Notice2026-19267
RETC, LLC.: Application for Expansion of Recognition
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 21, 2026
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentOccupational Safety and Health Administration
Abstract
In this notice, OSHA announces the application of RETC, LLC. for expansion of the scope of recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the agency's preliminary finding to grant the application.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 181 (Monday, September 21, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 181 (Monday, September 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59806-59807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19267]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. OSHA-2010-0013]
RETC, LLC.: 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 RETC, LLC.
for expansion of the scope of 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 October 6, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted as follows:
Electronically: You may submit comments, including attachments,
electronically at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, the Federal eRulemaking
Portal. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency's name and
the docket number for this rulemaking (Docket No. OSHA-2010-0013). All
comments, including any personal information you provide, are placed in
the public docket without change and may be made available online at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about
submitting information they do not want made available to the public or
submitting materials that contain personal information (either about
themselves or others), such as Social Security numbers and birthdates.
Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the
docket, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Documents in the docket
(including this Federal Register notice) are listed in the <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> index; however, some information (e.g., copyrighted
material) is not publicly available to read or download through the
website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available
for inspection through the OSHA Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket
Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY (877) 889-5627) for assistance in
locating docket submissions.
Extension of comment period: Submit requests for an extension of
the comment period on or before October 6, 2026 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-3653, 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, phone: (202) 693-1000; ext. 18477 or email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#224f474b4e4b4c4547500c4450434c414b511062464d4e0c454d54"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b9d4dcd0d5d0d7dedccb97dfcbd8d7dad0ca8bf9ddd6d597ded6cf">[email protected]</span></a>.
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, phone: (202) 693-1000 ext. 11538 or
email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#81f3eee3e8eff2eeefafeae4f7e8efc1e5eeedafe6eef7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dfadb0bdb6b1acb0b1f1b4baa9b6b19fbbb0b3f1b8b0a9">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Notice of the Application for Expansion
OSHA is providing notice that RETC, LLC (RETC), is applying for
expansion of the current recognition as a NRTL. RETC requests the
addition of one recognized testing standard and one recognized testing
site to the NRTL scope of recognition.
OSHA's recognition of a 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 the
scope of recognition. Each NRTL's scope of recognition includes: (1)
the type of products the NRTL may test, with each type specified by the
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 a 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 a preliminary finding. In the second notice,
the agency provides a 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 RETC, which details the NRTL's scope of recognition. These
pages are available from the OSHA website at <a href="http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html">http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html</a>.
II. General Background on the Application
RETC initially received OSHA recognition as a NRTL in a Federal
Register notice (76 FR 16452, March 23, 2011). RETC was previously
recognized by OSHA as TUV Rheinland PTL, then as SolarPTL, LLC (PTL),
following a sale from TUV Rheinland PTL to PTL in October 2018, and is
now recognized as RETC, following a sale from PTL to RETC in March
2024.
OSHA is now referring to this NRTL as ``RETC, LLC,'' in this and
future Federal Register Notices. OSHA notes that it has not yet revised
its website to reflect RETC's purchase of PTL. That is, the website
continues to list PTL as a recognized NRTL with no mention of RETC (see
<a href="https://www.osha.gov/nationally-recognized-testing-laboratory-program/solarptl">https://www.osha.gov/nationally-recognized-testing-laboratory-program/solarptl</a>). RETC has informed OSHA that it is currently seeking
registration of its certification mark with the US Patent and Trademark
Office and will continue to use the PTL mark until that registration is
approved. When that registration is approved, OSHA will revise its
website to reflect RETC's status as the NRTL of record.
When OSHA granted PTL's renewal of recognition on March 29, 2021
(86 FR 16394), OSHA required that PTL abide by the following conditions
in addition to those conditions already required by 29 CFR 1910.7:
1. PTL must inform OSHA as soon as possible, in writing, of any
change of ownership, facilities, or key personnel, and of any major
change in their operations as a NRTL, and provide details of the
change(s);
2. PTL must agree to increased OSHA oversight of their operations
including:
(a) More frequent on-site assessments of PTL facilities; and
(b) PTL shall continue to provide OSHA with written notification of
any new or revised NRTL certificates that it issues, within 7 calendar
days of issuing the certification. This notification shall include:
(i) Name and address of the applicant;
(ii) Model number(s) for the certified products;
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(iii) PTL Certification number;
(iv) PTL Project number;
(v) Name(s) of PTL staff involved with the project; and
(vi) Location where the product evaluation and testing took place.
3. Upon request, PTL must provide copies of the test data,
certification report and other related information for new or revised
certifications to OSHA.
4. PTL must meet all the terms of their recognition and comply with
all OSHA policies pertaining to this recognition; and
5. PTL must continue to meet the requirements for recognition,
including all previously published conditions on PTL's scope of
recognition, in all areas for which it has recognition.
These conditions continue to remain in place with respect to OSHA's
recognition of RETC. RETC's scope of recognition currently includes one
recognized site located at 1107 West Fairmont Drive, Tempe, Arizona
85282, which also currently functions as its headquarters.
RETC submitted an application to OSHA for expansion of this NRTL's
scope of recognition. The application, dated November 22, 2024 (OSHA-
2010-0013-0012), requested the expansion of the NRTL scope of
recognition to include one additional testing site located at: 46457
Landing Pkwy., Fremont, CA 94538.\1\ That application was updated on
December 5, 2024 (OSHA-2010-0013-0013) to add one standard to the
original submission. In total, the amended expansion application
requested the addition of a total of one standard and one site to the
NRTL scope of recognition. OSHA staff performed an on-site review of
RETC's testing facilities on March 3-5, 2026, in which assessors found
some nonconformances with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7. RETC has
addressed these issues sufficiently, and OSHA staff has preliminarily
determined that OSHA should grant the application.
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\1\ In its application, RETC also requested that OSHA change its
NRTL headquarters to this new testing site OSHA will revise its
website to reflect this change if it grants RETC's application for
expansion.
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Table 1, below, lists the appropriate test standard found in RETC's
application for expansion for testing and certification of products
under the NRTL Program.
Table 1--Proposed Appropriate Test Standard for Inclusion in RETC's NRTL
Scope of Recognition
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Test standard Test standard title
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UL 1741......................... Inverters, Converters, Controllers and
Interconnection System Equipment for
Use with Distributed Energy
Resources.
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III. Preliminary Findings on the Application
RETC submitted an acceptable application for expansion of the scope
of recognition. OSHA's review of the application files and pertinent
documentation indicates that RETC has met the requirements prescribed
by 29 CFR 1910.7 for expanding the recognition to include the addition
of one proposed test site and the test standards for NRTL testing and
certification listed in Table 1. This preliminary finding does not
constitute an interim or temporary approval of RETC's application.
OSHA seeks comment on this preliminary determination.
IV. Public Participation
OSHA welcomes public comment as to whether RETC meets the
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7 for expansion of recognition as a 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 by the due date for
comments. OSHA will limit any extension to 10 days unless the requester
justifies a longer time period. OSHA may deny a request for an
extension if it is not adequately justified.
To review copies of the exhibits identified in this notice, as well
as comments submitted to the docket, contact the Docket Office,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of
Labor. These materials also are generally available online at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> under Docket No. OSHA-2010-0013 (for further
information, see the ``Docket'' heading in the section of this notice
titled ADDRESSES).
OSHA staff will review all comments to the docket submitted in a
timely manner. After addressing the issues raised by these comments,
staff will make a recommendation to the Assistant Secretary of Labor
for Occupational Safety and Health on whether to grant RETC's
application for expansion of the 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 the final decision in the
Federal Register.
V. Authority and Signature
Amanda Laihow, Principal 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. 7-2025 (90 FR 27878; June 30, 2025), and
29 CFR 1910.7.
Signed at Washington, DC, on September 10, 2026.
Amanda Laihow,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety
and Health.
[FR Doc. 2026-19267 Filed 9-18-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
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