Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon OSHA launches free online training to help comply with emergency wildfire smoke rule

For immediate release

Aug. 10, 2021

Contact information

​​​Aaron Corvin, Public Information Officer
971-718-6973, aaron.corvin@dcbs.​oregon.gov
 Click to subscribe

Salem, OR — Employers now have a free and flexible resource to help them comply with rules aimed at protecting workers from wildfire smoke, thanks to an interactive online training course developed by Oregon OSHA.

The course – Wildfire Smoke Training Requirements – is designed to help employers meet certain training requirements found in Oregon OSHA’s emergency temporary rule, which addresses wildfire smoke in the workplace.

“We encourage employers to take advantage of this free training resource, which will help them better understand and carry out our rule,” said Roy Kroker, consultation and public education manager for Oregon OSHA. “And it provides an opportunity for employers to enhance their existing training programs.”

The temporary rule addressing wildfire smoke took effect Aug. 9 and will remain in effect for 180 days. The rule requires employers to comply with employee training provisions by Aug. 16. They must do so for employees who may be exposed to wildfire smoke where the ambient air concentration for fine particulate matter (also known as PM2.5) is at or above an Air Quality Index (AQI) 101, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Moreover, employers must ensure workers who may be exposed to AQI 101 have been trained in a manner and language they understand.

The training requirement applies unless the employer predetermines that operations involving wildfire smoke exposure will be suspended before employees are exposed to an AQI 101.

The online training course covers six of the 10 required training elements. They are: 

  • Symptoms of wildfire smoke exposure
  • Potential health effects of wildfire smoke
  • The definition of sensitive groups
  • Employees’ rights
  • How to access the AQI
  • The importance, limitations, and benefits of using a filtering facepiece respirator (commonly known as an N95), and how to properly wear one

The remaining four required training elements are based on each employer’s operational practices. They must be covered by the employer. Those elements are: steps to take when an employee is sick from exposure to wildfire smoke; how to operate air quality monitoring devices supplied by the employer; methods to protect employees from wildfire smoke; and a communication system for wildfire smoke hazards. 

Oregon OSHA’s online training course takes about an hour to complete. It features graphics and links to more resources to help employers achieve full compliance with the rule. It offers an opportunity to obtain a certificate of completion. On the training course’s webpage, the course is also available to instructors as a PowerPoint. 

A Spanish-language version of the training course will be available soon.  

Oregon OSHA encourages a careful reading of the temporary wildfire smoke rule. Workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace. That includes the right to raise concerns free from retaliation and to file a complaint with Oregon OSHA.

In addition to its online training courses, the division offers the following free resources – involving no citations, no penalties, and no fault – to help employers comply with workplace health and safety requirements. They include:

Consultation services – Provides free help with safety and health programs, including how to control and eliminate hazards, and hands-on training

Technical staff – Helps employers understand requirements and how to apply them to their worksites

Also, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, which includes Oregon OSHA, maintains the Multicultural Communications Program that provides outreach to communities with limited English proficiency. That outreach encompasses information about on-the-job safety and health. The program includes a toll-free phone number for Spanish speakers: 800-843-8086.

Other wildfire smoke resources include:


###

About Oregon OSHA:

Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. For more information, go to osha.oregon.gov.

The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, go to www.oregon.gov/dcbs/.