Oregon issues temporary COVID-19 safety rule

Due Date

Summary of Requirements

Immediately

Notification: Employers must createa process to notify, within 24 hours, an employee who had contact with someone at work who later tested positive for COVID-19.

Immediately

Distancing & face coverings: Employers must ensure that employees remain at least six feet apart while performing their job duties, unless physical distancing is not feasible. Employers must also ensure everyone in the workplace wears a mask, face-covering, or face shield. Employers must provide masks, face covering or face shields for employees at no cost to the worker.

Immediately

Cleaning: Employers must regularly clean all common areas, shared equipment, and high-touch surfaces that are used by employees or the public. Cleaning must occur at least every 24 hours in workplaces occupied less than 12 hours a day and at least every 8 hours in workplaces occupied for 12 or more hours a day. Employers must provide employees with sufficient hand-washing supplies and reasonable time to sanitize their work surfaces.

Immediately

High-risk workplaces:There are additional rules for workplaces with exceptional exposure risks, including workplaces in which employees perform: direct patient care; direct client service in residential care or assisted living facilities; emergency responder activities; and personal care activities that involve very close contact with an individual. See thetemporary rulefor further guidance.

Immediately

Posting: Employers must post aCOVID-19 Hazards Poster in a conspicuous area of the workplace and provide a copy to remote employees either electronically or by other effective means.

12/7/2020

Risk assessment: Employers must conduct an exposure risk assessment involving participation and feedback from employees. The assessment must involve an analysis of, among other things, whether employees can work remotely, how job duties have been modified to account for social distancing, procedures for reporting COVID-19 symptoms, and engineering controls, such as ventilation and physical barriers. The state is expected to release a sample risk assessment template. Employers with more than 10 employees in the state must document their assessment in writing and make a copy accessible in the workplace.

12/7/2020

Infection control plan: Employers must develop and implement an infection control plan based on the risk factors identified in their risk assessment. At a minimum, the plan must include a list of tasks requiring the use of personal protective equipment, how the company will ensure there's an adequate supply of face coverings, a list of hazard control measures implemented to minimize exposure to COVID-19, procedures used to communicate to employees about potential exposure, and how the company will provide workers with information and training on the requirements found in the temporary rule. Employers with more than 10 employees in the state must document their plan in writing and make a copy accessible in the workplace.

12/21/2020

Training: Employers must train employees on physical distancing, face coverings, sanitation requirements, the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and the company's COVID-19 reporting procedures. The state will release sample training materials. The training may be provided remotely.

1/6/2021

Ventilation: Employers must optimize the amount of outside air that circulates through existing HVAC systems and ensure proper maintenance and cleaning of the systems.