2020-15058. QAI Laboratories Ltd.: Request for Renewal of Recognition

AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In this notice, OSHA announces the application of QAI Laboratories Ltd. (QAI) requesting renewal of recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).

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 July 28, 2020.

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.

Facsimile: If your comments, including attachments, are not longer than 10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at [phone].

Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger, or courier service: When using this method, you must submit a copy of your comments and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2013-0017, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3653, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger, and courier service) are accepted during the Docket Office's normal business hours, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., ET.

Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the OSHA docket number (OSHA-2013-0017). OSHA places comments and other materials, including any personal information, in the public docket without revision, and these materials will be available online at http://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, the agency cautions commenters about submitting statements they do not want made available to the public, or submitting comments that contain personal information (either about themselves or others) such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, and medical data.

Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the docket, go to https://www.regulations.gov or the OSHA Docket Office at the above address. All 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 at the OSHA Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office for assistance in locating docket submissions.

Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of the comment period on or before July 28, 2020 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 [phone].

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: [phone]; email: [e-mail].

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: [phone] or email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

OSHA recognition of a NRTL signifies that the organization meets the requirements in § 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 its 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 its scope of recognition available at http://www.osha.gov/​dts/​otpca/​nrtl/​index.html.

The agency processes applications by a 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, appendix A, paragraph II.C. In accordance with these procedures, NRTLs submit a renewal request to OSHA, not less than nine months or no more than one year, before the expiration date of its current recognition. The submission includes a request for renewal and any additional information the NRTL wishes to submit to demonstrate its continued compliance with the terms of its recognition and 29 CFR 1910.7. If OSHA has not conducted an on-site assessment of the NRTL's headquarters and key sites within the past 18 to 24 months, it will schedule the necessary on-site assessments 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 its preliminary decision to grant or deny renewal in the Federal Register and solicit 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.

QAI initially received OSHA recognition as a NRTL on December 19, 2014 (79 FR 75841) for a five-year period expiring on December 19, 2019. QAI submitted a timely request for renewal, dated March 13, 2019 (OSHA-2013-0017-0011), and retains its recognition pending OSHA's final decision in this renewal process. The current addresses of the QAI facilities recognized by OSHA and included as part of the renewal request are:

1. QAI Laboratories Ltd, Coquitlam, 3980 North Fraser Way, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5J 5k5; and

2. QAI Laboratories Ltd, Los Angeles, 8385 White Oak Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, California, 91730.

II. Notice of Preliminary Findings

OSHA is providing notice that QAI is applying for renewal of its recognition as a NRTL. This renewal covers QAI's existing NRTL scope of recognition. OSHA evaluated QAI's application for renewal and preliminarily determined that QAI can continue to meet the requirements prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for recognition. Accordingly, OSHA is making a determination that it does not need to conduct an additional on-site review of QAI's facilities based on its evaluations of QAI's application and all other available information. This information includes OSHA's audits of QAI's recognized NRTL sites during this recognition period, and the satisfactory resolution of non-conformances with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7. This preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of the application.

OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether QAI meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for renewal of their 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. OSHA must receive the written request for an extension by the due date for comments. OSHA will limit any 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. To obtain or review copies of the publicly available information in QAI's application and other pertinent documents (including exhibits), as well as all submitted comments, contact the Docket Office, Room N-3653, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, at the above address; these materials also are available online at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. OSHA-2013-0017.

OSHA staff will review all comments to the docket submitted in a timely manner and, after addressing the issues raised by these comments, will make a recommendation to the Assistant Secretary on whether to grant QAI's application for renewal. The Assistant Secretary will make the final decision on granting the application and, in making this decision, 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.

III. Authority and Signature

Loren Sweatt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor, 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. 1-2012 (77 FR 3912, Jan. 25, 2012), and 29 CFR 1910.7.

Signed at Washington, DC, on July 7, 2020.

Loren Sweatt,

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.