[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 42 (Friday, March 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12983-12984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04550]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2006-0041]


Southwest Research Institute: Grant of Renewal of Recognition

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, OSHA announces the final decision to grant 
renewal of recognition to Southwest Research Institute as a Nationally 
Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).

DATES: The renewal of recognition becomes effective on March 5, 2021.

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: meilinger.francis2@dol.gov.
    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: robinson.kevin@dol.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Notice of Final Decision

    OSHA hereby gives notice that it is granting the renewal of 
recognition of Southwest Research Institute, Inc. (SWRI) as a NRTL 
under 29 CFR 1910.7.
    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 the 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 the 
scope of recognition available at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html.
    OSHA processes applications submitted by an 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, 
App. A II.C. In accordance with these procedures, NRTLs submit a 
renewal request to OSHA between nine months and one year before the 
expiration date of the current recognition. A renewal request includes 
a request for renewal and any additional information demonstrating 
their continued compliance with the terms of the recognition and 29 CFR 
1910.7. If OSHA has not conducted an on-site assessment of the NRTL 
headquarters and any key sites within the past 18 to 24 months, it will 
schedule the necessary on-site assessment 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 the preliminary decision to grant or deny renewal in the 
Federal Register and solicits 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 their 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: Southwest Research 
Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, Post Office Drawer 28510, San Antonio, 
Texas 78238.
    OSHA evaluated SWRI's application for renewal and made a 
preliminary determination that SWRI can continue to meet the 
requirements prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for recognition.
    OSHA published the preliminary notice announcing SWRI's renewal 
application in the Federal Register on July 13, 2020 (85 FR 42015). The 
agency requested comments by July 28, 2020, and received no comments in 
response to this notice. OSHA is now proceeding with this final notice 
to renew SWRI NRTL recognition.
    To obtain or review copies of all public documents pertaining to 
the SWRI application, go to www.regulations.gov or contact the Docket 
Office, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department 
of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N-3655, Washington, DC 
20210; telephone (202) 693-2350. Docket No. OSHA-2006-0041 contains all 
materials in the record concerning SWRI's NRTL recognition. Please 
note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Docket Office is closed to the 
public at this time but can be contacted at (202) 693-2350.

II. Final Decision and Order

    OSHA hereby gives notice of the renewal of recognition of SWRI as a 
NRTL. OSHA examined SWRI's renewal application and all pertinent 
information related to SWRI's request for renewal of NRTL recognition. 
Based on this review of the renewal request and other pertinent 
information, OSHA finds that SWRI meets the requirements of 29 CFR 
1910.7 for renewal of recognition as a NRTL, subject to the specified 
limitation and conditions. OSHA limits the renewal of SWRI's 
recognition to include the terms and conditions of SWRI's recognition 
found in 58 FR 37752. The NRTL scope of recognition for SWRI is also 
available on the OSHA website at: https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/swri.html. This renewal extends SWRI's recognition as a NRTL for a 
period of five years from March 5, 2021.

[[Page 12984]]

A. Conditions

    In addition to those conditions already required by 29 CFR 1910.7, 
SWRI must abide by the following conditions of recognition:
    1. SWRI must inform OSHA as soon as possible, in writing, of any 
change of ownership, facilities, or key personnel, and of any major 
change in their operations as a NRTL, and provide details of the 
change(s);
    2. SWRI must meet all the terms of their recognition and comply 
with all OSHA policies pertaining to this recognition; and
    3. SWRI must continue to meet the requirements for recognition, 
including all previously published conditions on SWRI's scope of 
recognition, in all areas for which it has recognition.
    Pursuant to the authority in 29 CFR 1910.7, OSHA hereby renews the 
recognition of SWRI as a NRTL.

III. Authority and Signature

    Amanda L. Edens, 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 March 1, 2021.
Amanda L. Edens,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-04550 Filed 3-4-21; 8:45 am]
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