Document ID: OSHA-2006-0040-0067
Agency: osha
Document Type: Notice
Title: SGS North America, Inc.: Application for Expansion of Recognition and Proposed Modification to the NRTL Program’s List of Appropriate Test Standards
Posted Date: 2021-08-24T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47336-47338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18142]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2006-0040]

SGS North America, Inc.: Application 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.

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SUMMARY: In this notice, OSHA announces the application of SGS North 
America, Inc., for expansion of recognition as a Nationally Recognized 
Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the agency's preliminary finding 
to grant the application. Additionally, OSHA proposes to add one test 
standard 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 September 8, 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-2006-0040). 
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 September 8, 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, or by fax to (202) 
693-1644.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information regarding this notice is 
available from the following sources:

[[Page 47337]]

    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 the Application for Expansion

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is providing 
notice that SGS North America, Inc. (SGS) is applying for an expansion 
of the current recognition as a NRTL. SGS requests the addition of five 
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 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 NRTLs or applicant 
organizations for initial recognition, as well as for expansion or 
renewal of 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 the 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 SGS, which details that NRTL's scope of 
recognition. These pages are available from the OSHA website at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html.
    SGS currently has nine facilities (sites) recognized by OSHA for 
product testing and certification, with the headquarters located at: 
SGS North America, Inc., 620 Old Peachtree Road, Suwanee, Georgia 
30024. A complete list of SGS's scope of recognition is available at 
https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/sgs.html.

II. General Background on the Application

    SGS submitted an application to OSHA to expand recognition as a 
NRTL to include five additional test standards on February 5, 2020 
(OSHA-2006-0040-0066). OSHA staff performed a detailed analysis of the 
application packet and reviewed other pertinent information. OSHA did 
not perform any on-site reviews in relation to this application.
    Table 1 lists the test standards found in SGS'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
                     SGS's NRTL Scope of Recognition
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           Test standard                     Test standard title
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UL 355............................  Cord Reels.
UL 1576 *.........................  Flashlights and Lanterns.
UL 1977...........................  Component Connectors for Use in
                                     Data, Signal, Control and Power
                                     Applications.
UL 8753...........................  Field-Replaceable Light Emitting
                                     Diode (LED) Light Engines.
UL 61800-5-1......................  Adjustable Speed Electrical Power
                                     Drive Systems--Part 5-1: Safety
                                     Requirements--Electrical, Thermal
                                     and Energy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Represents the standard OSHA proposes to add to the NRTL Program's
  List of Appropriate Test Standards.

III. Proposal To Add a New Test Standard 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 standard 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 one new test standard to the 
NRTL Program's list of appropriate test standards. Table 2, below, 
lists this test standard.

 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 1576 *.................................  Flashlights and Lanterns.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. Preliminary Findings

    SGS submitted an acceptable application for expansion of the scope 
of recognition. OSHA's review of the application file and pertinent 
documentation preliminarily indicates that SGS can meet the 
requirements prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding its recognition 
to include the addition of the five test standards listed in Table 1, 
above, for NRTL testing and certification. This preliminary finding 
does not constitute an interim or

[[Page 47338]]

temporary approval of SGS's application.
    OSHA also preliminarily determined that the test standard listed in 
Table 2, above, is an appropriate test standard and that this test 
standard should be added to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test 
Standards.
    OSHA seeks public comment on these preliminary determinations.

V. Public Participation

    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether SGS meets the 
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of the recognition as a 
NRTL and whether the test standard listed in Table 2, above, is an 
appropriate test standard that should be included in the NRTL Program's 
List of Appropriate Test Standards. 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 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. These materials also are generally available online at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. OSHA-2006-0040 (for further 
information, see the ``Docket'' heading in the section of this notice 
titled ADDRESSES).
    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 SGS's application for 
expansion of the scope of recognition and to add the test standard 
listed in Table 2, above, to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate 
Test Standards. The Assistant Secretary will make the final decision on 
granting the application and on adding the test standard listed in 
Table 2, above, to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test 
Standards. In making these decisions, 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.

VI. Authority and Signature

    James S. Frederick, Acting 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, September 18, 2020) 
and 29 CFR 1910.7.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on August 17, 2021.
James S. Frederick,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-18142 Filed 8-23-21; 8:45 am]
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