Category Archives: Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHA)

Worker Who Fell Into Package Shredder Sues “Food Upcycler” for $21 Million

A Hermiston “food upcycler” is being sued for $21 million after a worker was seriously injured after falling into a running package shredder. Dionicio Ramirez-Pablo was working the night shift at Addie’s Alternative when a damp package caused the shredder he was operating to jam in May 2022. Following his manager’s prior instructions, Ramirez-Pablo jumped […]
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How Oregon’s response to extreme heat differs from Florida’s new law

Florida has blocked local governments from requiring employers to provide heat breaks to outdoor workers or requiring other heat exposure provisions not already required by federal law. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the ban into law in April despite the risk of extreme temperatures across the country. Last summer was Earth’s hottest on record, according […]
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Oregon OSHA names winners of annual student competition

Students from Silverton and Hermiston high schools took first-place prizes in this year’s Oregon OSHA media contest to promote young worker safety and health awareness. For the 16th annual contest – organized by the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition, known as O[yes] – high school students were challenged to create either a 30- to 90-second […]
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Oregon farmers, worker advocates reach impasse over improvements to labor camps. Will the governor help?

After more than five years, negotiations between Oregon growers and advocates have reached a deadlock over farmworker housing improvements – despite help from a state-funded facilitator – and advocates are now asking Gov. Tina Kotek for help. Both sides began meeting in November 2018 to hash out changes to the state’s outdated agricultural labor housing […]
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Oregon State Hospital makes changes following patient death

The Oregon State Hospital has taken steps to improve organization of and access to emergency medical equipment after being cited in April by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) following the death of a patient. Federal inspectors visited the Salem campus last month after the hospital reported the April 18 death shortly after […]
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Oregon employers celebrate worker safety with May 8 ‘Safety Break’

Fill in the blank: __ days since an injury at my workplace. Maybe not at your job, but people do get injured at work. Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Oregon OSHA) works to keep people as safe as possible, and part of the OR-OSHA efforts include the annual “Safety Break.” Source: Oregon employers celebrate […]
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Coffin Butte Landfill given citations after worker complaints

Oregon OSHA has cited and fined Coffin Butte Landfill, owned by Republic Services, following investigations into worker complaints that they are exposed to dangerous conditions on the job. The current and former employees of the landfill north of Corvallis have been taking their concerns around air and water quality and exposure to dangerous wastes to […]
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Sky Ridge Construction in Bend fined by OSHA

A Bend construction company was fined more than $100,000 for repeatedly violating worker protection requirements, according to a statement by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division. Sky Ridge Construction LLC was fined $103,438 for repeatedly failing to provide safeguards against falls on a new housing job site, the workplace safety agency said. Source: Sky […]
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OSHA fines Portland company $118,800 for hazards that knocked 2 workers out

Oregon OSHA has fined a Portland environmental services company a total of $118,800 for numerous safety violations that resulted in two workers passing out on the job. The fine against River City Environmental Inc. is one of the largest levied by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division in recent years, division spokesman Aaron Corvin […]
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Oregon OSHA ruling finds Cascadia Health failed to protect slain caregiver

The company that operates the Gresham facility where a mental health aide worker was stabbed to death July 16 has been fined $7,250 by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health. Source: Oregon OSHA ruling finds Cascadia Health failed to protect slain caregiver | Local&State | rv-times.com