The U.S. Department of Labor proposes to revise regulations regarding employees and third parties who are authorized to be present during an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance inspection.
The proposed rule clarifies that employees may designate an employee to observe the inspection, or they may authorize a non-employee third party to be present if the OSHA compliance officer determines the third party is reasonably necessary to conduct an effective and thorough inspection. The third-party representative may have specific knowledge of workplace exposure hazards or relevant language skills and not be required to be an industrial hygienist or safety engineer.
Comments on the proposed rule must be submitted at Regulations.gov, the federal eRulemaking portal, by Oct. 30, 2023. Docket Number OSHA-2023-0008 should be cited on all submissions.