Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order rescinding mask, distancing, and other COVID-19-related restrictions for the general public in Oregon, effective Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Also on June 30, Oregon OSHA published its revised Rule Addressing Covid-19 Workplace Risks, which eliminates the requirements for workplace masks and distancing (regardless of employees’ vaccination status), with certain exceptions for healthcare, public transit, and airports. Oregon OSHA also eliminated the special COVID-19 poster requirement. Companies may choose to enforce their own face mask and distancing measures for safety. Likewise, if an employee wants to continue to wear a mask at work, they must be allowed to do so. A summary of the changes to the COVID-19 workplace rules can be found here. Companies must continue to comply with the remaining provisions of the rule related to risk assessment, ventilation, infection control and notification, testing, and quarantine. Oregon OSHA says that it is still the agency’s intent to repeal the entire rule once it is no longer necessary.
Tips: Employers should already be complying with the remaining provisions of Oregon OSHA’s COVID-19 workplace rule, most of which went into effect on November 6, 2020. For a summary of the initial rule, please review our previous article on the topic. You may also continue to utilize the tools and resources found on Oregon OSHA’s rule website. If you have specific questions, please contact your Vigilant safety professional or Vigilant Law Group employment attorney.
