MET Laboratories, Inc.: Applications for Expansion of Recognition and Proposed Modification to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards, 6368-6370 [2021-01221]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 12 (Thursday, January 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6368-6370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-01221]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028]


MET Laboratories, Inc.: Applications for Expansion of Recognition 
and Proposed Modification to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate 
Test Standards

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, OSHA announces the applications of MET 
Laboratories, Inc., for expansion of the recognition as a Nationally 
Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the agency's 
preliminary finding to grant the applications. Additionally, OSHA 
proposes to add two new test standards to the NRTL Program's List of 
Appropriate Test Standards.

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 5, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Electronically: Submit comments and attachments electronically at 
https://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal. 
Follow the instructions online for making electronic submissions.
    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-2006-0028, 
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. 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.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the 
OSHA docket number (OSHA-2006-0028). 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 and 
copying at the OSHA Docket Office.
    Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of 
the comment period on or before February 5, 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, 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) 693-2110 or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Notice of the Application for Expansion

    OSHA is providing notice that MET Laboratories, Inc. (MET), is 
applying for expansion of the current recognition as a NRTL. MET 
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 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 MET, which details the NRTL's scope of recognition. These 
pages are available from the OSHA website at https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/.
    MET currently has one facility (site) recognized by OSHA for 
product testing

[[Page 6369]]

and certification, with the headquarters located at: MET Laboratories, 
Inc., 914 West Patapsco Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. A complete 
list of MET's scope of recognition is available at https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/met.html.

II. General Background on the Application

    MET submitted four applications, one dated November 6, 2017 (OSHA-
2006-0028-0042), two dated April 4, 2018 (OSHA-2006-0028-0043 and OSHA-
2006-0028-0044), and a fourth on January 14, 2019 (OSHA-2006-0028-0045) 
to expand the recognition to include four additional test standards. 
OSHA staff performed a detailed analysis of the application packets and 
reviewed other pertinent information. OSHA did not perform any on-site 
reviews in relation to these applications.
    Table 1, below, lists the appropriate test standards found in MET's 
applications for expansion for testing and certification of products 
under the NRTL Program.

Table 1--Proposed Appropriate Test Standards for Inclusion in MET's NRTL
                          Scope of Recognition
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          Test standard                     Test standard title
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UL 61010-2-201 *.................  Safety Requirements for Electrical
                                    Equipment for Measurement, Control
                                    and Laboratory Use--Part 2-201:
                                    Particular Requirements for Control
                                    Equipment.
UL 61010-2-030...................  Safety Requirements for Electrical
                                    Equipment for Measurement, Control
                                    and Laboratory Use--Part 2-030:
                                    Particular Requirements for Testing
                                    and Measuring Circuits.
UL 61010-031.....................  Safety Requirements for Electrical
                                    Equipment for Measurement, Control
                                    and Laboratory Use--Part 031: Safety
                                    Requirements for Hand-Held and Hand-
                                    Manipulated Probe Assemblies for
                                    Electrical Measurement and Test.
UL 60335-2-72 *..................  Household and Similar Electrical
                                    Appliances--Safety--Part 2-72:
                                    Particular Requirements for Floor
                                    Treatment Machines With or Without
                                    Traction Drive, for Commercial Use.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Represents the standards that OSHA proposes to add to the NRTL
  Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards.

III. Proposal To Add New Test Standards to the NRTL Program's List of 
Appropriate Test Standards

    Periodically, OSHA will propose to add new test standards to the 
NRTL list of appropriate test standards following an evaluation of the 
test standard document. To qualify as an appropriate test standard, the 
agency evaluates the document to: (1) Verify it represents a product 
category for which OSHA requires certification by a NRTL, (2) verify 
the document represents an end product and not a component, and (3) 
verify the document defines safety test specifications (not 
installation or operational performance specifications). OSHA becomes 
aware of new test standards through various avenues. For example, OSHA 
may become aware of new test standards by: (1) Monitoring notifications 
issued by certain Standards Development Organizations; (2) reviewing 
applications by NRTLs or applicants seeking recognition to include new 
test standards in their scopes of recognition; and (3) obtaining 
notification from manufacturers, manufacturing organizations, 
government agencies, or other parties. OSHA may determine to include a 
new test standard in the list, for example, if the test standard is for 
a particular type of product that another test standard also covers or 
it covers a type of product that no standard previously covered.
    In this notice, OSHA proposes to add two new test standards to the 
NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards. Table 2, below, 
lists the test standards that are new to the NRTL Program. OSHA 
preliminarily determined that these test standards are appropriate test 
standards and proposes to include them in the NRTL Program's List of 
Appropriate Test Standards. OSHA seeks public comment on this 
preliminary determination.

 Table 2--Test Standards OSHA Is Proposing To Add to the NRTL Program's
                   List of Appropriate Test Standards
------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Test standard                     Test standard title
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UL 61010-2-201...................  Safety Requirements for Electrical
                                    Equipment for Measurement, Control
                                    and Laboratory Use--Part 2-201:
                                    Particular Requirements for Control
                                    Equipment.
UL 60335-2-72....................  Household and Similar Electrical
                                    Appliances--Safety--Part 2-72:
                                    Particular Requirements for Floor
                                    Treatment Machines With or Without
                                    Traction Drive, for Commercial Use.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Preliminary Findings on the Applications

    MET submitted acceptable applications for expansion of the scope of 
recognition. OSHA's review of the application file, and pertinent 
documentation, indicate that MET has met the requirements prescribed by 
29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding the recognition to include the addition of 
these four test standards for NRTL testing and certification listed in 
Table 2. This preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or 
temporary approval of MET's applications.
    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether MET meets the 
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of the 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. Commenters must submit 
the written request for an extension by the due date for comments. OSHA 
will limit any extension to 10 days unless the requester justifies a 
longer period. OSHA may deny a request for an extension if the request 
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 at the above address. These materials also 
are available online at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. 
OSHA-2006-0028.
    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 for 
Occupational Safety and Health whether to grant MET's

[[Page 6370]]

applications 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.

IV. Authority and Signature

    Loren Sweatt, Principal 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 January 14, 2021.
Loren Sweatt,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety 
and Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-01221 Filed 1-19-21; 8:45 am]
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