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As of April 27, 2017, OSHA has rescinded an interpretation letter issued in 2013 that allowed a non-employee who is “affiliated with a union” or with a “community organization” to accompany OSHA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The now rescinded and archived interpretation letter is available on OSHA’s website here.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

I attended training from another provider and learned absolutely nothing. Lion is much better. Hands down.

Nicole Eby

Environmental Specialist

Having the tutorial buttons for additional information was extremely beneficial.

Sharon Ziemek

EHS Manager

Our instructor was very dynamic and kept everyone's interest. Hazmat shipping can be a dry, complicated topic but I was engaged the entire time.

Kimberly Arnao

Senior Director of EH&S

The instructor was very patient and engaging - willing to answer and help explain subject matter.

Misty Filipp

Material Control Superintendent

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

I was able to present my scenario to the instructor and worked thru the regulations together. In the past, I attended another training firm's classes. Now, I have no intention of leaving Lion!

Diana Joyner

Senior Environmental Engineer

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

The instructor created a great learning environment.

Avinash Thummadi

CAD & Environmental Manager

Given the choice, I would do all coursework this way. In-person courses go very fast without the opportunity to pause or repeat anything.

Ellen Pelton

Chemical Laboratory Manager

These are the best classes I attend each year. I always take something away and implement improvements at my sites.

Kim Racine

EH&S Manager

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

A guide to developing standard operating procedures, or SOPs, that help you select, manage, and audit your hazmat agents and contractors.

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.