Oregon OSHA Archives - nwLaborPress

A bill to toughen OSHA penalties is on its way to Governor Kotek’s desk after committee room drama and a failed GOP attempt to gut the bill.

Oregon is often seen as a model for strong labor standards, but it ranks lowest in the nation when it comes to OSHA penalties.

Oregon OSHA has the lowest fines in the nation: The average for a fatal accident is $1,077. Oregon labor wants that to change.

A federal judge has dismissed a business group lawsuit that challenged new rules protecting Oregon workers from heat and smoke.

What is a life worth? According to Oregon OSHA, it seems, $5,400. That’s how much it recently fined a company after a worker was killed on the job.

As we saw with the heat wave in June 2021, human lives are on the line, and it is absolutely critical that we have strong rules in place.

It took a few years, but Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health agency has finalized rules protecting Oregon workers from heat and smoke.

It took a frightening three-day heat wave to get action, but on July 8, Oregon OSHA said employers must protect workers during extreme heat.

For over 15 years, Michael Wood has been at the helm of Oregon OSHA. The Labor Press caught up with him by Zoom April 8.

Oregon OSHA now says employers must protect workers from COVID-19 in all workplaces. Letting them know about it will be the next challenge.