Oregon Law
Law as of Jan 1, 2026
Chapter contents
654.001Short title 654.003Purpose 654.005Definitions 654.010Employers to furnish safe place of employment 654.015Unsafe or unhealthy place of employment prohibited 654.020Interference with safety devices or methods prohibited; civil penalty 654.022Duty to comply with safety and health orders, decisions and rules 654.025Jurisdiction and supervision of Workers’ Compensation Board, director and other state agencies over employment and places of employment; rules 654.030[Amended by 1973 c.833 §24; renumbered 654.130] 654.031Citation and order to correct unsafe or unhealthy conditions 654.035Scope of rules and orders 654.040[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §34 (654.290 enacted in lieu of 654.040, 654.065, 654.070, 654.075 and 654.080)] 654.045[Amended by 1973 c.833 §10; renumbered 654.031] 654.047[Formerly 654.225; 1965 c.285 §82; repealed by 1973 c.833 §15 (654.067 enacted in lieu of 654.047, 654.222 and 654.232)] 654.050[Amended by 1953 c.387 §2; 1957 c.436 §1; 1965 c.285 §69d; 1969 c.534 §1; 1971 c.251 §1; repealed by 1973 c.833 §19 (654.082 and 654.086 enacted in lieu of 654.050)] 654.055[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §12 (654.056 and 654.078 enacted in lieu of 654.055)] 654.056Variance from safety or health standards; effect of variance on citations 654.060[Amended by 1973 c.833 §8; renumbered 654.022] 654.062Notice of violation to employer by worker; complaint by worker to director; inspection; employee protections; rebuttable presumption; rules 654.065[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §34 (654.290 enacted in lieu of 654.040, 654.065, 654.070, 654.075 and 654.080)] 654.067Inspection of places of employment; comprehensive inspections; denial of access; warrants; safety and health consultation with employees 654.070[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §34 (654.290 enacted in lieu of 654.040, 654.065, 654.070, 654.075 and 654.080)] 654.071Citation for safety or health standard violations; effect of failure to correct violation; posting of citations and notices by employer 654.074[1973 c.833 §17a; repealed by 1977 c.804 §55] 654.075[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §34 (654.290 enacted in lieu of 654.040, 654.065, 654.070, 654.075 and 654.080)] 654.078Contesting violations; hearing; admissibility in criminal or civil proceedings of stipulations involving violations 654.080[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §34 (654.290 enacted in lieu of 654.040, 654.065, 654.070, 654.075 and 654.080)] 654.082Prohibiting use of equipment involved in violation; red warning notice 654.085[Amended by 1973 c.833 §33; renumbered 654.285] 654.086Civil penalty for violations; classification of violations; penalty adjustments; payment and disposition of penalty moneys; reporting 654.090Occupational safety and health activities; voluntary compliance; rules; consultative services 654.092[Formerly 654.255; repealed by 1965 c.285 §95] 654.093[Formerly 654.265; repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.094[Formerly 654.270; repealed by 1965 c.285 §95] 654.095[Amended by 1965 c.285 §69e; repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.096[Formerly 654.275; repealed by 1967 c.92 §5] 654.097Consultative services required; program standards; rules 654.100[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §31 (654.251 enacted in lieu of 654.100)] 654.101Voluntary safety and health consultation; refusal to disclose report 654.105[1957 c.156 §1; 1959 c.684 §1; repealed by 1973 c.833 §29 (654.241 enacted in lieu of 654.105 and 654.226)] 654.110[1957 c.156 §2; 1959 c.684 §3; repealed by 1971 c.251 §2] 654.120Records of proceedings; confidentiality of certain information; federal reporting requirements; rules 654.130Proceedings against unwilling witnesses 654.150Sanitary facilities at construction projects; standards; exemptions 654.154[1995 c.163 §2; renumbered 654.172 in 2005] 654.155[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.160Applicability of ORS 654.150 to be included in construction contracts; liability for cost of compliance 654.165Employees not required to work bare-handed or rubber-gloved on high voltage lines 654.170Stairway railings and guards not required for certain public and historic buildings 654.172Exemption from inspection or investigation for certain agricultural activities 654.174Sanitation facilities for workers harvesting food crops; employer to post notice; rules 654.175[Repealed by 1969 c.534 §2] 654.176Safety committee or safety meeting required 654.180[Repealed by 1969 c.534 §2] 654.182Rules for ORS 654.176; contents 654.187[1981 c.488 §4; repealed by 1991 c.746 §1] 654.189Safe Employment Education and Training Advisory Committee; members; terms; expenses; duties; meetings 654.191Occupational Safety and Health Grant program; rules 654.192Labor organization not liable for injury resulting from absence of safety or health provision 654.194[1985 c.683 §2; repealed by 1999 c.232 §1] 654.196Rules on contents of piping systems; posting notice on right to be informed of hazardous substances; withholding of information under certain circumstances 654.200Scholarship account; use; standards for eligibility 654.202Issuance of warrants for safety and health inspections 654.205[Repealed by 1959 c.516 §6] 654.206Grounds for issuance of inspection warrants; requirements of affidavit 654.210[Repealed by 1959 c.516 §6] 654.212Procedure for issuance of inspection warrant by magistrate 654.215[Repealed by 1959 c.516 §6] 654.216Execution of inspection warrants 654.220[Repealed by 1959 c.516 §6] 654.222[1971 c.405 §5; repealed by 1973 c.833 §15 (654.067 enacted in lieu of 654.047, 654.222 and 654.232)] 654.225[Amended by 1959 c.516 §1; renumbered 654.047] 654.226[1971 c.405 §6; repealed by 1973 c.833 §29 (654.241 enacted in lieu of 654.105 and 654.226)] 654.230[Repealed by 1959 c.516 §6] 654.232[1971 c.405 §7; repealed by 1973 c.833 §15 (654.067 enacted in lieu of 654.047, 654.222 and 654.232)] 654.235[Amended by 1959 c.516 §2; renumbered 654.062] 654.240[Repealed by 1959 c.516 §6] 654.241[1973 c.833 §30 (enacted in lieu of 654.105 and 654.226); repealed by 1975 c.102 §4] 654.245[Repealed by 1959 c.516 §6] 654.250[Repealed by 1959 c.516 §6] 654.251Assistance to director from other state agencies; inspection of farm labor camps and facilities 654.255[Amended by 1955 c.643 §1; 1957 c.492 §1; 1959 c.516 §3; renumbered 654.092] 654.260[Amended by 1955 c.643 §2; repealed by 1959 c.516 §6] 654.265[Amended by 1955 c.644 §1; renumbered 654.093] 654.270[Renumbered 654.094] 654.275[Amended by 1959 c.516 §4; renumbered 654.096] 654.285Admissibility of rules and orders of department in evidence in proceedings under ORS 654.001 to 654.295, 654.412 to 654.423 and 654.750 to 654.780 654.290Applicability of Administrative Procedures Act; Administrative Law Judge qualifications 654.293Representation of employer by attorney permitted 654.295Application of Oregon Safe Employment Act 654.305Protection and safety of persons in hazardous employment generally 654.310Places of employment; compliance with applicable orders, rules 654.315Persons in charge of work to see that ORS 654.305 to 654.336 are complied with 654.320Who considered agent of owner 654.325Who may prosecute damage action for death; damages unlimited 654.330Fellow servant negligence as defense 654.335[Repealed by 2001 c.865 §19] 654.336Comparative negligence 654.345Safety standards for utility vehicle rentals 654.400Use of title of industrial hygienist, occupational health and safety technologist, construction health and safety technician or safety professional; cause of action 654.402Activities permitted under other designation, certification or license 654.405[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.410[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.412Definitions for ORS 654.412 to 654.423 654.413Required policies regarding surgical smoke 654.414Duties of health care employer; security and safety assessment; workplace violence prevention and protection program; requirements 654.415[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.416Required records of assaults against employees; contents; summary report; rules 654.417Duty of Department of Consumer and Business Services to submit consolidated report of assault records and incidents of workplace violence occurring on premises of health care provider; requirements 654.418Protection of employee of health care employer after assault by patient 654.420[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.421Refusal to treat certain patients by home health care employee 654.423Use of physical force by health care employee in self-defense against assault 654.425[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.430[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.505[Repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.510[Amended by 1953 c.514 §5; 1957 c.201 §1; 1959 c.515 §1; repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.515[Repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.520[Amended by 1953 c.514 §5; repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.525[Amended by 1959 c.657 §1; repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.530[Amended by 1953 c.514 §5; 1957 c.201 §2; repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.532[1953 c.514 §5; 1957 c.201 §3; repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.535[Amended by 1953 c.514 §5; 1957 c.201 §4; repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.540[Amended by 1957 c.465 §11; repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.545[Amended by 1953 c.514 §5; repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.550[Amended by 1953 c.514 §5; 1957 c.201 §5; repealed by 1961 c.485 §29] 654.605[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.610[Repealed by 1973 c.833 §48] 654.705[Repealed by 1967 c.150 §2] 654.710[Repealed by 1967 c.150 §2] 654.715Report of accidents to Public Utility Commission; investigation; supplemental reports; rules 654.720Public inspection or use of reports as evidence prohibited 654.750Definitions for ORS 654.750 to 654.780 654.760Rules on hazardous chemicals, safety equipment and training 654.770Basic information available to agricultural employers for employees; content; language 654.780Providing basic information to employees 654.991Penalties

Chapter 654 — Occupational Safety and Health

ORS 654.305 Protection and safety of persons in hazardous employment generally

Generally, all owners, contractors or subcontractors and other persons having charge of, or responsibility for, any work involving a risk or danger to the employees or the public shall use every device, care and precaution that is practicable to use for the protection and safety of life and limb, limited only by the necessity for preserving the efficiency of the structure, machine or other apparatus or device, and without regard to the additional cost of suitable material or safety appliance and devices.

Official sources · 2Tap to view provenance and version history

Online copy of the published ORS edition

Provenance

Version history

Earlier statutory text is available in an ingested published ORS edition.