Oregon OSHA encourages all employers to refresh their knowledge of workplace safety and health rules designed to protect workers from the dangers of high heat.
This is especially important as temperatures in Oregon are expected to reach high levels in the coming days. Oregon OSHA urges employers to focus on heat stress prevention, including acclimatization, which involves gradually adapting the body to work in the heat. Other critical steps to prevent heat illness include water, rest, shade, and training.
Oregon OSHA maintains heat illness prevention rules under which employers must take concrete steps to protect workers from the hazards of high heat. The rules apply across industries and to settings in which employers provide labor housing. Workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, and they have the right to raise concerns free of retaliation.
The following fact sheets address general workplace requirements and employer-provided housing requirements in both English and Spanish:
More heat illness prevention resources are available on Oregon OSHA's A-to-Z topic index page. The resources include a video training in English and Spanish that satisfies certain training elements of the heat rule.
Oregon OSHA offers free resources to help answer questions about how to apply our rules to your workplace and about how to improve your workplace safety and health program.