OSHA Rescinds Inspection Interpretation for Non-Union Sites

Posted on 5/9/2017 by Roger Marks

As of April 27, 2017, OSHA has rescinded an interpretation letter issued in 2013 that allowed a non-employee who is “affiliated with a union” or with a “community organization” to accompany OSHA during walk-arounds at non-union worksites.

Under the interpretation, which was challenged in US District Court, employees at a non-union site could elect to have a union representative accompany OSHA inspectors during walk-arounds. This interpretation expanded on a prior interpretation of 29 CFR 1903.8(c) that allows for third parties (like an industrial hygienist or safety engineer) to accompany OSHA inspectors on facility walk-arounds.

In response to the lawsuit—and after the Agency’s request to dismiss the suit was denied—OSHA will rescind this interpretation and remove related guidance from its Field Operations Manual.

The now rescinded and archived interpretation letter is available on OSHA’s website here.

Effective Online OSHA Safety Training

Protect your employees with expertly designed, convenient OSHA training. Available 24/7, these interactive OSHA safety training courses help employees identify, mitigate, and avoid the hazards in your workplace. Employees who complete OSHA training at Lion.com are ready to make on-the-job decisions that keep themselves and their co-workers safe.

Popular OSHA Training Courses in 2017:

8 Hour HAZWOPER Refresher (Cleanup operations)
New! Lockout/Tagout Online
New! Confined Space Entry Awareness Online
GHS Hazard Communication (for Employees)
Managing GHS Hazard Communication (for Managers)
Lithium Battery Safety Online
Forklift Safety Online

For OSHA 10-hour training to protect employees in general industry workplaces, take the newly updated 10 Hour OSHA General Industry Online Course.

Tags: osha, safety

Find a Post

Search for:

Compliance Topics

Compliance Archives

Excellent job. Made what is very dry material interesting. Thoroughly explained all topics in easy-to-understand terms.

David Hertvik

Vice President

Lion was very responsive to my initial questions and the website was user friendly.

Michael Britt

Supply Chain Director

The instructor created a great learning environment.

Avinash Thummadi

CAD & Environmental Manager

I can take what I learned in this workshop and apply it to everyday work and relate it to my activities.

Shane Hersh

Materials Handler

Excellent course. Very interactive. Explanations are great whether you get the questions wrong or right.

Gregory Thompson

Environmental, Health & Safety Regional Manager

This training broke down the regulations in an easy-to-understand manner and made them less overwhelming. I now feel I have the knowledge to make more informed decisions.

Amanda Oswald

Shipping Professional

Very witty instructor, made the long times sitting bearable. One of the few training courses I can say I actually enjoyed.

John Hutchinson

Senior EHS Engineer

Course instructor was better prepared and presented better than other trainers. Course manual and references were easier to use as well.

Marty Brownfield

Hazardous Waste Professional

I like Lion's workshops the best because they really dig into the information you need to have when you leave the workshop.

Tom Bush, Jr.

EHS Manager

The instructor was very knowledgeable and provided pertinent information above and beyond the questions that were asked.

Johnny Barton

Logistics Coordinator

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Find out what makes DOT hazmat training mandatory for employees who sign the hazardous waste manifest, a “dually regulated” document for tracking shipments.

Download

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.