OSHA Rescinds Inspection Interpretation for Non-Union Sites

As of April 27, 2017, OSHA has rescinded an interpretation letter issued in 2013 that allowed a non-employee who is “affiliated with a union” or with a “community organization” to accompany OSHA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The now rescinded and archived interpretation letter is available on OSHA’s website here.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