[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 155 (Monday, August 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45759-45761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17435]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2010-0046]


QPS Evaluation Services, 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 QPS 
Evaluation Services, Inc., for expansion of 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 August 31, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments 
electronically at: https://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting 
comments.
    Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the 
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov. 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 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.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the 
OSHA docket number for this Federal Register notice (OSHA-2017-0014). 
OSHA will place comments and requests to speak, including personal 
information, in the public docket, which may be available online. 
Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal 
information such as Social Security numbers and birthdates. For further 
information on submitting comments, see the ``Public Participation'' 
heading in the section of this notice titled SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of 
the comment period on or before August 31, 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-3655, 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: meilinger.francis2@dol.gov.
    General and technical information: Contact Mr. Kevin Robinson, 
Director, Office of Technical Programs and

[[Page 45760]]

Coordination Activities, Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency 
Management, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. 
Department of Labor, telephone: (202) 693-2110 or email: 
robinson.kevin@dol.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Notice of the Application for Expansion

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is providing 
notice that QPS Evaluation Services, Inc., (QPS) is applying for 
expansion of its current recognition as a NRTL. QPS requests the 
addition of eleven test standards to its 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 its 
scope of recognition. Each NRTL's scope of recognition includes (1) the 
type of products the NRTL may test, with each type specified by its 
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 an application 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 its preliminary finding. 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, 
including QPS, which details the NRTL's scope of recognition. These 
pages are available from the OSHA website at: https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/qps.html.
    QPS currently has one facility (site) recognized by OSHA for 
product testing and certification, with its headquarters located at: 
QPS Evaluation Services, Inc., 81 Kelfield Street, Unit 8, Toronto, 
Ontario M9W 5A3 Canada. The scope of QPS NRTL recognition is available 
at https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/qps.html.

II. General Background on the Application

    QPS submitted an application dated January 30, 2020 (OSHA-2010-
0046-0013), to expand its recognition to include eleven additional test 
standards. OSHA staff performed a detailed analysis of the application 
packet and other pertinent information. OSHA did not perform any on-
site reviews in relation to this application.
    Table 1, below, lists the appropriate test standards found in QPS's 
application for expansion for testing and certification of products 
under the NRTL Program.

  Table 1--Proposed List of Appropriate Test Standards for Inclusion in
                     QPS's NRTL Scope of Recognition
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           Test standard                     Test standard title
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UL60079-0.........................  Explosive Atmospheres--Part 0:
                                     Equipment--General Requirements.
UL60079-1.........................  Explosive Atmospheres--Part 1:
                                     Equipment Protection by Flameproof
                                     Enclosures ``d''.
UL60079-2.........................  Explosive atmospheres--Part 2:
                                     Equipment protection by pressurized
                                     enclosure `p'.
UL60079-7.........................  Explosive Atmospheres--Part 7:
                                     Equipment Protection by Increased
                                     Safety ''e''.
UL60079-11........................  Explosive Atmospheres--Part 11:
                                     Equipment Protection by Intrinsic
                                     Safety `i'.
UL60079-15........................  Explosive atmospheres--Part 15:
                                     Equipment protection by type of
                                     protection `n'.
UL60079-18........................  Explosive Atmospheres--Part 18:
                                     Equipment Protection by
                                     Encapsulation `m'.
UL60079-25........................  Explosive Atmospheres--Part 25:
                                     Intrinsically Safe Electrical
                                     Systems.
UL60079-26........................  Explosive Atmospheres--Part 26:
                                     Equipment for Use in Class I, Zone
                                     0 Hazardous (Classified) Locations.
UL60079-28........................  Standard for Explosive Atmospheres--
                                     Part 28: Protection of Equipment
                                     and Transmission Systems Using
                                     Optical Radiation.
UL60079-31........................  Explosive Atmospheres--Part 31:
                                     Equipment Dust Ignition Protection
                                     by Enclosure ``t''.
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III. Preliminary Findings on the Application

    QPS submitted an acceptable application for expansion of its scope 
of recognition. OSHA's review of the application file and related 
material indicates preliminarily that QPS can meet the requirements 
prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding its recognition to include 
the addition of these eleven test standards for NRTL testing and 
certification listed above. This preliminary finding does not 
constitute an interim or temporary approval of QPS's application.
    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether QPS meets the 
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of its 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 obtain or 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, listed in 
ADDRESSES. These materials also are available online at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. OSHA-2010-0046.
    OSHA staff will review all comments to the docket submitted in a 
timely manner and, after addressing the issues raised by these 
comments, make a recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for 
Occupational Safety and Health on whether to grant QPS's application 
for expansion of its 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 this final decision in the 
Federal Register.

Authority and Signature

    James S. Frederick, Acting 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

[[Page 45761]]

(85 FR 58393, September 18, 2020) and 29 CFR 1910.7.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on August 6, 2021.
James S. Frederick,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-17435 Filed 8-13-21; 8:45 am]
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