ARTBA, Members Meet with OIRA To Share Walkaround Rule Objections

What happened: ARTBA members Mark Ligon, Vecellio Group, and Davis Jenkins, Ogletree Deakins met Feb. 29 with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to share comments on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) worker walkaround rule.

Why it matters:  OSHA’s “walkaround” rule could allow union representatives, activists, and other third parties to be present during OSHA inspections – even if the contractor’s employees are not union members. This creates security problems for contractors and exposes union representatives or others to potential proprietary information and trade secrets. It also would distract from an inspection’s purpose – ensuring worker safety.

What’s next: Once OIRA concludes its review of OSHA’s rule, it will be published in the Federal Register and become effective. No timeline has been provided for publication. ARTBA’s Brad Sant and Prianka Sharma are the contacts.