DEKRA Certification Inc.: Application for Expansion of Recognition, 106601-106602 [2024-31343]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 249 (Monday, December 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 106601-106602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-31343]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2019-0009]


DEKRA Certification Inc.: Application for Expansion of 
Recognition

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, OSHA announces the application of DEKRA 
Certification 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 January 14, 2025.

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-2019-0009). 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 January 14, 2025 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 DEKRA Certification Inc. (DEKRA), is 
applying for expansion of the current recognition as a NRTL. DEKRA 
requests the addition six test standards to the NRTL scope of 
recognition.
    OSHA's 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 DEKRA, which details the NRTL's scope of recognition. These 
pages are available from the OSHA website at https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/.

II. General Background on the Application

    DEKRA submitted an application to OSHA for expansion of the NRTL 
scope of recognition on January 5, 2023 (OSHA-2019-0009-0013), 
requesting the addition of six recognized testing standards. OSHA staff 
performed a detailed analysis of the application packets and reviewed 
other pertinent information. OSHA did not perform an on-site review 
associated with this application. OSHA staff has preliminarily 
determined that OSHA should grant the application.
    Table 1, below, lists the appropriate test standards found in 
DEKRA's application for expansion for testing and certification of 
products under the NRTL Program.

[[Page 106602]]



  Table 1--Proposed Appropriate Test Standards for Inclusion in DEKRA's
                        NRTL Scope of Recognition
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           Test standard                     Test standard title
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FM 3600...........................  Electrical Equipment for Use in
                                     Hazardous (Classified) Locations,
                                     General Requirements.
FM 3610 *.........................  Intrinsically Safe Apparatus and
                                     Associated Apparatus for Use in
                                     Class I, II and III, Division 1
                                     Hazardous (Classified) Locations.
FM 3611...........................  Electrical Equipment for Use in
                                     Class I, Division 2; Class II,
                                     Division 2; and Class III, Division
                                     1 and 2 Hazardous Locations.
FM 3615 *.........................  Explosion-proof Electrical
                                     Equipment, General Requirements.
FM 3810 *.........................  Electrical and Electronic Test,
                                     Measuring and Process Control
                                     Equipment.
UL 857............................  Electric Busways and Associated
                                     Fittings.
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* OSHA notes that the title to this standard in the table is taken from
  OSHA's List of Appropriate Test Standards (see https://www.osha.gov/nationally-recognized-testing-laboratory-program/list-standards). This
  title is not the same as the title currently used by the Standards
  Developing Organization that issued the test standard. OSHA intends to
  update the List of Appropriate Test Standards to reflect the currently
  used title in the near future.

III. Preliminary Findings on the Application

    DEKRA submitted an acceptable application for expansion of the 
scope of recognition. OSHA's review of the application files and 
pertinent documentation indicates that DEKRA has met the requirements 
prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding the recognition to include 
the addition of the six test standards for NRTL testing and 
certification listed in Table 1. This preliminary finding does not 
constitute an interim or temporary approval of DEKRA's application.
    OSHA seeks comment on this preliminary determination.

IV. Public Participation

    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether DEKRA 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-2019-0009 (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 DEKRA'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 December 20, 2024.
James S. Frederick
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2024-31343 Filed 12-27-24; 8:45 am]
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