The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) has proposed a rule to strengthen protections against workplace violence in health care settings. The rule proposal responds to legislation adopted by the 2025 Oregon Legislature and signed by Gov. Tina Kotek. The division is taking public comment on the rule proposal, including virtual public hearings slated for August.
The proposed rule, OAR 437-002-0150 Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care, follows the passage of Senate Bill 537, which expanded existing requirements for workplace violence prevention among some health care employers. Home health agencies and home hospice providers were added to the list of health care employers, which already included ambulatory surgical centers and hospitals. The legislation changed “assaults” to a broader definition of “workplace violence.” That broader definition includes any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, assault, homicide or any other threatening behavior that occurs in the workplace.
The requirements for health care employers in the proposed rule broadly include:
- conducting periodic security and safety assessments to identify existing threats of workplace violence;
- developing and implementing a workplace violence prevention and protection program based on assessments; and
- providing workplace violence prevention and protection training on an annual basis.
Health care employers also must consult with their safety committee, or, when allowed, with employees during safety meetings, on procedures to investigate, collect, and report on incidents of workplace violence.
The rule proposal amends two existing standards to align with the new rule, OAR 437-001-0295 Discrimination Complaint, and OAR 437-001-0706 Recordkeeping for Healthcare Assaults. The OAR 437-001-0706 proposal has been renamed Recordkeeping for Health Care Workplace Violence.
The division’s public comment process includes these virtual public hearings:
Other options to comment include:
Email: OSHA.rulemaking@dcbs.oregon.gov
Mail: Department of Consumer and Business Services/Oregon OSHA; PO BOX 14480; Salem OR 97309-0405
Fax: 503-947-7461
The comment period closes at 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 31.
Tentative adoption of the proposed rule will be in October, with an effective date of January 2027.
Rule proposal documents are available and include Oregon OSHA staff contact information, notice letter, text of changes, and filing documents. The text of the rule proposal is available on Oregon OSHA’s website at osha.oregon.gov under rules, then proposed rules.
Oregon OSHA is following its formal and transparent rulemaking process – including stakeholder and public input and review – as it works to carry out the changes in Senate Bill 537. The division’s rulemaking process included participation of a Rules Advisory Group, four virtual advisory group meetings, and feedback on the fiscal impact statement and rule proposal. The web page for the Health Care Employee Safety Rule Advisory Group.