In August, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed changes to its worker walkaround representative designation process that could allow union representatives to accompany OSHA inspectors on walk around inspections at non-union workplaces on the basis that they have “relevant knowledge, skills, or experience with hazards or conditions in the workplace or similar workplaces.”

In response, the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) signed a letter to OSHA Director Doug Parker requesting an extension for public comments to provide our industry with sufficient time to analyze the changes, assess its potential impacts, and develop a response that will fully address the consequences of these changes on business operations and workplace dynamics.

Today, OSHA announced that it has extended the comment period for the ‘worker walkaround’ rule until November 13, 2023. Comments can be submitted electronically at regulations.gov, which is the Federal eRulemaking portal. All submissions must include the agency's name and docket number for this rulemaking (Docket No. OSHA-2023-0008). For more information, please see the Federal Register notice.