2021-01221. MET Laboratories, Inc.: Applications for Expansion of Recognition and Proposed Modification to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards

AGENCY:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In this notice, OSHA announces the applications of MET Laboratories, Inc., for expansion of the recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the agency's preliminary finding to grant the applications. Additionally, OSHA proposes to add two new test standards to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards.

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 February 5, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments by any of the following methods:

Electronically: Submit comments and attachments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov,, which is the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for making electronic submissions.

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-2006-0028, 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. Please note: While OSHA's docket office is continuing to accept and process submissions by regular mail, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Docket Office is closed to the public and not able to receive submissions to the rulemaking record by express delivery, hand delivery, and messenger service.

Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the OSHA docket number (OSHA-2006-0028). 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 http://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 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 and copying at the OSHA Docket Office.

Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of the comment period on or before February 5, 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-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, phone: [phone] or 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, phone: [phone] or email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Notice of the Application for Expansion

OSHA is providing notice that MET Laboratories, Inc. (MET), is applying for expansion of the current recognition as a NRTL. MET requests the addition of four test standards to the 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 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 MET, which details the NRTL's scope of recognition. These pages are available from the OSHA website at http://www.osha.gov/​dts/​otpca/​nrtl/​index.html.

MET currently has one facility (site) recognized by OSHA for product testing and certification, with the headquarters located at: MET Laboratories, Inc., 914 West Patapsco Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. A complete list of MET's scope of recognition is available at https://www.osha.gov/​dts/​otpca/​nrtl/​met.html.

II. General Background on the Application

MET submitted four applications, one dated November 6, 2017 (OSHA-2006-0028-0042), two dated April 4, 2018 (OSHA-2006-0028-0043 and OSHA-2006-0028-0044), and a fourth on January 14, 2019 (OSHA-2006-0028-0045) to expand the recognition to include four additional test standards. OSHA staff performed a detailed analysis of the application packets and reviewed other pertinent information. OSHA did not perform any on-site reviews in relation to these applications.

Table 1, below, lists the appropriate test standards found in MET's applications for expansion for testing and certification of products under the NRTL Program.

Table 1—Proposed Appropriate Test Standards for Inclusion in MET's NRTL Scope of Recognition

Test standard	Test standard title
UL 61010-2-201 *	Safety Requirements for Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control and Laboratory Use—Part 2-201: Particular Requirements for Control Equipment.
UL 61010-2-030	Safety Requirements for Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control and Laboratory Use—Part 2-030: Particular Requirements for Testing and Measuring Circuits.
UL 61010-031	Safety Requirements for Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control and Laboratory Use—Part 031: Safety Requirements for Hand-Held and Hand-Manipulated Probe Assemblies for Electrical Measurement and Test.
UL 60335-2-72 *	Household and Similar Electrical Appliances—Safety—Part 2-72: Particular Requirements for Floor Treatment Machines With or Without Traction Drive, for Commercial Use.
* Represents the standards that OSHA proposes to add to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards.

III. Proposal To Add New Test Standards to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards

Periodically, OSHA will propose to add new test standards to the NRTL list of appropriate test standards following an evaluation of the test standard document. To qualify as an appropriate test standard, the agency evaluates the document to: (1) Verify it represents a product category for which OSHA requires certification by a NRTL, (2) verify the document represents an end product and not a component, and (3) verify the document defines safety test specifications (not installation or operational performance specifications). OSHA becomes aware of new test standards through various avenues. For example, OSHA may become aware of new test standards by: (1) Monitoring notifications issued by certain Standards Development Organizations; (2) reviewing applications by NRTLs or applicants seeking recognition to include new test standards in their scopes of recognition; and (3) obtaining notification from manufacturers, manufacturing organizations, government agencies, or other parties. OSHA may determine to include a new test standard in the list, for example, if the test standard is for a particular type of product that another test standard also covers or it covers a type of product that no standard previously covered.

In this notice, OSHA proposes to add two new test standards to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards. Table 2, below, lists the test standards that are new to the NRTL Program. OSHA preliminarily determined that these test standards are appropriate test standards and proposes to include them in the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards. OSHA seeks public comment on this preliminary determination.

Table 2—Test Standards OSHA Is Proposing To Add to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards

Test standard	Test standard title
UL 61010-2-201	Safety Requirements for Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control and Laboratory Use—Part 2-201: Particular Requirements for Control Equipment.
UL 60335-2-72	Household and Similar Electrical Appliances—Safety—Part 2-72: Particular Requirements for Floor Treatment Machines With or Without Traction Drive, for Commercial Use.

III. Preliminary Findings on the Applications

MET submitted acceptable applications for expansion of the scope of recognition. OSHA's review of the application file, and pertinent documentation, indicate that MET has met the requirements prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding the recognition to include the addition of these four test standards for NRTL testing and certification listed in Table 2. This preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of MET's applications.

OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether MET meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of the 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. Commenters must submit the written request for an extension by the due date for comments. OSHA will limit any extension to 10 days unless the requester justifies a longer period. OSHA may deny a request for an extension if the request 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 at the above address. These materials also are available online at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028.

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 for Occupational Safety and Health whether to grant MET's applications 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.

IV. Authority and Signature

Loren Sweatt, Principal 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 January 14, 2021.

Loren Sweatt,

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