Overview
On March 10, 2020, Governor Brown issued
Executive Order 20-04 (EO 20-04) that provides directives to certain state agencies in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and mitigate the impacts of climate change. EO 20-04 includes a directive to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon OSHA to jointly develop a proposal for standards to protect employees from workplace exposures to excessive heat and wildfire smoke. In response to EO 20-04, Oregon OSHA, in collaboration with the OHA, advisory committees, and stakeholders, will work towards developing two separate proposed standards.
Preventing Heat-related Illness
Workers who are exposed to sudden or excessive heat are at risk of developing heat-related illness. Heat-related illnesses include, heat rash and cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. As temperature and humidity increase, so does the level of risk to workers of developing potentially a life-threatening condition, especially when the body is generating its own heat when performing physical work. This situation is particularly serious when hot weather arrives suddenly or early in the season, before workers have had time to adjust to warm weather.
Contact Information:
Ted Bunch Theodore.Bunch@dcbs.oregon.gov
Sarah Rew Sarah.C.Rew@dcbs.oregon.gov
Meetings
On July 26, 2023, Oregon OSHA hosted a webinar that focused on process heat (such as in bakeries and foundries) in the heat illness prevention rules. The intent of this webinar was to clear up any confusion that may exist. The webinar presented, from an historical perspective, the language in the temporary heat illness prevention rules that were in effect the summer of 2021, the permanent heat illness prevention rules that became effective June 15, 2022, and the associated documents that details Oregon OSHA's intent regarding when heat is generated by a process versus ambient heat. Presentation: Oregon OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention Rule and Process Heat presentation
PPTX or
PDF
Meeting Schedule: PDF or Calendar
Over the next several months, Oregon OSHA will be holding virtual meetings for both rulemaking efforts with advisory committees and stakeholders to gather information and begin drafting new occupational health standards on both preventing outdoor heat-related illness and
protection from unhealthy levels of wildfire smoke. Stakeholders encouraged to participate in either or both rulemaking activities include, but are not limited to, individuals representing outdoor work operations such as crop-production agriculture, landscape construction and maintenance, wildland firefighting, forest activities, most construction, and demolition work. Meetings will focus on the following discussion points:
- Identification of potentially harmful levels to worker exposures;
- Engineering, administrative, and personal protective equipment controls to address potentially harmful exposures;
- Employee training and instruction; and
- Potential fiscal impacts of proposed rule requirements.
Minutes
Documents
May 9, 2022
January 28, 2022
November 15, 2021
September 16, 2021
August 16, 2021
August 2, 2021
June 23, 2021
May 26, 2021
May 6, 2021
April 16, 2021
March 25, 2021
March 4, 2021