Occupational Safety and Health Administration

[Docket No. NRTL-2-92]

Canadian Standards Association

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of Request for Expansion of Recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, and Preliminary finding.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the application of the Canadian Standards Association for expansion of its recognition as an NRTL under 29 CFR 1910.7, and presents the Agency's preliminary finding.

DATES: The last date for interested parties to submit comments is September 10, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to: NRTL Recognition Program, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor -- Room N3653, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Variance Determination, NRTL Recognition Program, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N3653, Washington, D.C. 20210.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), which previously made application pursuant to section 6(b) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, (84 Stat. 1593, 29 U.S.C. 655), Secretary of Labor's Order No. 1-90 (55 FR 9033), and 29 CFR 1910.7, for recognition of its Rexdale (Toronto) facility as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (see 57 FR 23429, 6/3/92; amended 57 FR 48804, 10/28/92), and was so recognized (see 57 FR 61452, 12/24/92); made application for expansion of the recognition of its Rexdale facility (see 58 FR 64973, 12/10/93), and was so recognized (see 59 FR 5447, 2/4/94); subsequently made application for inclusion of its Pointe-Claire, Richmond, Edmonton, Moncton, and Winnipeg facilities in the recognition of its Rexdale facility as an NRTL (see 59 FR 10173, 3/3/94), and was so recognized (see 59 FR 40602, 8/9/94); made application for expansion of its recognition (see 59 FR 63383, 12/8/94, and was so recognized (see 60 FR 15595, dated 3/24/95); has made application for expansion of its recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory for the programs and procedures listed below.

The addresses of the laboratories covered by this application are:

Canadian Standards Association,
Rexdale (Toronto) Facility,
178 Rexdale Boulevard,
Rexdale, Ontario M9W1R3, Canada

Canadian Standards Association,
Pointe-Claire (Montreal) Facility,
865 Ellingham Street,
Pointe-Claire, Quebec H9R 5E8, Canada

Canadian Standards Association,
Richmond (Vancouver) Facility,
13799 Commerce Parkway,
Richmond British Columbia V6V 2N9, Canada

Canadian Standards Association,
Edmonton Facility, 1707-94th Street,
Edmonton, Alberta T6N 1E6, Canada

Canadian Standards Association,
Moncton Facility,
40 Rooney Cresent,
Moncton, New Brunswick E1E 4M3, Canada

Canadian Standards Association,
Winnipeg Facility,
50 Paramount Road,
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2X 2W3, Canada

Expansion of Recognition

On July 12, 1995, the Canadian Standards Association made application for expansion of its recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, based upon the conditions as detailed in the Federal Register document titled, "Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories; Clarification of the Types of Programs and Procedures", 60 FR 12980, 3/9/95, for the following programs and procedures:

1. Acceptance of testing data from independent organizations, other than NRTLs.
2. Acceptance of product evaluations from independent organizations, other than NRTLs.
3. Acceptance of witnessed testing data.
4. Acceptance of testing data from non-independent organizations.
5. Acceptance of evaluation data from non-independent organizations (requiring NRTL review prior to marketing).
6. Acceptance of continued certification following minor modifications by the client.
7. Acceptance of product evaluations from organizations that function as part of the International Electrotechnical Commission Certification Body (IEC-CB) Scheme.
8. Acceptance of services other than testing or evaluation performed by subcontractors or agents.

The NRTL Recognition Program staff made an in-depth study of the details of CSA's original application for recognition, as well as its requests for expansion, the original and renewal on-site assessments, and of all of the programs that it has utilized for many years in testing and certifying products in its Product Certification Program (under its Canadian accreditation), and determined that CSA had the staff capability and that the controls for the various programs had already been established to enable it to test and certify products under the programs and procedures which it had requested. The NRTL staff determined that additional on-site reviews were not necessary at this time and that at the next regularly scheduled audits the auditors will assure that the controls are adequate for the scope of the activities involved in the NRTL program.

Preliminary Finding

Based upon a review of the completed application file and the recommendation of the staff, the Assistant Secretary has made a preliminary finding that the Canadian Standards Association can meet the requirements as prescribed by 29 CFR 1910.7 for the programs and procedures for which it has requested recognition.

All interested members of the public are invited to supply detailed reasons and evidence supporting or challenging the sufficiency of the applicant's having met the requirements for expansion of its recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, as required by 29 CFR 1910.7 and Appendix A to 29 CFR 1910.7. Submission of pertinent written documents and exhibits shall be made no later than September 10, 1996, and must be addressed to the NRTL Recognition Program, Office of Variance Determination, Room N 3653, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, D.C. 20210. Copies of the CSA application, the laboratory survey reports, the NRTL staff review and recommendation on this request, and all submitted comments, as received, (Docket No. NRTL-2-92), are available for inspection and duplication at the Docket Office, Room N 2634, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, at the above address.

The Assistant Secretary's final decision on whether the applicant (the Canadian Standards Association) satisfies the requirements for expansion of its recognition as an NRTL will be made on the basis of the entire record including the public submissions and any further proceedings that the Assistant Secretary may consider appropriate in accordance with Appendix A to Section 1910.7.

Signed at Washington, D.C. this 8th day of July, 1996.

Joseph A. Dear, Assistant Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96-17778 Filed 7-11-96; 8:45 am]

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