Seeks public, stakeholder comments on proposed changes
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to revise regulations regarding who can be authorized by employees to act as their representative to accompany the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance officers during physical workplace inspections.
Specifically, the proposed rule clarifies that employees may authorize an employee, or they may authorize a non-employee third party if the compliance officer determines the third party is reasonably necessary to conduct an effective and thorough inspection.
The proposed changes also clarify that third-party representatives are not limited to industrial hygienists or safety engineers, two examples included in the existing regulation. Third-party representatives may be reasonably necessary because they have skills, knowledge or experience that may help inform the compliance officer's inspection. This information may include experience with particular hazards, workplace conditions or language skills that can improve communications between OSHA representatives and workers.
"Congress considered worker participation a key element of workplace safety and health inspections when it passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act," explained Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. "This proposal aims to make inspections more effective and ultimately make workplaces safer by increasing...
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