[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 7, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8451-8453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02440]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2013-0016]


Nemko North America, Inc.: Application for Expansion of 
Recognition

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

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 8452]]

SUMMARY: In this notice, OSHA announces the application of Nemko North 
America, Inc. for expansion of the 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 February 22, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by any of the following methods:
    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 or the OSHA Docket Office. 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 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-2013-0016). OSHA places comments and other 
materials, including any personal information, in the public docket 
without revision, and these materials will be available online at 
http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, the agency cautions commenters 
about submitting statements they do not want made available to the 
public, or submitting comments that contain personal information 
(either about themselves or others) such as Social Security numbers, 
birth dates, and medical data.
    Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of 
the comment period on or before February 22, 2024 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, phone: (202) 693-1999 or 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, phone: (202) 693-1911 or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Notice of the Application for Expansion

    OSHA is providing notice that Nemko North America, Inc. (NNA) is 
applying for expansion of the current recognition as a NRTL. NNA 
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 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 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 NNA, 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.
    NNA currently has two facilities (sites) recognized by OSHA for 
product testing and certification, with the headquarters located at: 
Nemko North America, Inc., 303 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1V 1H2 
Canada. A complete list of NNA's scope of recognition is available at 
https://www.osha.gov/nationally-recognized-testing-laboratory-program/ccl.

II. General Background on the Application

    NNA submitted an application on September 20, 2023 (OSHA-2013-0016-
0022), to expand the recognition to include one additional test 
standard. 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, below, lists the appropriate test standard found in NNA's 
application for expansion for testing and certification of products 
under the NRTL Program.

 Table 1--Proposed Appropriate Test Standard for Inclusion in NNA's NRTL
                          Scope of Recognition
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            Test standard                     Test standard title
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UL 508A..............................  Industrial Control Panels.
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III. Preliminary Findings on the Application

    NNA submitted an acceptable application for expansion of the scope 
of recognition. OSHA's review of the application file, and pertinent 
documentation, indicates that NNA has met the requirements prescribed 
by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding the recognition to include the addition 
of the one test standard for NRTL testing and certification listed in 
Table 1. This preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or 
temporary approval of NNA's application.

IV. Public Participation

    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether NNA meets the 
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of recognition as a NRTL. 
Comments should consist of pertinent written documents and exhibits.

[[Page 8453]]

    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-2013-0016 (for further 
information, see the ``Docket'' heading in the section of this notice 
titled ADDRESSES).
    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 NNA'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, 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 February 1, 2024.
James S. Frederick,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2024-02440 Filed 2-6-24; 8:45 am]
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