ORS 654.067: Inspection of places of employment; comprehensive inspections; denial of access; warrants; safety and health consultation with employees.

Edition: 2025 EditionEffective: 2026-01-01Last verified: 2026-09-07

(1) In order to carry out the purposes of ORS 654.001 to 654.295, 654.412 to 654.423 and 654.750 to 654.780, the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, upon presenting appropriate credentials to the owner, employer or agent in charge, is authorized: (a) To enter without delay and at reasonable times any place of employment; (b) To inspect and investigate during regular working hours and at other reasonable times, and within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, any such place of employment and all pertinent conditions, structures, machines, apparatus, devices, equipment and materials therein, and to question privately the owner, employer, agents or employees; and (c) To conduct a comprehensive inspection of any place of employment as deemed necessary by the department based upon the prior violation history of the place of employment regarding any state occupational safety or health law, regulation, standard, rule or order. (2) Whenever an accident investigation reveals that a violation has caused or contributed to a work-related fatality at a place of employment, the director shall conduct a comprehensive inspection of the place of employment within one year following the date on which the closing conference associated with the work-related fatality was held. (3) Whenever three or more willful or repeated violations occur at a place of employment within a one-year period, the director shall conduct a comprehensive inspection of the place of employment within one year following the date on which the closing conference associated with the most recent willful or repeated violation was held. (4) No person shall give an owner, employer, agent or employee advance notice of any inspection to be conducted under ORS 654.001 to 654.295, 654.412 to 654.423 and 654.750 to 654.780 of any place of employment without authority from the director. (5) Except in the case of an emergency, or of a place of employment open to the public, if the director is denied access to any place of employment for the purpose of an inspection or investigation, such inspection or investigation shall not be conducted without an inspection warrant obtained pursuant to ORS 654.202 to 654.216, or without such other authority as a court may grant in an appropriate civil proceeding. Nothing contained herein, however, is intended to affect the validity of a constitutionally authorized inspection conducted without an inspection warrant. (6) A representative of the employer and a representative authorized by the employees of the employer shall be given an opportunity to accompany the director during the inspection of any place of employment for the purpose of aiding such inspection. When there is no employee representative, or the employee representative is not an employee of the employer, the director should consult with a reasonable number of employees concerning matters of safety and health in the place of employment. (7) The representative of the employer may, at the employer’s option, be an attorney retained by the employer. (8) As used in this section: (a) “Accident investigation” means an official examination of a place of employment conducted by a compliance officer who is responsible for carrying out inspections and investigations on behalf of the department, that includes a systematic appraisal of an accident sequence to determine causal factors, corrective actions and preventative measures. (b) “Closing conference” means a process that informs the employer and the employee representatives, if any, of the findings resulting from an inspection of a place of employment and any other pertinent issues related to the inspection. (c) “Comprehensive inspection” means a substantially complete inspection of a place of employment that, in the professional judgment of the inspector who conducts the inspection, may be deemed comprehensive although not all potentially hazardous conditions, operations and practices within the place of employment are inspected. [1973 c.833 §16 (enacted in lieu of 654.047, 654.222 and 654.232); 1999 c.1017 §3; 2023 c.126 §1]

Administrative rules citing this section

OAR 437-001-0001: Model Rules of Procedure — implements
OAR 437-001-0002: Notice to Interested Persons of Rulemaking — implements
OAR 437-001-0005: Authority and Applicability of Rules — implements
OAR 437-001-0010: Purpose and Scope of Rules — implements
OAR 437-001-0015: Definitions — implements
OAR 437-001-0020: Authority to Administer — implements
OAR 437-001-0025: Liberal Construction — implements
OAR 437-001-0030: Use of Gender and Number — implements
OAR 437-001-0035: Occupational Safety and Health Rules — implements
OAR 437-001-0045: Adoption, Amendment, or Repeal of Rules — implements
OAR 437-001-0047: Voluntary Compliance Program, General — implements
OAR 437-001-0050: Enforcement Program, General — implements
OAR 437-001-0053: Preserving Physical Evidence at the Scene of an Accident — implements
OAR 437-001-0055: Priority of Inspections — implements
OAR 437-001-0057: Scheduling Inspections — implements
OAR 437-001-0060: Advance Notice — implements
OAR 437-001-0065: Right of Entry — implements
OAR 437-001-0070: Inspection Warrants — implements
OAR 437-001-0075: Opening Conference — implements
OAR 437-001-0080: Inspection Without Employer or Employer Representative — implements
OAR 437-001-0085: Employee Representation on Inspection Team — implements
OAR 437-001-0090: Inspection Procedures — implements
OAR 437-001-0096: Red Warning Notice — implements
OAR 437-001-0099: Closing Conference — implements
OAR 437-001-0135: Evaluation of Probability to Establish Penalties — implements
OAR 437-001-0140: Evaluation of Severity to Establish Penalties — implements
OAR 437-001-0142: Annual Adjustment of Civil Penalties — implements
OAR 437-001-0145: Penalty for Other than Serious, Serious, or Caused or Contributed to a Work-Related Fatality Violation — implements
OAR 437-001-0150: Civil Penalty Adjustments — implements
OAR 437-001-0155: Determination of Penalty — Failure to Correct — implements
OAR 437-001-0160: Penalty Criteria — Repeat Violation — implements
OAR 437-001-0165: Determination of Penalty — Repeat Violation — implements
OAR 437-001-0170: Determination of Penalty — Failure to Report an Occupational Fatality, Catastrophe, or Accident — implements
OAR 437-001-0175: Determination of Penalty — Willful or Egregious Violation — implements
OAR 437-001-0176: Determination of Penalty — Failure to Notify Employees of Advance Notice — implements
OAR 437-001-0180: Determination of Penalty — Relating to Red Warning Notice — implements
OAR 437-001-0201: Determination of Penalty — Relating to Field Sanitation — implements
OAR 437-001-0203: Determination of Penalty — Relating to Violations Which Have No Probability and Severity. — implements
OAR 437-001-0205: Citation and Notice of Penalty — implements
OAR 437-001-0215: Employer Response to Citation and Notice of Penalty — implements
OAR 437-001-0220: Payment of Penalties — implements
OAR 437-001-0225: Penalty for Falsification — implements
OAR 437-001-0230: Correction of Violation — implements
OAR 437-001-0231: Abatement Verification — implements
OAR 437-001-0235: Failure to Correct Violation — implements
OAR 437-001-0240: Extension of Correction Date — Application — implements
OAR 437-001-0245: Extension of Correction Date — Decision — implements
OAR 437-001-0250: Extension of Correction Date — Revocation — implements
OAR 437-001-0251: Extension of Correction Date — Hearing on the Application — implements
OAR 437-001-0255: Requesting an Appeal and an Informal Conference — implements
OAR 437-001-0265: Amendment, Reissue or Withdrawal of Citation — implements
OAR 437-001-0270: Discretion To Prevent a Manifest Injustice — implements
OAR 437-001-0280: Posting on Selected Multi-Employer Jobsites — implements
OAR 437-001-0285: Form and Content of a Complaint — implements
OAR 437-001-0290: Division Action on Complaints — implements
OAR 437-001-0295: Discrimination Complaint — implements
OAR 437-001-0400: Application for a Variance — implements
OAR 437-001-0405: Interim Order Relating to a Variance — implements
OAR 437-001-0410: Administrative Action on Variance Application — implements
OAR 437-001-0411: Hearings for Variance Applications — implements
OAR 437-001-0415: Criteria for Variance Approval — implements
OAR 437-001-0420: Decision on Variance Request — implements
OAR 437-001-0425: Employer’s Duty to Meet Variance Terms — implements
OAR 437-001-0430: Modification or Revocation of a Variance — implements
OAR 437-001-0435: Effect of a Variance Granted by the U.S. Secretary of Labor — implements
OAR 437-001-0450: Voluntary Compliance Consultative Services — implements
OAR 437-001-0455: Application for Consultative Services — implements
OAR 437-001-0460: Consultation — implements
OAR 437-001-0700: Recording Workplace Injuries and Illnesses — implements
OAR 437-001-0704: Reporting Fatalities, Catastrophes, Injuries and Illnesses to Oregon OSHA — implements
OAR 437-001-0740: Falsification or Failure to Keep and Post Records or Make Reports — implements
OAR 437-001-0760: Rules for All Workplaces — implements
OAR 437-001-0765: Safety Committees and Safety Meetings. — implements
OAR 437-001-0800: Application Procedures — implements
OAR 437-001-0805: Application Review — implements
OAR 437-001-0810: Grant Awards — implements
OAR 437-001-1005: Authority and Applicability of Rules — implements
OAR 437-001-1010: Purpose and Scope — implements
OAR 437-001-1015: Definitions — implements
OAR 437-001-1020: General Requirements — implements
OAR 437-001-1025: Notification of Services — implements
OAR 437-001-1030: Requests for Services — implements
OAR 437-001-1035: Loss Prevention Services — implements
OAR 437-001-1040: Required Loss Prevention Services — implements
OAR 437-001-1050: Self-Insured and Group Self-Insured Employer Loss Prevention Assistance — implements
OAR 437-001-1055: Self-Insured and Group Self-Insured Employer Loss Prevention Programs — implements
OAR 437-001-1060: Self-Insured and Group Self-Insured Employer Loss Prevention Effort — implements
OAR 437-001-1065: Penalty Provisions for Insurers — implements
OAR 437-002-0005: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0006: General Oregon Definitions — implements
OAR 437-002-0007: Testing and Certification — implements
OAR 437-002-0010: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0015: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0020: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0022: Additional Oregon General Requirements — implements
OAR 437-002-0026: Portable Ladders — implements
OAR 437-002-0032: Ramps and Runways — implements
OAR 437-002-0033: Piers and Wharves — implements
OAR 437-002-0040: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0041: Exits and Exit Routes — implements
OAR 437-002-0042: Emergency Action Plan — implements
OAR 437-002-0043: Fire Prevention Plan — implements
OAR 437-002-0047: Working Near Overhead High Voltage Lines and Equipment — implements
OAR 437-002-0060: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0080: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0081: Oregon Ventilation Regulations — implements
OAR 437-002-0095: Audiometric Testing in Oregon — implements
OAR 437-002-0098: Additional Applicability — implements
OAR 437-002-0100: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0101: Oregon Start-Up Dates — implements
OAR 437-002-0107: Spray Finishing — implements
OAR 437-002-0109: Explosives and Blasting Agents — implements
OAR 437-002-0118: Oregon Rules for Reinforced Plastics Manufacturing — implements
OAR 437-002-0119: Oregon Effective Dates — implements
OAR 437-002-0120: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0122: Dipping and Coating — implements
OAR 437-002-0134: Personal Protective Equipment — implements
OAR 437-002-0139: Working Underway on Water. — implements
OAR 437-002-0140: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0141: Additional Oregon Sanitation Requirements — implements
OAR 437-002-0144: Additional Oregon Rules for General Environmental Controls — implements
OAR 437-002-0145: Additional Oregon Rules for Accident Prevention and Tags — implements
OAR 437-002-0146: Confined Spaces — implements
OAR 437-002-0154: Individual Locks — implements
OAR 437-002-0156: Heat Illness Prevention — implements
OAR 437-002-0161: Medical Services and First Aid — implements
OAR 437-002-0170: Worker Protection Standard — implements
OAR 437-002-0180: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0182: Oregon Rules for Fire Fighters — implements
OAR 437-002-0187: Portable Fire Extinguishers — implements
OAR 437-002-0200: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0210: Additional Oregon Rules for Compressed Air and Compressed Gas Equipment — implements
OAR 437-002-0220: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0221: Additional Oregon Rules for Handling Materials — implements
OAR 437-002-0223: Oregon Rules for Commercial and Industrial Vehicles — implements
OAR 437-002-0227: Additional Oregon Rules for Powered Industrial Trucks — implements
OAR 437-002-0228: Oregon General Requirements for Cranes — implements
OAR 437-002-0229: Additional Oregon Rules for Overhead and Gantry Cranes — implements
OAR 437-002-0230: Additional Oregon Rule for Crawler, Locomotive and Truck Cranes — implements
OAR 437-002-0232: Additional Oregon Rule for Derricks — implements
OAR 437-002-0233: Oregon Rules for Hammerhead Cranes — implements
OAR 437-002-0235: Additional Oregon Rule for Slings — implements
OAR 437-002-0240: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0242: Oregon Rules for Machinery and Machine Guarding — implements
OAR 437-002-0256: Stationary Compactors, Self-Contained Compactors, and Balers — implements
OAR 437-002-0260: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0262: Additional Definitions in Oregon — implements
OAR 437-002-0264: Additional General Requirements for Hand Tools — implements
OAR 437-002-0266: Additional Oregon Rules for Guarding Portable Powered Tools — implements
OAR 437-002-0268: Oregon Rules for Hand-Powered Equipment — implements
OAR 437-002-0279: Additional Oregon Confined Space Requirements — implements
OAR 437-002-0280: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0281: Manganese — implements
OAR 437-002-0282: Job Planning and Layout — implements
OAR 437-002-0283: Additional Protective Clothing Requirements During Hot Work Activities — implements
OAR 437-002-0284: Additional Specifications for Eye and Face Protection — implements
OAR 437-002-0285: Additional Special Precautions — implements
OAR 437-002-0286: Flammable Preservative Coatings — implements
OAR 437-002-0287: Toxic Preservative Coatings — implements
OAR 437-002-0288: Additional General Health Protection — implements
OAR 437-002-0297: Oregon Requirements for Welding or Cutting Containers — implements
OAR 437-002-0298: Supplied Air Respiratory Equipment — implements
OAR 437-002-0299: Definitions — implements
OAR 437-002-0300: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0301: Scope and Application — implements
OAR 437-002-0302: Definitions — implements
OAR 437-002-0303: Training and Work Planning — implements
OAR 437-002-0304: First Aid Requirements — implements
OAR 437-002-0305: Traffic Control — implements
OAR 437-002-0306: Electrical Hazards — implements
OAR 437-002-0307: Personal Protective Equipment — implements
OAR 437-002-0308: Portable Power Tools — implements
OAR 437-002-0309: Hand Tools — implements
OAR 437-002-0310: Work Procedures — implements
OAR 437-002-0311: Mobile Equipment — implements
OAR 437-002-0312: Oregon Rules for Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Mills — implements
OAR 437-002-0313: Additional Oregon Rules for Sawmills — implements
OAR 437-002-0314: Veneer and Plywood Machinery — implements
OAR 437-002-0315: Shake and Shingle Machinery — implements
OAR 437-002-0316: Oregon Rules for Telecommunications — implements
OAR 437-002-0320: Adoption by Reference. — implements
OAR 437-002-0340: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0342: Additional Oregon Definition — implements
OAR 437-002-0345: Inland Emergency Aid — implements
OAR 437-002-0355: Air Supply Systems (Compressed Gases and Air) — implements
OAR 437-002-0360: Adoption by Reference — implements
OAR 437-002-0363: Oregon Amendment — implements
OAR 437-002-0364: Oregon Rules for MOCA (4,4'-Methylene Bis (2-chloroaniline)) — implements
OAR 437-002-0368: Deterioration — implements
OAR 437-002-0371: Scope and Application — implements
OAR 437-002-0373: Oregon Rules for Thiram — implements
OAR 437-002-0376: Delayed Effective Dates for Hazard Communication — implements
OAR 437-002-0377: Additional Oregon Rules for Hazard Communication — implements
OAR 437-002-0378: Oregon Rules for Pipe Labeling — implements
OAR 437-002-0382: Oregon Rules for Air Contaminants — implements
OAR 437-002-0390: Oregon Effective Dates — implements
OAR 437-002-0391: Additional Oregon Rules for Carcinogens in Laboratories — implements
OAR 437-002-1001: Asbestos Respiratory Protection Program — implements
OAR 437-002-1017: Vinyl Chloride Respiratory Protection Program — implements
OAR 437-002-1018: Inorganic Arsenic Respiratory Protection Program — implements

This rule cites

ORS 654.001 — resolved
654.295 — resolved
654.412 — resolved
654.423 — resolved
654.750 — resolved
654.780 — resolved
ORS 654.202 — resolved
654.216 — resolved

Cited by

ORS 654.172: Exemption from inspection or investigation for certain agricultural activities.

Official source: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors654.html