Safety Inspection Drones Raise Concerns for Employers

That buzzing noise over a construction site could be an OSHA drone searching for safety violations.

Inspectors from the federal Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration are now authorized to use camera-carrying drones as part of their inspections of outdoor workplaces, according to a memorandum Bloomberg Law obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Attorneys who represent businesses in OSHA cases told Bloomberg Law that employers should be wary of giving OSHA inspectors blanket permission to fly remote-controlled aircraft above worksites.

OSHA declined an interview request from Bloomberg Law to discuss the drone program.

In a written Nov. ...