[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 103 (Friday, May 27, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32193-32195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11418]


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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 June 13, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted as follows:
    Electronically: You may submit comments, including attachments, 
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal. Follow the online instructions 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-2006-0042, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Room N-3653, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210; 
telephone (202) 693-2350. 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. Please note: While OSHA's 
docket office is continuing to accept and process submissions by 
regular mail, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Docket Office is closed 
to the public and not able to receive submissions to the rulemaking 
record by express delivery, hand delivery, and messenger service.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to https://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 at (202) 693-2350 (TTY 
(877) 889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the 
OSHA docket number (OSHA-2007-0042) for the Information Collection 
Request (ICR). OSHA places all comments, including personal information 
in the public docket without revision, and these materials will be 
available online at http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA 
cautions interested parties about submitting personal

[[Page 32194]]

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 June 13, 2022 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, 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, 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 three 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, as well as for an expansion or renewal of 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 that 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/nationally-recognized-testing-laboratory-program/tuv.

II. General Background on the Application

    TUVRNA submitted an application, dated May 3, 2021 (OSHA-2007-0042-
0057), to expand recognition as a NRTL to include three 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 shows the test standards found in TUVRNA's application for 
expansion for testing and certification of products under the NRTL 
Program.

 Table 1--Proposed Appropriate Test Standards for Inclusion in TUVRNA's
                        NRTL Scope of Recognition
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        Test standard                     Test standard title
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UL 1703.....................  Flat-Plate Photovoltaic Modules and
                               Panels.
UL 61730-1..................  Photovoltaic (PV) Module Safety
                               Qualification--Part 1: Requirements for
                               Construction.
UL 61730-2..................  Photovoltaic (PV) Module Safety
                               Qualification--Part 2: Requirements for
                               Testing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 preliminarily indicates that TUVRNA can meet 
the requirements prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding its 
recognition to include the addition of the three test standards shown 
in Table 1, above, for NRTL testing and certification. This preliminary 
finding does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of 
TUVRNA's application.
    OSHA seeks public comment on this preliminary determination.

IV. Public Participation

    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 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 generally available online at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. OSHA-2007-0042 (for further 
information, see the ``Docket'' heading in the section of this notice 
titled ADDRESSES).
    The additional materials must clearly identify your electronic 
comments by your name, date, and the docket number

[[Page 32195]]

so that the agency can attach them to your comments.
    Due to security procedures, the use of regular mail may cause a 
significant delay in the receipt of comments.
    Comments and submissions are posted without change at http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about 
submitting personal information such as social security numbers and 
dates of birth. Although all submissions are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index, some information (e.g., copyrighted 
material) is not publicly available to read or download from this 
website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available 
for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Information on 
using the http://www.regulations.gov website to submit comments and 
access the docket is available at the website's ``User Tips'' link. 
Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350, (TTY (877) 889-5627) 
for information about materials not available from the website, and for 
assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.
    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.

V. Authority and Signature

    James S. Frederick, Deputy 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 May 19, 2022.
James S. Frederick,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2022-11418 Filed 5-26-22; 8:45 am]
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