[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 120 (Friday, June 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33779-33780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13545]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2007-0042]


TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc.: Application for Expansion 
of Recognition

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, OSHA announces the application of TUV 
Rheinland of North America, Inc., for expansion of the scope of 
recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and 
presents the agency's preliminary finding to grant the application.

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 July 12, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted as follows:
    Electronically: Submit comments and attachments electronically at 
http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal. 
Follow the instructions online for making electronic submissions.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov. Documents in the docket 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 through the OSHA 
Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for assistance in 
locating docket submissions.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the 
OSHA docket number for this Federal Register notice (OSHA-2007-0042). 
OSHA will place comments and requests to speak, including personal 
information, in the public docket, which may be available online. 
Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal 
information such as Social Security numbers and birthdates. For further 
information on submitting comments, see the ``Public Participation'' 
heading in the section of this notice titled SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of 
the comment period on or before July 12, 2021 to the Office of 
Technical Programs and Coordination Activities, Directorate of 
Technical Support and Emergency Management, Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.

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, telephone: (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

    OSHA is providing notice that TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc. 
(TUVRNA), is applying for an expansion of current recognition as a 
NRTL. TUVRNA requests the addition of four test standards 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 the 
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

[[Page 33780]]

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 the preliminary finding. In the second notice, the agency 
provides the 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 TUVRNA, 
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.
    TUVRNA currently has eight facilities (sites) recognized by OSHA 
for product testing and certification, with the headquarters located 
at: TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc., 12 Commerce Road, Newtown, 
Connecticut 06470. A complete list of TUVRNA sites recognized by OSHA 
is available at https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/tuv.html.

II. General Background on the Application

    TUVRNA submitted an application, dated January 30, 2019 (OSHA-2007-
0042-0052), 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.
    Table 1 lists the appropriate test standards found in TUVRNA'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
                   TUVRNA's NRTL Scope of Recognition
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           Test standard                     Test standard title
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UL 399............................  Standard for Drinking-Water Coolers.
UL 1973...........................  Standard for Batteries for Use in
                                     Stationary, Vehicle Auxillary Power
                                     and Light Electric Rail (LER)
                                     Applications.
UL 2054...........................  Standard for Household and
                                     Commercial Batteries.
UL 2271...........................  Standard for Batteries for Use in
                                     Light Electric Vehicle (LEV)
                                     Applications.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Preliminary Finding on the Application

    TUVRNA submitted an acceptable application for expansion of the 
scope of recognition. OSHA's review of the application file and 
pertinent documentation indicates that TUVRNA can meet the requirements 
prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding recognition to include the 
addition of these four test standards for NRTL testing and 
certification. This preliminary finding does not constitute an interim 
or temporary approval of TUVRNA's application.
    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether TUVRNA meets the 
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of recognition as a NRTL. 
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 it 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, Occupational Safety 
and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. These materials 
also are available online at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket 
No. OSHA-2007-0042.
    OSHA staff will review all comments to the docket submitted in a 
timely manner. After addressing the issues raised by these comments, 
staff will make a recommendation to the Assistant Secretary of Labor 
for Occupational Safety and Health on whether to grant TUVRNA'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.

Authority and Signature

    James S. Frederick, Acting 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. 8-2020 (85 FR 58393; Sept. 18, 2020), 
and 29 CFR 1910.7.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on June 21, 2021.
James S. Frederick,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-13545 Filed 6-24-21; 8:45 am]
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