We're dedicated to improving workplace safety and health in Oregon and committed to working with labor, business, and other government agencies to accomplish that goal. We do that in the following ways.

Enforcement

• Our compliance officers inspect workplaces, provide pre-job conferences to employers, and offer hazard-abatement assistance to employers who have received citations.
• Compliance officers also conduct workplace inspections on referral and complaints of unsafe working conditions.
• Other enforcement staff investigate workplace fatalities and serious injuries.

Appeals and informal conferences

Appeals specialists review appealed citations and conduct informal conferences with employers throughout the state. Informal conferences resolve about 90 percent of appealed cases. Unresolved contested cases are referred to the Workers Compensation Board Hearings Division.

Occupational health laboratory

We operate a nationally certified occupational health laboratory in Portland. This well-equipped lab analyzes samples collected by compliance officers and consultants to determine chemical compositions and concentrations of hazardous substances to which workers may be exposed.

Consultative services

Our consultants in the fields of workplace safety, industrial hygiene, and ergonomics can help you reduce lost-time accident costs and show you how to make your workplace safer by developing a comprehensive program to manage safety and health.

Safety consultants will help you identify and correct hazards such as those associated with machines, industrial vehicles, electrical devices, material-handling equipment, and working surfaces.

Industrial hygiene consultations will help you identify and monitor employee exposure to health hazards such as noise, air contaminants, and toxic chemicals.

Ergonomic consultations will help you develop effective, practical ways to reduce overexertion injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and lower-back strains.

Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). If you're committed to a safer workplace, SHARP will reward your efforts. When you become a SHARP participant, your employees, business partners, and the community know you are committed to safety.

Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). VPP rewards employers who exceed Oregon's occupational safety and health requirements and become industry leaders in their commitment to workplace safety.

Standards and technical resources

The Standards and Technical Resources Section writes and publishes Oregons standards for occupational safety and health. This section also provides technical assistance and produces innovative safe-practice guidebooks on many topics for employers and employees.

The Oregon OSHA Resource Center has a lending library offering hundreds of videos and an extensive collection of books and journals covering all aspects of workplace safety and health. The Resource Center, in Salem, is open to the public, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Publications may also be ordered online at any time.

Public education

Oregon OSHA offers free year-round training workshops throughout Oregon and online classes for employers and employees.

General classes cover basic safety and health management, safety committee activities, recordkeeping, and accident investigation. Technical classes include topics such as ergonomics, hazard communication, fall protection, and lockout/tagout.

Conferences

Oregon OSHA co-hosts conferences throughout Oregon that enable employees and employers to learn and share ideas with local and nationally recognized safety and health professionals. The biennial Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Conference in Portland is the Pacific Northwest's largest safety and health show.

Scholarships and training grants

The Education and Training Grant program awards grants to nonprofit organizations, labor groups, and educational institutions to develop innovative training materials in the area of workplace safety and health for Oregon employees and employers.

Oregon students who have lost a parent in a workplace accident or had a parent suffer a debilitating job-related injury may be eligible to apply for the Workers’ Memorial Scholarship. An electronic application is available on the Oregon Student Access Commission website, www.oregonstudentaid.gov.

Donations accepted for Workers’ Memorial Scholarship fund

Each year, children in Oregon must cope with a parent being taken from their lives through a workplace death. The loss can have a profound effect on a family’s ability to finance higher education. The Workers’ Memorial Scholarship fund was established by the 1991 Legislature at the request of the Oregon AFL-CIO to help surviving family members reach their educational goals.

Private donations to the fund can be accepted, but are not solicited by Oregon OSHA. Please make checks payable to “DCBS Workers’ Memorial Scholarship Account” and mail your donation to Oregon OSHA, c/o Melissa Esser, P.O. Box 14480, Salem, OR 97309.

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Questions?

Oregon OSHA has field offices across Oregon. If you have questions or need information, call us toll-free, (800) 922-2689, or call the office nearest you.