During a webinar last month, industry attorneys said OSHA will still need employers’ permission to surveil properties using drones though they may be able to use information from drones in public areas to help determine whether to initiate an investigation.
However, Eric Conn, of the same firm, told the webinar that while OSHA needs to get permission from the employer to conduct a drone inspection, Conn added that the agency could observe hazards that are in “plain view” from a drone operating near an outside worksite.
“If they can observe conditions from across the street, he says, “why can’t they take a drone in the sky and observe things from up there? I would not be surprised to see them push the limit in seeking consent.”
Conn suggests to his clients, especially those with outdoor worksites, to be cognizant of hazards. “If you have those outdoor workplaces where the conditions can be observed from public place, then you need to be more diligent,” he says.
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