NUCA Statement On USDOL Worker Walkaround Final Rule

The chief executive officer of the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA), Doug Carlson, issued the following statement about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) March 29 final rule governing the worker walkaround representative designation process:

“The flawed new USDOL ‘worker walkaround representative’ rule does nothing to advance safety on a construction jobsite. This rule forces construction businesses to oblige third parties who do not possess safety expertise to disrupt a jobsite. It puts neutral OSHA inspectors into very contentious labor disputes. It clearly violates OSHA’s mandates to conduct reasonable inspections with minimum burdens on employers. The final rule as published does not give adequate guidance to implement the rule and safeguard the inspection process.”

“This Biden Administration rule contains serious flaws that do not enhance the safety mandate of OSHA and forces this neutral safety agency into taking positions in areas that have always been the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board. This decision is incredibly short-sighted, and NUCA supports legal action to reverse the final rule.”