82 FR 13143 - TUV SUD America Inc.: Application for Expansion of Recognition

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 45 (March 9, 2017)

In this notice, OSHA announces the application of TUV SUD America Inc. for expansion of its recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the Agency's preliminary finding to grant the application.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 45 (Thursday, March 9, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13143-13144]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04690]



[[Page 13143]]

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2007-0043]


TUV SUD America 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 TUV SUD 
America Inc. for expansion of its 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 March 24, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by any of the following methods:
    1. 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.
    2. Facsimile: If submissions, including attachments, are not longer 
than 10 pages, commenters may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at 
(202) 693-1648.
    3. Regular or express mail, hand delivery, or messenger (courier) 
service: Submit comments, requests, and any attachments to the OSHA 
Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2007-0043, Technical Data Center, U.S. 
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room N-3508, 
Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2350 (TTY number: (877) 889-
5627). Note that security procedures may result in significant delays 
in receiving comments and other written materials by regular mail. 
Contact the OSHA Docket Office for information about security 
procedures concerning delivery of materials by express mail, hand 
delivery, or messenger service. The hours of operation for the OSHA 
Docket Office are 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., e.t.
    4. Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and 
the OSHA docket number (OSHA-2007-0043). 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.
    5. 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 at the OSHA Docket Office. Contact the 
OSHA Docket Office for assistance in locating docket submissions.
    6. Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of 
the comment period on or before March 24, 2017 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, 200 Constitution Avenue 
NW., Room N-3647, Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-1999; 
email: [email protected].
    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, 200 
Constitution Avenue NW., Room N-3655, Washington, DC 20210; phone: 
(202) 693-2110 or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Notice of the Application for Expansion

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is providing 
notice that TUV SUD America Inc. (TUVAM) is applying for expansion of 
its current recognition as an NRTL. TUVAM requests the addition of two 
recognized testing and certification sites to its scope of NRTL 
recognition.
    OSHA recognition of an 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, and is not a delegation or grant of government 
authority. 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 an 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 TUVAM, which details the NRTL's scope of recognition. These 
pages are available from the OSHA Web site at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html.
    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.
    TUVAM currently has four facilities (sites) recognized by OSHA for 
product testing and certification, with its headquarters located at: 
TUV SUD America, Inc., 10 Technology Drive, Peabody, MA 01960. A 
complete list of TUVAM's scope of recognition (including sites) 
recognized by OSHA is available at https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/tuvam.html.

II. General Background on the Application

    TUVAM submitted an application, dated May 19, 2015 (OSHA-2007-0043-
0020), to expand its recognition to include the addition of two 
recognized testing and certification sites located at: TUV SUD, 
Ridlerstrasse 65, D-80339, Munich, Germany; and TUV SUD, Daimlerstrasse 
11, D-85748, Garching, Germany. OSHA staff also performed an on-site 
review of TUVAM's testing facilities at TUV SUD Munich on June 6, 2016, 
and at TUV SUD Garching on June 7, 2016, in which the assessors

[[Page 13144]]

found some nonconformances with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7. 
TUVAM addressed these issues sufficiently, and OSHA staff preliminarily 
determined that OSHA should grant the application.

III. Preliminary Finding on the Application

    TUVAM submitted an acceptable application for expansion of its 
scope of recognition. OSHA's review of the application file and its 
detailed on-site assessments indicate that TUVAM can meet the 
requirements prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding its recognition 
to include the addition of two sites for NRTL testing and 
certification. This preliminary finding does not constitute an interim 
or temporary approval of TUVAM's application.
    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether TUVAM meets the 
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of its recognition as an 
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 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, Room N-3508, 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-2007-0043.
    OSHA staff will review all comments to the docket submitted in a 
timely manner and, after addressing the issues raised by these 
comments, will recommend to the Assistant Secretary for Occupational 
Safety and Health whether to grant TUVAM'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

    Dorothy Dougherty, Deputy 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. 1-2012 (77 FR 3912, Jan. 25, 
2012), and 29 CFR 1910.7.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on February 28, 2017.
Dorothy Dougherty,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2017-04690 Filed 3-8-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4510-26-P