Overview

• Initial Approval: December 28, 1972 (37 FR 26830)
• State Plan Certification: September 24, 1982 (47 FR 42103)
• 18(e) Final Approval: May 12, 2005 (70 FR 24954); amended on January 18, 2006 (71 FR 2886), and June 29, 2006 (71 FR 36990)

Oregon OSHA is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. The main office is located in Salem.

Coverage

The Oregon State Plan applies to private sector workplaces in the state with the exception of the following:

1. Employment on the navigable waters of the U.S.; shipyard and boatyard employment on or immediately adjacent to the navigable waters – including floating vessels, dry docks, graving docks and marine railways – from the front gate of the work site to the U.S. statutory limits; longshoring, marine terminal and marine grain terminal operations, except production or manufacturing areas and their storage facilities; construction activities emanating from or on floating vessels on the navigable waters of the U.S.; commercial diving originating from an object afloat a navigable waterway; and all other private sector places of employment on or adjacent to navigable waters whenever the activity occurs on or from the water;
2. All private sector establishments, including tribal and Indian-owned enterprises, on all Indian and non-Indian lands within the currently established boundaries of all Indian reservations, including the Warm Springs and Umatilla reservations, and on lands outside these reservations that are held in trust by the federal government for these tribes (Businesses owned by Indians or Indian tribes that conduct work activities outside the tribal reservation or trust lands are subject to the same jurisdiction as non-Indian owned businesses.);
3. Worksites located within federal military reservations, except private contractors working on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam construction projects, including reconstruction of docks or other appurtenances;
4. Employment at Crater Lake National Park;
5. Employment at the U.S. Department of Energy's Albany Research Center (ARC);
6. Contract workers and contractor-operated facilities engaged in United States Postal Service (USPS) mail operations; and
7. All working conditions of aircraft cabin crewmembers onboard aircraft in operation.

In addition, any hazard, industry, geographical area, operation or facility over which the State Plan is unable to effectively exercise jurisdiction for reasons which OSHA determines are not related to the required performance or structure of the plan shall be deemed to be an issue not covered by the State Plan, which has received final approval, and subject to federal enforcement.

Federal OSHA covers the private sector workplaces not covered by Oregon OSHA with the exception of temporary labor camps in agriculture for workers not engaged in egg, poultry, or red meat production, or the post-harvest processing of agricultural or horticultural commodities. The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor covers the agricultural temporary labor camps which federal OSHA does not cover. Oregon OSHA covers state and local government employers. Federal OSHA covers federal agencies including USPS. In addition, federal OSHA retains enforcement of the anti-retaliation provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Section 11(c), 29 USC 660(c), with respect to the private sector. Oregon OSHA also investigates private and state and local government workplace retaliation cases under a provision analogous to Section 11(c).

A brief summary of the Oregon State Plan is included in the Code of Federal Regulations at 29 CFR 1952.2. Federal OSHA retains the authority to promulgate, modify, or revoke occupational safety and health standards under Section 6 of the OSH Act. In the event that federal OSHA resumes enforcement, those federal standards will be enforced. Federal OSHA also retains authority to monitor the State Plan under Section 18(f) of the OSH Act.

State Plan Standards

Oregon OSHA has adopted many OSHA standards that would relate to state and local government and private sector workplace operations by reference. Oregon OSHA has the following unique standards:

General Industry

• Walking-Working Surfaces
• Means of Egress
• Manually Propelled Elevating Aerial Platforms
• Scissor Lifts – Self-Propelled Elevating Work Platforms
• Boom-Supported Elevating Work Platforms
• Ventilation for Abrasive Blasting
• Noise Exposure
• Hazardous Materials and Processes
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Sanitation
• Labor Camps
• Accident Prevention and Tags
• Confined Spaces
• Hazardous Stored Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
• Medical Services and First Aid
• Protections for Firefighters
• Portable Fire Extinguishers
• Powered Industrial Trucks, Railcars, and Other Industrial Vehicles
• Cranes and Derricks
• Slings and other Hoisting Equipment
• Aerial Cableways and Tramways
• Woodworking and Metal Lathe Machinery
• Mechanical, Hydraulic, Pneumatic, and Other Power Presses
• Compactors, Balers, and Refuse Packing or Collection Equipment
• Conveyors
• Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Other Hand-Held Equipment
• Welding, Cutting, and Brazing
• Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills; Paper Printing Operations
• Sawmills and Other Wood Processing
• Logging and Forestry
• Telecommunications
• Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution
• Window Cleaning
• Tree Care and Removal
• Working near Overhead High Voltage Lines and Equipment
• Commercial Diving
• Air Contaminants
• Bloodborne Pathogens
• SHARPS Injury Log
• Carcinogens in Laboratories
• Pesticides and Fumigation
• Hazard Communication
• Illumination and Industrial Lighting
• Non-Industrial Motor Vehicles and the Transportation of Workers Over Land

Construction

• Sanitation
• Noise Exposure
• Air Contaminants
• Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response
• Respiratory Protection
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Traffic Control
• Power-Actuated Tools
• Working near Overhead High Voltage Lines and Equipment
• Branch Circuits
• Scaffolds
• Fall Protection
• Motor Vehicles and Mechanized Equipment
• Excavations
• Concrete and Masonry Construction
• Steel Erection and Wood Framing
• Electric Power Transmission and Distribution
• Stairways and Ladders
• Asbestos
• Cadmium
• Methylenedianiline
• Lead
• Cranes and Derricks
• Flooring
• Temporary Floors
• Shoring, Bracing, or Guying of Structures
• Project Plans

Agriculture

• Tractors and Other Agricultural Vehicles (including Roll-Over Protective Structures [ROPS] for Tractors in Agriculture)
• Conveyors
• Choppers, Grinders, Abrasive Wheels, Cutters, Spreaders, and Saws
• Field Sanitation
• Walking-Working Surfaces
• Exits and Emergency Action Plan
• Man Lifts
• Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms
• Ventilation
• Noise Exposure
• Hazardous Materials and Processes
• Protective Equipment
• Agricultural Labor Housing and Related Facilities
• Safety Colors for Marking Physical Hazards
• Accident Prevention Signs
• Confined and Hazardous Spaces
• Manure Lagoons, Storage Ponds, Vats, Pits, and Separators
• Hazardous Stored Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
• Medical Services and First Aid
• Fire Protection and Prevention
• Rim Wheel and Tire Servicing
• Helicopters
• Slings and Other Hoisting Equipment
• Small Tools
• Guarding and Operation of Portable Powered Tools
• Power Lawnmowers
• Other Portable Tools and Equipment
• Welding and Cutting
• Excavations
• Electrical Hazards
• Toxic Substances
• Air Contaminants
• Bloodborne Pathogens
• Ionizing Radiation
• Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories
• Pesticides
• Hazard Communication
• Lighting
• Fall Protection

Enforcement Programs

Oregon OSHA compliance is responsible for the enforcement of occupational safety and health standards. Oregon OSHA utilizes the Field Operations Manual (FOM) to provide guidance for the enforcement program. Compliance officers inspect workplaces for hazardous conditions and issue citations where violations of occupational safety and health standards are found. Inspections may be the result of regular scheduling, imminent danger reports, fatalities, and worker complaints or referrals. More information on enforcement in Oregon can be found on the Oregon State Plan website.

Voluntary and Cooperative Programs

Oregon OSHA offers voluntary and cooperative programs focused on reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Oregon OSHA also offers on-site consultation services which help employers – both state and local government and private sector – comply occupational safety and health standards and identify and correct potential safety and health hazards. For more information on these programs, please visit the Oregon State Plan website.

Informal Conferences and Appeals

Oregon OSHA personnel conduct informal conferences in an effort to resolve contested cases. The Oregon Worker's Compensation Board Hearings Division hears and rules on appeals from citations, notifications, and penalties issued by Oregon OSHA's enforcement unit. For more information on these proceedings, please visit the Oregon State Plan website.