82 FR 13868 - International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials EGS: Application for Expansion of Recognition

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 49 (March 15, 2017)

In this notice, OSHA announces the application of International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials EGS (IAPMO) 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 49 (Wednesday, March 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13868-13870]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05182]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. OSHA-2013-0030]


International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials 
EGS: 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 
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials EGS 
(IAPMO) 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 30, 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-2013-0030, 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: a.m.-3:00 p.m., e.t.
    4. Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and 
the OSHA docket number (OSHA-2013-0030). OSHA places comments and other 
materials, including any personal information, in the public docket

[[Page 13869]]

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 30, 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 International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical 
Officials EGS (IAPMO) is applying for expansion of its current 
recognition as an NRTL. IAPMO requests the addition of four test 
standards to its NRTL scope of 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. 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. 
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 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 IAPMO, 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.
    IAPMO currently has one facility (site) recognized by OSHA for 
product testing and certification, with its headquarters located at: 
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials EGS, 
5001 East Philadelphia Street, Ontario, CA 91761. A complete list of 
IAPMO's scope of recognition is available at https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/iapmo.html.

II. General Background on the Application

    On January 12, 2016, IAPMO submitted an application to expand its 
recognition to include eight additional test standards (OSHA-2013-0030-
0006). OSHA staff performed a detailed analysis of the application 
packed and reviewed other pertinent information. OSHA also performed an 
on-site review of IAPMO's testing facility on March 1-2, 2016, in which 
assessors found some nonconformances with the requirements of 29 CFR 
1910.7. IAPMO addressed these issues sufficiently, and OSHA staff 
preliminarily determined that OSHA should grant the application to 
expand IAPMO's recognition to include four of the eight requested 
standards.
    Table 1 below lists the appropriate test standards found in IAPMO'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
                    IAPMO's NRTL Scope of Recognition
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Test standard                     Test standard title
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UL 875............................  Standard for Electric Dry-Bath
                                     Heaters.
UL 979............................  Standard for Water Treatment
                                     Appliances.
UL 1241...........................  Standard for Junction Boxes for
                                     Swimming Pool Luminaires.
UL 1261...........................  Standard for Electric Water Heaters
                                     for Pools and Tubs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Preliminary Findings on the Application

    IAPMO submitted an acceptable application for expansion of its 
scope of recognition. OSHA's review of the application file, other 
pertinent documentation, and its detailed on-site assessment indicate 
that IAPMO can meet the requirements prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for 
expanding its recognition to include the addition of these four test 
standards for NRTL testing and certification listed above. This 
preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or temporary 
approval of IAPMO's application.
    OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether IAPMO 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 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,

[[Page 13870]]

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-
2013-0030.
    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 IAPMO'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 its final decision in the 
Federal Register.

IV. 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 March 7, 2017.
Dorothy Dougherty,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 2017-05182 Filed 3-14-17; 8:45 am]
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