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The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) has adopted rules to protect workers from the hazards of high heat and wildfire smoke. The heat rule addresses access to shade and cool water, preventive cool-down breaks, and prevention plans, information and training. The wildfire smoke rule includes an array of exposure assessments and controls, and training and communication.

Both rules encompass initial protective measures for workers who rely on employer-provided housing.

The heat rule will take effect June 15 and the wildfire smoke rule will follow on July 1.

The heat illness prevention rule will apply to any workplace 鈥� outdoors or indoors 鈥� where heat dangers are caused by the weather and where the heat index equals or exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Exemptions include, for example, incidental heat exposures where an employee is not required to perform work for more than 15 minutes in any 60-minute period.

The wildfire smoke rule will apply to employers whose employees are 鈥� or will be 鈥� exposed to wildfire smoke where the ambient air concentration for fine particulate matter (also known as PM2.5) equals or exceeds an聽Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 101, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

The rules, originally proposed in February, build upon temporary emergency requirements that were adopted in summer 2021 following several months of stakeholder and community engagement. Oregon is engaged in ongoing work 鈥� initiated by Gov. Kate Brown via an executive order in March 2020 鈥� to mitigate the effects of climate change.

鈥淎s we move forward with these rules, Oregon OSHA will continue to offer free training and education resources to help employers achieve compliance,鈥澛爐he agency鈥檚 acting administrator, Renee Stapleton, stated in a press release.

To learn more about the heat illness prevention rules, go to . To learn more about the wildfire smoke rules, go to .