[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 146 (Wednesday, July 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44202-44203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-17965]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2006-0041]


Southwest Research Institute: Grant of Renewal of Recognition

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration's final decision granting renewal of recognition of 
Southwest Research Institute, as a Nationally Recognized Testing 
Laboratory (NRTL).

[[Page 44203]]


DATES: The renewal of recognition becomes effective on July 30, 2014.

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, 200 Constitution Avenue 
NW., Room N-3647, Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-1999; 
email: [email protected].
    General and technical information: Contact Mr. David Johnson, 
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, 200 
Constitution Avenue NW., Room N-3655, Washington, DC 20210; telephone: 
(202) 693-2110; email: [email protected]. OSHA's Web page 
includes information about the NRTL Program (see http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    OSHA recognition of an NRTL signifies that the organization meets 
the requirements specified by 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 site for 
each NRTL at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html that details 
its scope of recognition.
    OSHA processes applications submitted by an 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, 
App. A II.C. In accordance with these procedures, NRTLs submit a 
renewal request to OSHA between nine months and one year before the 
expiration date of its current recognition. A renewal request includes 
a request for renewal and any additional information demonstrating 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 
headquarters and any key sites within the past 18 to 24 months, it will 
schedule the necessary on-site assessment 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 solicits 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.
    Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) initially received OSHA 
recognition as an NRTL on July 13, 1993 (58 FR 37752). The most recent 
renewal for SWRI was on February 28, 2007, for a five-year period 
expiring on February 28, 2012. SWRI submitted a timely request for 
renewal, dated May 26, 2011 (see Ex. OSHA-2006-0041-0003), and retained 
its recognition pending OSHA's final decision in this renewal process. 
The current address of the SWRI facility recognized by OSHA and 
included as part of the renewal request is Southwest Research 
Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, Post Office Drawer 28510, San Antonio, 
Texas 78238.
    OSHA evaluated SWRI's application for renewal and made a 
preliminary determination that SWRI can continue to meet the 
requirements prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for recognition. OSHA 
conducted an audit of SWRI on February 28-29, 2012, and found non-
conformances with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7. SWRI addressed 
these issues sufficiently to meet the applicable NRTL requirements. 
Accordingly, OSHA determined that it did not need to conduct an on-site 
review of SWRI's facilities for this renewal based on its evaluation of 
SWRI's application and all other available information.
    OSHA published the preliminary notice announcing SWRI's renewal 
request in the Federal Register on February 25, 2014 (79 FR 10565). The 
Agency requested comments by March 12, 2014, but received no comments 
in response to this notice. OSHA now is proceeding with this final 
notice to grant SWRI's request for renewal of recognition.
    To obtain or review copies of all public documents pertaining to 
SWRI's application, go to www.regulations.gov or contact the Docket 
Office, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department 
of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room N-2625, Washington, DC 
20210. Docket No. OSHA-2006-0041 contains all materials in the record 
concerning SWRI's recognition.

II. Final Decision and Order

    Pursuant to the authority granted under 29 CFR 1910.7, OSHA hereby 
gives notice of the renewal of recognition of SWRI as an NRTL. OSHA 
NRTL Program staff reviewed the renewal request for SWRI and other 
pertinent information. Based on this review of the renewal request for 
SWRI and other pertinent information, OSHA finds that SWRI meets the 
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for renewal of its recognition, subject 
to the specified limitation and conditions. OSHA limits the renewal of 
SWRI's recognition to include the terms and conditions of SWRI's scope 
of recognition. The scope of recognition for SWRI is available in the 
Federal Register notice dated July 13, 1993 (58 FR 37752), or on OSHA's 
Web site at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/swri.html. This renewal 
extends SWRI's recognition for a period of five years from July 30, 
2014.

Conditions

    In addition to those conditions already required by 29 CFR 1910.7, 
SWRI also must abide by the following conditions of recognition:
    1. SWRI must inform OSHA as soon as possible, in writing, of any 
change of ownership, facilities, or key personnel, and of any major 
change in its operations as an NRTL, and provide details of the 
change(s);
    2. SWRI must meet all the terms of its recognition and comply with 
all OSHA policies pertaining to this recognition; and
    3. SWRI must continue to meet the requirements for recognition, 
including all previously published conditions on SWRI's scope of 
recognition, in all areas for which it has recognition.

III. Authority and Signature

    David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
Occupational Safety and Health, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
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 25, 2014.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2014-17965 Filed 7-29-14; 8:45 am]
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