[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 167 (Tuesday, August 30, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51370-51371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17184]


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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.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the application of MET Laboratories, 
Inc., (MET) for expansion of its recognition to use additional test 
standards, and presents the Agency's preliminary finding to grant MET's 
requested expansion of recognition. 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: Your information or comments must be submitted 
(postmarked or sent) by September 14, 2005.
     Electronic transmission or facsimile: Your comments must 
be sent by September 14, 2005.

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., e.s.t.
    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: Office of Technical Programs and 
Coordination Activities, NRTL Program, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3653, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., 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-3653, 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-slc.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/met.html.
    OSHA recognition of an NRTL signifies that the organization has met 
the legal requirements in Section 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'' by the 
NRTL to meet OSHA standards that require testing and certification.
    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-slc.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html.
    The most recent notice published by OSHA for MET's recognition 
covered an expansion of recognition, which became effective on August 
26, 2003 (68 FR 51304).
    The current address of the MET facility already recognized by OSHA 
is: MET Laboratories, Inc., 914 West Patapsco Avenue, Baltimore, 
Maryland 21230.

General Background on the Application

    MET has submitted an application, dated November 1, 2004 (see 
Exhibit 35-1) to expand its recognition to include 12 additional test 
standards. The NRTL Program staff has determined that each of these 
standards is an ``appropriate test standard'' within the meaning of 29 
CFR 1910.7(c). However, one standard was already included in MET's 
scope. Therefore, OSHA would approve eleven test standards for the 
expansion.
    MET seeks recognition for testing and certification of products for 
demonstration of conformance to the following eleven test standards:

UL 5A Nonmetallic Surface Raceways and Fittings

[[Page 51371]]

UL 291 Automated Teller Systems
UL 294 Access Control System Units
UL 508A Industrial Control Panels
UL 963 Sealing, Wrapping, and Marking Equipment
UL 1727 Commercial Electric Personal Grooming Appliances
UL 1863 Communication Circuit Accessories
UL 60065 Audio, Video and Similar Electronic Apparatus**
UL 60335-1 Safety of Household and Similar Electrical Appliances, Part 
1; General Requirements
UL 60335-2-34 Household and Similar Electrical Appliances, Part 2; 
Particular Requirements for Motor Compressors
UL 61010C-1 Process Control Equipment


    **Note:  This standard is comparable to UL 6500 Audio/Video and 
Musical Instrument Apparatus for Household, Commercial, and Similar 
General Use. Since no NRTL is currently recognized for UL 60065, we 
plan to modify the scope of any NRTL currently recognized for UL 
6500 to add UL 60065.


    OSHA's recognition of MET, or any NRTL, for a particular test 
standard is limited to equipment or materials (i.e., products) for 
which OSHA standards require third party testing and certification 
before use in the workplace. Consequently, any NRTL's scope of 
recognition excludes any product(s) that fall within the scope of a 
test standard, but for which OSHA standards do not require NRTL testing 
and certification.
    A few of the UL test standards listed above also 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 procedures, 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 eleven additional test standards listed above (see Exhibit 35-2). 
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 the expansion for the eleven 
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 Agency 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 15th day of August, 2005.
Jonathan L. Snare,
Deputy Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05-17184 Filed 8-29-05; 8:45 am]
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