhibits. To consider 
it, OSHA must receive the comment at the address provided above (see 
``ADDRESS''), no later than the last date for comments (see ``DATES'' 
above). You may obtain or review copies of FMRC's requests, the memo on 
the recommendation, and all submitted comments, as received, by 
contacting the Docket Office, Room N2625, Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, at the above address. 
You should refer to Docket No. NRTL-3-93, the permanent record of 
public information on FMRC's recognition.
    The NRTL Program staff will review all timely comments, and after 
resolution of issues raised by these comments, will recommend whether 
to grant FMRC'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 1910.7. OSHA will publish a public notice of this 
final decision in the Federal Register.

    Signed at Washington, D.C. this 26th day of March, 1999.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-9577 Filed 4-15-99; 8:45 am]
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