Oregon OSHA carries out its work through a multi-faceted program supported by a team of dedicated, passionate, and creative employees. The following are just some of the ways employees step up every day in field offices across Oregon to keep workers safe and healthy:
Operating a nationally certified occupational health laboratory that analyzes samples of hazardous substances
Inspecting workplaces based on complaints, referrals, accidents, fatalities, emphasis programs, and inspection lists focused on high-hazard industries, and issuing citations when violations are substantiated
Providing consultation services to employers at no cost, no fault, and no citations to show them how to identify and correct workplace hazards, develop systems, and manage a safety and health program
Offering conferences, workshops, and materials covering safety and health programs or hazards, and other topics, including safety committees, accident investigations, and job safety analyses
Maintaining and updating a comprehensive set of free resources about how to improve workplace health and safety
Developing, interpreting, and giving technical advice on safety and health rules
Publishing safe practice guides and other materials for employers and workers
Oregon OSHA's work has resulted in many positive changes. Just look at the decades-long decreases in incident rates. From 1990 through 2021, for example, injury and illness rates dropped by more than 60 percent, and fatality rates fell by more than 50 percent. Or you can review Oregon's plummeting workers' compensation costs. Those costs – already among the lowest in the nation – dropped again in 2023 for the 10th-straight year.
Injury incidence rates, 1990-2021
Fatality rates, 1990-2021
Click images for larger view
But Oregon OSHA hasn't achieved success alone. Everyone from employers and workers to workers' compensation insurers and safety advocates help make on-the-job safety and health a reality. It is a team effort.
Industry representatives from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho recently attended a Special Government Employee training session at Oregon OSHA’s Portland area field office. Indeed, Oregon OSHA doesn't act alone. It relies on relationships, partnerships, public input, and engagement with labor and business advocates, and other stakeholders – all of which helps create trust as the division seeks solutions, listens carefully, and makes decisions.
Renée Stapleton,
Administrator
“Our stakeholders all want the same thing: safe and healthy workplaces," said Renée Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA. “But their approach can sometimes be different from one another. Oregon OSHA is often in the position to help diverse sides of an issue be more collaborative and understanding."