Medical records access

Overview

Employees or their designated representatives can request their medical records and exposure records. Employers must provide access to the records within 15 working days of a request or tell the employee the reason for the delay and the earliest date the record will be available. Employers cannot charge employees or their representatives for a copy of their exposure and medical records.

Oregon OSHA’s rule covering employees’ access to medical records (1910.1020) applies to general industry, construction, and agriculture employers who keep or have access to employee exposure and medical records.

Unless another Oregon OSHA rule has a different retention period, employers must:

Keep medical records for each employee for at least the duration of employment plus 30 years.
Keep employee exposure records for at least 30 years.

Recordkeeping can be done by a physician or by other health care personnel in charge of an employee’s medical records.

All available content

Publications

Brochures/Guides
- Bloodborne pathogens: questions and answers about occupational exposure
  Describes Oregon OSHA's requirements for preventing exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and other bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis C virus (HCV).
  English Order printed copy 08/15/2024
- Breathe right!
  Oregon OSHA's guide to respiratory protection for small-business owners and managers. Describes respiratory hazards and how to protect workers and guidelines for developing a respiratory protection program.
  English Order printed copy 03/28/2023
- GHS-aligned Hazard Communication Standard guidebook
  Includes an overview of Oregon OSHA's hazard communication rules and helps employers develop a hazard communication program.
  English Order printed copy 02/02/2019
- Occupational safety for the death care industry
  Developed in partnership with the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board to emphasize industry hazards, provide recommendations, and highlight related Oregon OSHA standards.
  English 09/23/2014
Fact sheets
- Bloodborne pathogens
  An overview of what employers must do to protect workers who may come into contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials that can cause serious illness or death.
  English 01/02/2023
- Patógenos transmitidos por la sangre
  Bloodborne pathogens
  Una descripción general de lo que los empleadores deben hacer para proteger a los trabajadores que pueden entrar en contacto con sangre y otros materiales potencialmente infecciosos.
  Spanish 02/22/2024
- Respiratory protection
  Describes general industry respiratory protection requirements and answers provides some questions with answers
  English 01/19/2005
References
- Rules with requirements
  We get many calls and emails from employers asking the same question. It begins: “Which of your rules have requirements for…” You can finish the sentence with words like “recordkeeping,” “employee training,” and “written documents.” To answer those questions, we’ve organized these rules requirements into a filterable, sortable, searchable table.
  English 05/10/2019

Education and training

Rules and rule-related

Final Rules
- Division 2, Subdivision Z, 1910.1020, Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records
  4-2011 Word version
- Division 4, Subdivision A, General Subjects
  4-2010 Word version
Interpretations
- Exposure and medical records
  10/29/1998
- Volunteer employee regulations
  10/18/2007
Program Directives
- Bloodborne Pathogens
  Purpose: This instruction establishes policies and provides clarifications to ensure uniform inspection procedures are followed when conducting inspections to enforce the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
  A-154 05/15/2013
- Exposure and Medical Records: Storage & Retention
  Purpose: To define and provide guidance as to the storage or retention location of required exposure or medical records.
  A-091 06/29/2000
- Hazard Communication
  Purpose: This directive establishes policies and provides clarification to ensure uniform application of the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS).
  A-150 01/07/2016
- Medical Examinations: Employee Refusal to Have Required Medical Examination or Annual Audiogram
  Purpose: To instruct compliance officers on action to be taken if an employee refuses to have a required medical examination or annual audiogram.
  A-058 05/15/2000
- Medical Examinations: Rehired Employees
  Purpose: To give guidance to compliance officers and employers on the requirements for initial employment and periodic examinations for employees who are rehired after a period of absence.
  A-101 06/29/2000
- Medical records access by Oregon OSHA
  Purpose: Oregon OSHA's access to employee medical records.
  A-266 02/11/2009
- Respiratory Protection: General Guidelines
  Purpose: This instruction establishes agency interpretations and enforcement policies, and provides instructions to ensure uniform enforcement of the Respiratory Protection Standard, 1910.134.
  A-233 12/22/2014
- Tuberculosis: Enforcement Procedures and Scheduling for Occupational Exposure
  Purpose: This instruction provides uniform inspection procedures and guidelines when conducting inspections and issuing citations under ORS 654, the Oregon Safe Employment Act, and pertinent standards for employees who are occupationally exposed to tuberculosis.
  A-215 09/10/2018

Medical records access

Overview

All available content

Publications

Education and training

Rules and rule-related

Video Resources

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Additional Resources