
[Federal Register: July 28, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 144)]
[Notices]               
[Page 44289-44291]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28jy10-122]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028]

 
MET Laboratories, Inc.; Application for Expansion of Recognition

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the application of MET Laboratories, 
Inc., (MET) for expansion of its recognition, and presents the Agency's 
preliminary finding to grant this request. This preliminary finding 
does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of this 
application.

DATES: Submit information or comments, or any request for extension of 
the time to comment, on or before August 12, 2010. All submissions must 
bear a postmark or provide other evidence of the submission date.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Electronically: Submit comments electronically at http://
www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow 
the instructions online for making electronic submissions.
    Fax: If submissions, including attachments, are no longer than 10 
pages, commenters may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-
1648.
    Mail, hand delivery, express mail, or messenger or courier service: 
Submit one copy of the comments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. 
OSHA-2006-0028, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, and 
messenger and courier service) are accepted during the Department of 
Labor's and Docket Office's normal business hours, 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m., 
e.t.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and the 
OSHA docket number (i.e., OSHA-2006-0028).

[[Page 44290]]

OSHA will place all submissions, including any personal information 
provided, in the public docket without revision, and these submissions 
will be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: To read or download submissions or other material in the 
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the OSHA Docket Office at 
the address above. All documents in the docket are listed in the http:/
/www.regulations.gov index; however, some information (e.g., 
copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download 
through the Web site. 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 August 12, 2010 to the Office of 
Technical Programs and Coordination Activities, NRTL Program, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-3655, Washington, DC 20210, 
or by fax to (202) 693-1644.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: MaryAnn Garrahan, Director, Office of 
Technical Programs and Coordination Activities, NRTL Program, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-3655, Washington, DC 20210; 
telephone: (202) 693-2110. For information about the NRTL Program, go 
to http://www.osha.gov, and select ``N'' in the site index.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Notice of Expansion Application

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is 
providing notice that MET Laboratories, Inc., (MET) applied for 
expansion of its current recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing 
Laboratory (NRTL). MET's expansion request covers the use of additional 
test standards.
    OSHA recognition of an NRTL signifies that the organization meets 
the legal 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 its 
scope of recognition, and is not a delegation or grant of government 
authority. As a result of recognition, employers may use products 
approved by the NRTL to meet OSHA standards that require testing and 
certification.
    The Agency processes applications by an NRTL for initial 
recognition, or 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 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. OSHA maintains an informational Web page 
for each NRTL that details its scope of recognition. These pages can be 
accessed from the Web site at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/
index.html. Each NRTL's scope of recognition has three elements: (1) 
The type of products the NRTL may test, with each type specified by its 
applicable test standard; (2) the recognized site(s) that have the 
technical capability to perform the testing and certification 
activities for the applicable test standards within the NRTL's scope of 
recognition; and (3) the supplemental program(s) that the NRTL may use, 
each of which allows the NRTL to rely on other parties to perform 
activities necessary for testing and certification.

General Background on the Application

    MET submitted two applications, dated October 6 and November 3, 
2008, to expand its recognition to include 18 additional test 
standards. The NRTL Program staff determined that these standards are 
``appropriate test standards'' within the meaning of 29 CFR 1910.7(c). 
In connection with this request, NRTL Program staff did not perform an 
on-site review of MET's recognized sites. However, the staff analyzed 
other information pertinent to the request and determined that MET has 
the capabilities to perform the testing to 12 of the standards, which 
are listed below. As a result, the Agency would approve these 12 test 
standards for the expansion.
    MET seeks expansion of its recognition for testing and 
certification of products to the following test standards:\1\
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    \1\ The designations and titles of these test standards were 
current at the time of the preparation of this notice.

UL 244A Solid State Controls for Appliances
UL 412 Refrigeration Unit Coolers
UL 458* Power Converters/Inverters and Power Converter/Inverter Systems 
for Land Vehicles and Marine Crafts
UL 466 Electric Scales
UL 561 Floor-Finishing Machines
UL 1230 Amateur Movie Lights
UL 1278 Movable and Wall or Ceiling Hung Electric Room Heaters
UL 1594 Sewing and Cutting Machines
UL 1795 Hydromassage Bathtubs
UL 1951 Electric Plumbing Accessories
UL 1996 Electric Duct Heaters
UL 2021 Fixed and Location Dedicated Electric Room Heaters

    * This standard is approved for testing and certification of 
products for use within recreational vehicles and mobile homes.

    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, if a test standard also 
covers any product(s) for which OSHA does not require such testing and 
certification, an NRTL's scope of recognition does not include that 
product(s).
    The test standards listed above may be approved as American 
National Standards by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). 
However, for convenience, we may use the designation of the standards-
developing organization for the standard as opposed to the ANSI 
designation. Under the program's policy, any NRTL recognized for a 
particular test standard may use either the latest proprietary version 
of the test standard or the latest ANSI version of that standard. 
Contact ANSI to determine whether a test standard is currently ANSI 
approved.

Preliminary Finding on the Application

    MET submitted an acceptable request for expansion of its 
recognition as an NRTL. OSHA's review of the application file and other 
pertinent documents indicates that MET can meet the requirements, as 
prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7, for an expansion of its recognition to 
include the additional test standards listed above. This preliminary 
finding does not constitute interim or temporary approval of the 
application.
    OSHA welcomes public comments, in sufficient detail, as to whether 
MET meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of its 
recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. 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

[[Page 44291]]

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. You may obtain or review copies of MET's request and other 
pertinent documents, and all submitted comments, online at http://
www.regulations.gov under Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028; or you may contact 
the Docket Office, Room N-2625, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, at the above address. Docket 
No. OSHA-2006-0028 contains all materials in the record concerning 
MET's application.
    The NRTL Program staff will review all timely comments and, after 
addressing the 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 request, 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.

Authority and Signature

    David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational 
Safety and Health, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, 
directed the preparation of this notice. Accordingly, the Agency is 
issuing this notice pursuant to Sections 6(b) and 8(g) of the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 655 and 657), 
Secretary of Labor's Order No. 5-2007 (72 FR 31160), and 29 CFR part 
1911.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on July 22, 2010.
David Michaels,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2010-18438 Filed 7-27-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P

