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NRTL Updates - NRTL Update #2 (July 29, 1998) |
Printing Instructions
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NRTL Update #2 (July 29, 1998)
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Thanks to all of you who responded to our first e-mail update-seems that people like this approach to keeping everyone up-to-date on out NRTL activities in OSHA.
- Mutual Recognition Agreement Status
As most of you probably know, the President signed the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with the European Union on May 18th. An effective date has not yet been established, but it appears it will be October 1, 1998. That will trigger our two-year period for processing applications from laboratories in Europe seeking NRTL recognition. The applications will be submitted as a group after the effective date. We plan to have a training session for the Europeans sometime in the near future to ensure they understand the requirements of our program.
- Input re: Switzerland
The Office of the US Trade Representative has asked OSHA whether any of the NRTLs have had experience with Switzerland in terms of testing products for use there. If you have had experience, either in attempting to provide such services for products to be marketed in Switzerland or in actually doing such testing, please let me know what your experiences were and whether you were able to provide services in Switzerland. I would appreciate getting this information by August 15, 1998.
- Audit Experience
Our auditors, coordinated by John Linkletter, have been very busy for the past 1 ½ years, visiting almost every site at least once, and spending more time on each audit. It has been a learning experience for us, and we hope for you as well.
As important as we believe our audits are in providing an objective, outsider's view of the laboratory's quality program, the internal audits you conduct may be even more important. Regular internal audits by people who know the facility and its operations are critical to maintaining a quality program. We emphasize and monitor these internal audits in our own audits of your sites.
In addition to actually doing the audits, following up to ensure that the corrective actions are implemented is equally important. Please be sure that responsibility for correction is assigned, and implementation is monitored to completion.
- Copies of Your Marks
We are in the process of developing a training module on the NRTL Program for our compliance staff. Our Training Institute would like to provide students with copies of each of the marks for recognized labs. Ideally, we would like to provide a copy in full color with all of the graphics, etc. We are therefore requesting that each lab provide us such a copy by e-mail or on a disk if at all possible. This material will help our compliance officers check products used in the workplace to make sure they have been tested and certified in accordance with our standards and the NRTL Program requirements.
We look forward to hearing from you regarding Switzerland and your marks. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us.
We plan to expand our audits next year to further examine the human resources aspects of your programs.
Jennifer Silk
Director
Office of Technical Programs and Coordination Activities
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
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