Southwest Research Institute: Request for Renewal of Recognition, 42015-42016 [2020-15068]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 134 (Monday, July 13, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42015-42016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15068]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2006-0041]


Southwest Research Institute: Request for Renewal of Recognition

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, OSHA announces Southwest Research Institute's 
(SWRI) application containing a request for renewal of recognition as a 
Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).

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 28, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments 
electronically at: https://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-2006-0041, 
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 the 
OSHA docket number (OSHA-2006-0041). OSHA places comments and other 
materials, including any personal information, in the public docket 
without revision, and these materials will be available online at 
https://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.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to https://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 https://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 at the 
OSHA Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for assistance in 
locating docket submissions.
    Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of 
the comment period on or before July 28, 2020 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. Background

    OSHA recognition of a NRTL signifies that the organization meets 
the requirements in Section 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 approved by the NRTL 
to meet OSHA standards that require testing and certification. OSHA 
maintains an informational web page for each NRTL that details its 
scope of recognition available at https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/.
    OSHA processes applications by a NRTL for renewal of recognition 
following requirements in Appendix A to 29 CFR 1910.7. OSHA conducts 
renewals in accordance with the procedures in 29 CFR 1910.7, Appendix 
A, paragraph II.C. In accordance with these procedures, NRTLs submit a 
renewal request to OSHA, not less than nine months or no more than one 
year, before the expiration date of its current recognition. The 
submission includes a request for renewal and any additional 
information the NRTL wishes to submit to demonstrate its continued 
compliance with the terms of its recognition and 29 CFR 1910.7. If OSHA 
has not conducted an on-site assessment of the NRTL's headquarters and 
key sites within the past 18 to 24 months, it will schedule the 
necessary on-site assessments prior to the expiration date of the 
NRTL's recognition. Upon review of the submitted material and, as 
necessary, the successful completion of the on-site assessment, OSHA 
announces its preliminary decision to grant or deny renewal in the 
Federal Register and solicit comments from the public. OSHA then 
publishes a final Federal Register notice responding to any comments 
and renewing the NRTL's recognition for a period of five years, or 
denying the renewal of recognition.
    SWRI initially received OSHA recognition as a NRTL on July 13, 1993 
(58 FR 37752). SWRI's most recent renewal was granted on July 30, 2014, 
for a five-year period ending on July 30, 2019. SWRI submitted a timely 
request for renewal, dated September 14, 2018 (OSHA-2006-0041-0008), 
and retains its recognition pending OSHA's final decision in this 
renewal process. The current address of the SWRI facility recognized by 
OSHA and included as part of the renewal request is:
    1. Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, Post Office 
Drawer 28510, San Antonio, Texas 78238.

II. Notice of Preliminary Findings

    OSHA is providing notice that SWRI is applying for renewal of its 
recognition as a NRTL. This renewal covers SWRI's existing NRTL scope 
of recognition. OSHA evaluated SWRI's application for renewal and 
preliminarily determined that SWRI can continue to meet the 
requirements prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for recognition. Accordingly,

[[Page 42016]]

OSHA is making a determination that it does not need to conduct an 
additional on-site review of SWRI's facility based on its evaluations 
of SWRI's application and all other available information. This 
information includes OSHA's audits of SWRI's NRTL recognized site 
during this recognition period, and the satisfactory resolution of non-
conformances with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7. This preliminary 
finding does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of the 
request.
    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether SWRI meets the 
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for renewal of their 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. OSHA must receive the 
written request for an extension by the due date for comments. OSHA 
will limit any extension to 30 days unless the requester justifies a 
longer period. OSHA may deny a request for an extension if it is not 
adequately justified. To obtain or review copies of the publicly 
available information in SWRI's application and other pertinent 
documents (including exhibits), as well as all submitted comments, 
contact the Docket Office, Room N-3653, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, at the above address; these 
materials also are available online at https://www.regulations.gov under 
Docket No. OSHA-2006-0041.
    OSHA staff will review all comments to the docket submitted in a 
timely manner and, after addressing the issues raised by these 
comments, will make a recommendation to the Assistant Secretary on 
whether to grant SWRI's application for renewal. The Assistant 
Secretary will make the final decision on granting the application and, 
in making this decision, may undertake other proceedings prescribed in 
Appendix A to 29 CFR 1910.7.
    OSHA will publish a public notice of this final decision in the 
Federal Register.

III. Authority and Signature

    Loren Sweatt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor, 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. 1-2012 (77 FR 3912, Jan. 25, 2012), and 
29 CFR 1910.7.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on July 7, 2020.
Loren Sweatt,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety 
and Health.
[FR Doc. 2020-15068 Filed 7-10-20; 8:45 am]
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