Oregon OSHA in coordination with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Public Health Division, and other technical advisors have released a draft which was reviewed by the Oregon OSHA Partnership Committee. The agency expects to adopt the temporary rule no later than October 21st with an effective date of November 1st. The rule will remain in place for 180 days before a permanent rule takes its place. 

The temporary rule applies to all Oregon workplaces with additional special provisions for workplaces with exceptional risk. The general requirements fall under 12 broad categories, physical distancing, PPE, sanitation, posting requirements, building operators, ventilation requirements, distancing officer, exposure risk assessment, employee information and training, COVID-19 infection notification process, COVID-19 testing for workers, and medical removal. The following bullets are a nonexhaustive list of the requirements relevant to county roads and public works departments that will be effective on November 1st. 

  • Ensure 6-foot distancing between all individuals in the workplace, and require face coverings for anyone 5 years or older when 6-foot distancing cannot be consistently assured.
    • A vehicle is limited to half its legal passenger capacity or two individuals total, whichever is higher.
  • Ensure that all high-contact surfaces used by multiple employees (door handles, telephones, cash registers, computers, drinking fountains, seatbelts, etc.) are thoroughly cleaned at the beginning of each shift.
  • All employers must conduct a COVID-19 exposure risk assessment, without regard to the use of personal protective equipment or masks, face shield, or face coverings. The assessment must involve feedback and participation from employees, and address the potential employee exposure of COVID-19 in the workplace such as, but not limited to: 
    • The ability for employees and patrons to social distance and how it changes during non-routine work activities
    • Identifying and promoting remote work opportunities 
    • How to implement and communicate the required PPE, sanitization, social distancing, and industry specific policies, including methods to report violations and hazards. 
  • Employers must provide training relevant to the required mitigation practices and allow opportunities for workers to provide input about the workplace related to physical distancing, PPE, sanitation, reporting requirements, and quarantine requirements.

See Section 3 “COVID-19 Requirements for All Workplaces” of the Draft COVID-19 Temporary Standard for more information on the general provisions that apply to all workplaces. 

The above requirements apply to all workplaces in Oregon. Additional requirements are in place for workplaces with exceptional risk defined as, direct patient care or environmental decontamination services in a healthcare setting; aerosal-generating healthcare or postmortem procedures; emergency first responder activities; and handling, packaging, cleaning, processing, or transportation human remains, human tissue specimens, or laboratory cultures collected from individuals known or suspected to have COVID-19. See Section 4 “COVID-19 Requirements for Workplaces at Exceptional Risk” of the Draft COVID-19 Temporary Standard for specific requirements. 

For more information, see the Oregon OSHA Infectious Disease Rulemaking page and the full Draft COVID-19 Temporary Standard. 

For more information on COVI-19 measures specific to construction worksites, see the Oregon OSHA Job health, safety resources for Oregon contractors website.