[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8900-8902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04435]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028]


MET Laboratories, Inc.: Application for Expansion of Recognition 
and Proposed Modification to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate 
Test Standards

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, OSHA announces the application of MET 
Laboratories, Inc., for expansion of recognition as a Nationally 
Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the agency's 
preliminary finding to grant the application. Additionally, OSHA 
proposes to add one additional test standard to the NRTL Program's List 
of Appropriate Test Standards.

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 March 27, 2019.

ADDRESSES: 
    Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments 
electronically at: http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting 
comments.
    Facsimile: If your comments, including attachments, are not longer 
than 10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-
1648.
    Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger, or courier service: 
When using this method, you must submit a copy of your comments and 
attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Room N-3653, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. 
Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service) are 
accepted during the Docket Office's normal business hours, 10:00 a.m. 
to 3:00 p.m., ET.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and OSHA 
docket number (OSHA-2006-0028). All comments, including any personal 
information you provide, are placed in the public docket without 
change, and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the OSHA Docket Office at 
the above address. All documents in the docket (including this Federal 
Register notice) 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 and 
copying at the OSHA Docket Office.
    Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of 
the comment period on or before March 27, 2019 to the Office of 
Technical

[[Page 8901]]

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-3653, 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, phone: (202) 693-1999; 
email: [email protected].
    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, phone: 
(202) 693-2110 or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Notice of the Application for Expansion

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is providing 
notice that MET Laboratories, Inc. (MET), is applying for expansion to 
the current recognition as a NRTL. MET requests the addition of one 
test standard to the 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 a 
scope of recognition. Each NRTL's scope of recognition includes (1) the 
type of products the NRTL may test, with each type specified by the 
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 applications 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 a preliminary finding. In the second notice, 
the agency provides a 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 MET, which details the NRTL's scope of recognition. These 
pages are available from the OSHA website at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html.
    MET currently has one facility (site) recognized by OSHA for 
product testing and certification, with headquarters located at: MET 
Laboratories, Inc., 914 West Patapsco Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 
21230. A complete list of MET's scope of recognition is available at 
https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/met.html.

II. General Background on the Application

    MET submitted an application, dated November 8, 2016 (OSHA-2006-
0028-0041), to expand recognition to include four additional test 
standards. OSHA staff performed a detailed analysis of the application 
packet and reviewed other pertinent information. OSHA did not perform 
any on-site reviews in relation to this application. OSHA published a 
Federal Register notice (83 FR 5813) announcing this application, but 
referenced one standard as being recognized by OSHA when that standard 
is not currently included in the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate 
Test Standards. OSHA further published a Federal Register notice (83 FR 
22291) granting recognition for the three additional standards 
requested in the application. This notice revises the previous Federal 
Register notice for the one remaining standard.
    Table 1, below, lists the appropriate test standard found in MET'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
                     MET's NRTL Scope of Recognition
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Test standard                     Test standard title
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UL 61010-2-020 *..................  Safety Requirements for Electrical
                                     Equipment for Measurement, Control,
                                     and Laboratory Use--Part 2-020:
                                     Particular Requirements for
                                     Laboratory Centrifuges.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Represents the standard that OSHA proposes to add to the NRTL
  Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards.

III. Proposal To Add New Test Standard to the NRTL Program's List of 
Appropriate Test Standards

    Periodically, OSHA will propose to add new test standards to the 
NRTL list of appropriate test standards following an evaluation of the 
test standard document. To qualify as an appropriate test standard, the 
agency evaluates the document to (1) verify it represents a product 
category for which OSHA requires certification by a NRTL, (2) verify 
the document represents an end product and not a component, and (3) 
verify the document defines safety test specifications (not 
installation or operational performance specifications). OSHA becomes 
aware of new test standards through various avenues. For example, OSHA 
may become aware of new test standards by: (1) Monitoring notifications 
issued by certain Standards Development Organizations; (2) reviewing 
applications by NRTLs or applicants seeking recognition to include new 
test standards in their scope of recognition; and (3) obtaining 
notification from manufacturers, manufacturing organizations, 
government agencies, or other parties. OSHA may determine to include a 
new test standard in the list, for example, if the test standard is for 
a particular type of product that another test standard also covers or 
it covers a type of product that no standard previously covered.
    In this notice, OSHA proposes to add one new test standard to the 
NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards. Table 2, below, 
lists the test standard that is new to the NRTL Program. OSHA 
preliminarily determined that this test standard is an appropriate test 
standard and proposes to include it in the NRTL Program's List of 
Appropriate Test Standards. OSHA seeks public comment on this 
preliminary determination.

[[Page 8902]]



  Table 2--Proposed List of Appropriate Test Standards for Inclusion in
                     MET's NRTL Scope of Recognition
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Test standard                     Test standard title
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UL 61010-2-020....................  Safety Requirements for Electrical
                                     Equipment for Measurement, Control,
                                     and Laboratory Use--Part 2-020:
                                     Particular Requirements for
                                     Laboratory Centrifuges.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. Preliminary Findings on the Application

    MET submitted an acceptable application for expansion of the scope 
of recognition. OSHA's review of the application file, and pertinent 
documentation, indicate that MET can meet the requirements prescribed 
by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding recognition to include the addition of 
the test standard for NRTL testing and certification listed above. This 
preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or temporary 
approval of MET's application.
    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether MET meets the 
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of NRTL recognition. OSHA 
additionally welcomes comment on the proposal to add one additional 
test standard to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards. 
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 the request 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, at the 
above address. These materials also are available online at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028.
    OSHA staff will review all comments to the docket submitted in a 
timely manner. After addressing the issues raised by these comments, 
the agency will make a recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for 
Occupational Safety and Health regarding MET's application for 
expansion of the 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 the final decision in the 
Federal Register.

IV. Authority and Signature

    Loren Sweatt, Deputy 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. 1-2012 (77 FR 3912, Jan. 25, 
2012), and 29 CFR 1910.7.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on March 4, 2019.
Loren Sweatt,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2019-04435 Filed 3-11-19; 8:45 am]
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