[Federal Register: June 20, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 119)]
[Notices]
[Page 37028-37030]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20jn03-123]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. NRTL1-88]
MET Laboratories, Inc., Application for Expansion of Recognition
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice.
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[[Page 37029]]
SUMMARY: This notice announces the application of MET Laboratories,
Inc., for expansion of its recognition to include additional test
standards, and presents the Agency's preliminary finding. This
preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or temporary
approval of these applications.
DATES: You may submit comments in response to this notice, or any
request for extension of the time to comment, by (1) regular mail, (2)
express or overnight delivery service, (3) hand delivery, (4) messenger
service, or (5) FAX transmission (facsimile). Because of security-
related problems there may be a significant delay in the receipt of
comments by regular mail. Comments (or any request for extension of the
time to comment) must be submitted by the following dates:
Regular mail and express delivery service: Your comments must be
postmarked by July 7, 2003.
Hand delivery and messenger service: Your comments must be received
in the OSHA Docket Office by July 7, 2003. OSHA Docket Office and
Department of Labor hours of operation are 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be sent
by July 7, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Regular mail, express delivery, hand-delivery, and messenger
service: You must submit three copies of your comments and attachments
to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket NRTL1-88, Room N-2625, U.S.
Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Please contact the OSHA
Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 for information about security
procedures concerning the delivery of materials by express delivery,
hand delivery and messenger service.
Facsimile: If your comments, including any attachments, are 10
pages or fewer, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202)
693-1648. You must include the docket number of this notice, Docket
NRTL1-88, in your comments.
Internet access to comments and submissions: OSHA will place
comments and submissions in response to this notice on the OSHA Web
page www.osha.gov. Accordingly, OSHA cautions you about submitting
information of a personal nature (e.g., social security number, date of
birth). There may be a lag time between when comments and submissions
are received and when they are placed on the Web page. Please contact
the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 for information about
materials not available through the OSHA Web page and for assistance in
using the Web page to locate docket submissions. Comments and
submissions will also be available for inspection and copying at the
OSHA Docket Office at the address above.
Extension of Comment Period: Submit requests for extensions
concerning this notice to: Office of Technical Programs and
Coordination Activities, NRTL Program, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N3653, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Or fax to (202) 693-1644.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernard Pasquet or Sherrey Nicolas,
Office of Technical Programs and Coordination Activities, NRTL Program,
Room N3653 at the above address, or phone (202) 693-2110.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Notice of Application
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hereby
gives notice that MET Laboratories, Inc. (MET), has applied for
expansion of its recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing
Laboratory (NRTL). MET's expansion request covers the use of additional
test standards. OSHA's current scope of recognition for MET may be
found in the following informational Web page: http://www.osha-slc.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/met.html
.
OSHA recognition of an NRTL signifies that the organization has met
the legal requirements in Sec. 1910.7 of title 29, Code of Federal
Regulations (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 certified'' by the
NRTL to meet OSHA standards that require testing and certification.
The Agency processes applications by an NRTL for initial
recognition or for 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 its preliminary finding and, in the second
notice, the Agency provides its final decision on the application.
These notices set forth the NRTL's scope of recognition or
modifications of that scope. We maintain an informational Web page for
each NRTL, which details its scope of recognition. These pages can be
accessed from our Web site at http://www.osha-slc.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html
.
The most recent notice published by OSHA for MET's recognition
covered an expansion of recognition, which became effective on May 23,
2002 (67 FR 36260).
The current address of the MET facility (site) already recognized
by OSHA is: MET Laboratories, Inc., 914 West Patapsco Avenue,
Baltimore, Maryland 21230.
General Background on the Application
MET has submitted a request, dated April 30, 2002 (see Exhibit 32),
to expand its recognition to use 20 additional test standards. The NRTL
Program staff has determined that all the standards are ``appropriate
test standards,'' within the meaning of 29 CFR 1910.7(c). The staff
makes such determinations in processing expansion requests from any
NRTL. OSHA NRTL Program staff performed an on-site review of the NRTL
in September 2002 and recommended the expansion in a memo dated October
22, 2002 (see Exhibit 33). Through no fault of MET, the application was
delayed in processing. MET then submitted an amendment on May 15, 2003
(see Exhibit 32-1), to add one additional test standard to its
expansion request. This standard requires the same capabilities as a
few of the standards included in the original request and therefore
falls within the recommendation of the assessor. As a result, a total
of 21 test standards would be approved for the expansion.
MET seeks recognition for testing and certification of products for
demonstration of conformance to the following additional test
standards.
UL 48 Electric Signs
UL 183 Manufactured Wiring Systems
UL 325 Door, Drapery, Gate, Louver and Window Operator and Systems
UL 355 Cord Reels
UL 427 Refrigerating Units
UL 508C Power Conversion Equipment
UL 541 Refrigerated Vending Machines
UL 756 Coin and Currency Changers and Actuators
UL 778 Motor-Operated Water Pumps
UL 916 Energy Management Equipment
UL 961 Electric Hobby and Sports Equipment
UL 983 Surveillance Cameras Units
UL 1419 Professional Video and Audio Equipment
[[Page 37030]]
UL 1433 Control Centers for Changing Message Type Electric Signs
UL 1564 Industrial Battery Chargers
UL 1574 Track Lighting Systems
UL 1740 Industrial Robots and Robotic Equipment
UL 1838 Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Systems
UL 2044 Commercial Closed Circuit Television Equipment
UL 2161 Neon Transformers and Power Supplies
UL 3044 Surveillance Closed Circuit Television Equipment
The designations and titles of the above test standards were
current at the time of the preparation of this notice.
OSHA's recognition of MET, or any NRTL, for a particular test
standard is limited to equipment or materials (i.e., products) for
which OSHA standards require third party testing and certification
before use in the workplace. Consequently, an NRTL's scope of
recognition excludes any product(s) falling within the scope of a test
standard for which OSHA has no NRTL testing and certification
requirements.
Many of the Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) test standards
listed above also are approved as American National Standards by the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI). However, for convenience,
we use the designation of the standards developing organization (e.g.,
UL 325) for the standard, as opposed to the ANSI designation (e.g.,
ANSI/UL 325). Under our procedures, any NRTL recognized for an ANSI-
approved test standard may use either the latest proprietary version of
the test standard or the latest ANSI version of that standard. Contact
``NSSN'' (http://www.nssn.org), an organization partially sponsored by
ANSI, to find out whether or not a test standard is currently ANSI-
approved.
Preliminary Finding
MET has submitted an acceptable request for expansion of its
recognition as an NRTL. Following a review of the application file, the
assessor's recommendation, and other pertinent information, the NRTL
Program staff has concluded that OSHA can grant to MET the expansion
for the additional test standards listed above. The staff therefore
recommended to the Assistant Secretary that the application be
preliminarily approved.
Based upon the recommendation of the staff, the Assistant Secretary
has made a preliminary finding that MET Laboratories, Inc., can meet
the requirements as prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of its
recognition.
OSHA welcomes public comments, in sufficient detail, as to whether
MET has met the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of its
recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. Your
comments should consist of pertinent written documents and exhibits. To
consider it, OSHA must receive the comment at the address provided
above (see ADDRESSES), no later than the last date for comments (see
DATES above). Should you need more time to comment, OSHA must receive
your written request for extension at the address provided above no
later than the last date for comments. You must include your reason(s)
for any request for extension. OSHA will limit an extension to 30 days,
unless the requester justifies a longer period. We may deny a request
for extension if it is frivolous or otherwise unwarranted. You may
obtain or review copies of MET's request, the memo on the
recommendation, and all submitted comments, as received, by contacting
the Docket Office, Room N2625, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, at the above address. You
should refer to Docket No. NRTL1-88, the permanent record of public
information on MET's recognition.
The NRTL Program staff will review all timely comments and, after
resolution of issues raised by these comments, will recommend whether
to grant MET's expansion request. The Assistant Secretary will make the
final decision on granting the expansion and, in making this decision,
may undertake other proceedings that are prescribed in Appendix A to 29
CFR 1910.7. OSHA will publish a public notice of this final decision in
the Federal Register.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 11th day of June, 2003.
John L. Henshaw,
Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-15633 Filed 6-19-03; 8:45 am]
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