Oregon OSHA State Plan — agency authority and coverage
Oregon enforces workplace safety and health requirements through Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. The agency operates under the Oregon Safe Employment Act (ORS Chapter 654) and administers a federally approved State Plan that covers most private-sector employers and all state and local government employers. Federal OSHA retains jurisdiction over federal government employees (including USPS), maritime employers (shipyards, longshoring, marine terminals), and certain employers on navigable waters. Oregon OSHA's standards must be at least as effective as federal OSHA standards but may include additional or stricter state-specific requirements.
Injury and illness recordkeeping and reporting requirements
Oregon employers must comply with two distinct workplace safety obligations: recordkeeping (maintaining logs of work-related injuries and illnesses) and incident reporting (immediate notification to Oregon OSHA of serious incidents). These requirements are codified in OAR 437-001-0700 (recordkeeping) and OAR 437-001-0704 (reporting).
## Recordkeeping — OSHA 300 Log and 300A Summary
Employers with more than 10 employees at any time during the last calendar year must maintain injury and illness records using three forms: the OSHA 300 Log (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses), the OSHA 300A Summary (Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses), and DCBS Form 801 (or equivalent) for each recordable injury or illness. The 10-employee threshold applies to the entire Oregon company, not per establishment. Employers in specific low-hazard retail, service, finance, insurance, or real estate industries listed in Table 1 of OAR 437-001-0700 are exempt regardless of size. Even exempt employers must maintain DCBS Form 801 for any occupational injury or illness that may result in a compensable workers' compensation claim.
Employers must record a work-related injury or illness if it results in: (1) death; (2) days away from work; (3) restricted work or job transfer; (4) medical treatment beyond first aid; (5) loss of consciousness; or (6) a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or licensed health care professional (e.g., cancer, chronic irreversible disease, fractured or cracked bone, punctured eardrum). The OSHA 300 Log must be maintained on a calendar-year basis. For recordable injuries, employers must enter the case within 7 calendar days after receiving information that a recordable injury or illness has occurred.
Each February 1, employers must post the OSHA 300A Summary (not the full 300 Log) in a common area where notices to employees are usually posted, and keep it posted through April 30. A company official (owner, officer, or highest-ranking manager at the establishment) must certify and sign the summary. Certain employers in designated industries must also electronically submit their Form 300A information to Oregon OSHA through the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) by March 2 of the year following the calendar year covered by the form.
## Incident Reporting — 8-Hour and 24-Hour Deadlines
Oregon employers must immediately report certain serious incidents directly to Oregon OSHA by telephone or in person, regardless of whether they are otherwise exempt from recordkeeping.
Within 8 hours of the incident or employer knowledge (reported to the employer or any agent), employers must report:
- Fatalities: All work-related fatalities, including those caused by heart attacks at work. The fatality must be reported only if death occurs within 30 days of the incident.
- Catastrophes: An incident in which two or more employees are fatally injured, OR three or more employees are admitted to a hospital or equivalent medical facility (clinic) as a result of the same incident.
Within 24 hours of the incident or employer knowledge, employers must report:
- In-patient hospitalizations: Any work-related incident resulting in an employee's admission to a hospital (overnight stay for medical treatment).
- Loss of an eye.
- Amputations or avulsions that result in bone loss. (An avulsion is the tearing away of body tissue; only those involving bone or cartilage loss are reportable.)
The 8-hour and 24-hour clocks start running either when the incident occurs or when the incident is reported to the employer or any of the employer's agents, whichever is later. Reports must be made by calling 800-922-2689 or contacting the nearest Oregon OSHA office in person.
Failure to report a fatality, catastrophe, or accident as required by OAR 437-001-0704 subjects the employer to a civil penalty of not less than $250 nor more than $12,675 per OAR 437-001-0170.
## Retention and Access
Employers must retain the OSHA 300 Log, 300A Summary, and supporting documentation for 5 years following the year to which the records pertain. Current and former employees, and authorized employee representatives, have the right to access the OSHA 300 Log for their workplace upon request.
Source: OAR 437-001-0700, Recording Workplace Injuries and Illnesses; OAR 437-001-0704, Reporting Fatalities, Catastrophes, Injuries and Illnesses to Oregon OSHA; OAR 437-001-0170, Determination of Penalty — Failure to Report; Oregon OSHA Recordkeeping and Reporting