TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc.: Application for Expansion of Recognition and Proposed Modification to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards, 46188-46190 [2023-15218]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46188-46190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15218]


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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 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 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. 
Additionally, OSHA proposes to add one test standard 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 August 3, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted as follows:
    Electronically: You may submit comments, including attachments, 
electronically at https://www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency's name and 
the docket number for this rulemaking (Docket No. OSHA-2007-0042). All 
comments, including any personal information you provide, are placed in 
the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
https://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about 
submitting information they do not want made available to the public, 
or submitting materials that contain personal information (either about 
themselves or others), such as Social Security numbers and birthdates.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to https://www.regulations.gov. 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 through the OSHA Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket 
Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY (877) 889-5627) for assistance in 
locating docket submissions.
    Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of 
the comment period on or before August 3, 2023 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

[[Page 46189]]

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 https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/.
    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 October 17, 2022 (OSHA-2007-
0042-0066), 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 2272.....................  Standard for Electrical Systems for
                               Personal E-Mobility Devices.
UL 2849.....................  Standard for Electrical Systems for
                               eBikes.
* UL 60335-2-29.............  Household and Similar Electrical
                               Appliances: Particular Requirements for
                               Battery Chargers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* In this notice, OSHA also proposes to add this test standard to the
  NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards.

III. Proposal To Add a New Test Standard 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 a 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 one new test standard to the 
NRTL Program's list of appropriate test standards. Table 2, below, 
lists the test standard that is new to the NRTL Program. OSHA 
preliminarily determines that this test standard is an appropriate test 
standard. OSHA seeks public comment on this preliminary determination.

Table 2--Standard OSHA Is Proposing To Add to the NRTL Program's List of
                       Appropriate Test Standards
------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Test standard                     Test standard title
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UL 60335-2-29...............  Household and Similar Electrical
                               Appliances: Particular Requirements for
                               Battery Chargers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. 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 these three test standards shown 
in Table 1, above, for NRTL testing and certification. This preliminary 
finding does not constitute

[[Page 46190]]

an interim or temporary approval of TUVRNA's application.
    OSHA seeks public comment on this preliminary determination.

V. 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).
    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.

VI. 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 July 12, 2023.
James S. Frederick,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2023-15218 Filed 7-18-23; 8:45 am]
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