Document ID: OSHA-2006-0028-0003
Agency: osha
Document Type: Notice
Title: MET Laboratories, Inc.; Application for Expansion of Recognition
Posted Date: 2007-07-06T04:00Z

[Federal Register: July 6, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 129)]
[Notices]               
[Page 37056-37057]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06jy07-108]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028]

 
MET Laboratories, Inc.; Application for Expansion of Recognition

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the application of MET Laboratories, 
Inc., (MET) for expansion of its recognition, and presents the Agency's 
preliminary finding in favor of granting this request. This preliminary 
finding does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of this 
application.

DATES: You must submit information or comments, or any request for 
extension of the time to comment, by the following dates:
     Hard copy: Postmarked or sent by July 23, 2007.
     Electronic transmission or facsimile: Sent by July 23, 
2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments 
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for making 
electronic submissions.
    Fax: If your submissions, including attachments, are not longer 
than 10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-
1648.
    Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger, or courier service: 
You must submit three copies of your comments and attachments to the 
OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028 (formerly, NRTL1-88), 
U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger and 
courier service) are accepted during the Department of Labor's and 
Docket Office's normal business hours, 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m., e.t.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and the 
OSHA docket number for this notice (OSHA Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028; 
formerly, NRTL1-88). Submissions, including any personal information 
you provide, are placed in the public docket without change and may be 
made available online at http://www.regulations.gov.

    Docket: To read or download submissions or other material in the 
docket, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the OSHA Docket Office at 

the address above. All 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 Web site. All submissions, including copyrighted material, 
are available for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office.
    Extension of Comment Period: Submit requests for extensions 
concerning this notice to the Office of Technical Programs and 
Coordination Activities, NRTL Program, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Room N-3655, Washington, DC 20210. Or, fax to (202) 693-1644.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: MaryAnn Garrahan, Director, Office of 
Technical Programs and Coordination Activities, NRTL Program, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N3655, Washington, DC 20210, 
or phone (202) 693-2110. Our Web page includes information about the 
NRTL Program (see http://www.osha.gov and select ``N'' in the site 

index).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Notice of Application

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hereby 
gives notice that MET Laboratories, Inc., (MET) has applied for 
expansion of its current recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing 
Laboratory (NRTL). MET's expansion request covers the use of additional 
test standards. OSHA's current scope of recognition for MET may be 
found in the following informational Web page: http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/met.html
.

    OSHA recognition of an NRTL signifies that the organization has met 
the legal 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 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.
    The Agency processes applications by an NRTL for initial 
recognition or for 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 and, 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. We maintain an informational Web page for 
each NRTL, which details its scope of recognition. These pages can be 
accessed from our Web site at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html
.

    The most recent notice published by OSHA specifically related to 
MET's recognition was published on August 17, 2006 (71 FR 47532), which 
was also a preliminary notice for expansion.
    The current address of the MET facility (site) already recognized 
by OSHA is: MET Laboratories, Inc., 914 West Patapsco Avenue, 
Baltimore, MD 21230.

General Background on the Application

    MET has submitted an application, dated April 25, 2006 (see Exhibit 
41-1), to expand its recognition to include 22 additional test 
standards; however, one standard is already included in MET's scope. 
The NRTL Program staff has determined that the remaining 21 standards 
are ``appropriate test standards'' within the meaning of 29 CFR 
1910.7(c). Therefore, OSHA would approve these 21 test standards for 
the expansion.
    MET seeks recognition for testing and certification of products for 
demonstration of conformance to the following test standards:

ANSI A17.5 Elevator and Escalator Electrical Equipment
UL 250 Household Refrigerators and Freezers
UL 399 Drinking Water Coolers
UL 430 Waste Disposers
UL 474 Dehumidifiers
UL 498A Current Taps and Adapters
UL 563 Ice Makers
UL 749 Household Dishwashers
UL 826 Household Electric Clocks

[[Page 37057]]

UL 858 Household Electric Ranges
UL 998 Humidifiers
UL 1005 Electric Flatirons
UL 1082 Household Electric Coffee Makers and Brewing-Type Appliances
UL 1086 Household Trash Compactors
UL 1261 Electric Water Heaters for Pools and Tubs
UL 1640 Portable Power-Distribution Equipment
UL 1741 Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System 
Equipment for Use With Distributed Energy Resources
UL 1994 Luminous Egress Path Marking Systems
UL 2157 Electric Clothes Washing Machines and Extractors
UL 2158 Electric Clothes Dryers
UL 60335-2-8 Household and Similar Electrical Appliances, Part 2: 
Particular Requirements for Shavers, Hair Clippers, and Similar 
Appliances

    The designations and titles of the above test standards were 
current at the time of the preparation of this notice.
    OSHA's recognition of MET, or any NRTL, for a particular test 
standard is limited to equipment or materials (i.e., products) for 
which OSHA standards require third-party testing and certification 
before use in the workplace. Consequently, if a test standard also 
covers any product(s) for which OSHA does not require such testing and 
certification, an NRTL's scope of recognition does not include that 
product(s).
    A test standard listed above may also be approved as an American 
National Standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). 
However, for convenience, we use the designation of the standards 
developing organization for the standard as opposed to the ANSI 
designation. Under our procedures, any NRTL recognized for an ANSI-
approved test standard may use either the latest proprietary version of 
the test standard or the latest ANSI version of that standard. You may 
contact ANSI to find out whether or not a test standard is currently 
ANSI-approved.

Preliminary Finding on the Application

    MET has submitted an acceptable request for expansion of its 
recognition as an NRTL. In connection with this request, OSHA did not 
perform an on-site review of MET's NRTL testing facilities. However, 
NRTL Program assessment staff reviewed information pertinent to the 
request and recommended that MET's recognition be expanded to include 
the additional test standards listed above (see Exhibit 41-2). Our 
review of the application file, the assessor's recommendation, and 
other pertinent documents indicate that MET can meet the requirements, 
as prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7, for expansion of its scope to include 
the additional test standards listed above. This preliminary finding 
does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of the 
application.
    OSHA welcomes public comments, in sufficient detail, as to whether 
MET has met the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of its 
recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. Your 
comments should consist of pertinent written documents and exhibits. 
Should you need more time to comment, you must request it in writing, 
including reasons for the request. OSHA must receive your written 
request for extension at the address provided above no later than the 
last date for comments. OSHA will limit any extension to 30 days, 
unless the requester justifies a longer period. We may deny a request 
for extension if it is not adequately justified. You may obtain or 
review copies of MET's requests, the assessor's recommendation, other 
pertinent documents, and all submitted comments, as received, by 
contacting the Docket Office, Room N-2625, Occupational Safety and 
Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, at the above address. 
Docket No. OSHA-2006-0028 (formerly, NRTL1-88) contains all materials 
in the record concerning MET's application.
    The NRTL Program staff will review all timely comments and, after 
resolution of issues raised by these comments, will recommend whether 
to grant MET's expansion request. The Assistant Secretary will make the 
final decision on granting the expansion and, in making this decision, 
may undertake other proceedings that are prescribed in Appendix A to 29 
CFR 1910.7. OSHA will publish a public notice of this final decision in 
the Federal Register.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 25th day of June, 2007.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health.
 [FR Doc. E7-13106 Filed 7-5-07; 8:45 am]

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