Laws Relating to
Workers’ Compensation
and Safe Employment
in Oregon
❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖
2007-2009
Laws Relating to
Workers’ Compensation
and Safe Employment
in Oregon
2007-2009
Workers’ Compensation
Chapter 656 Oregon Revised Statutes
Occupational Safety and Health
Chapter 654 Oregon Revised Statutes
Administrative Procedures Act; Legislative Review of Rules; Civil Penalties
Chapter 183 Oregon Revised Statutes
Miscellaneous Prohibitions Relating to
Employment and Discrimination
Chapter 659 Oregon Revised Statutes
Unlawful Discrimination in Employment,
Public Accommodations and Real Property Transactions;
Administrative and Civil Enforcement
Chapter 659A Oregon Revised Statutes
Farmworker Camps
Chapter 658 Oregon Revised Statutes
Issued by:
Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services
350 Winter St. NE
P.O. Box 14480
Salem, Oregon 97309-0405
Ted Kulongoski, Governor
State of Oregon
John L. Shilts, Administrator
Workers’ Compensation Division
Michael Wood, Administrator
Oregon OSHA
i
Table of contents
Prefaces
Department of Consumer & Business Services telephone directory ........................................ iii
History of workers’ compensation and safe employment laws .................................................. v
Significant laws passed in 2007 affecting workers’ compensation ............................................ ix
Significant laws passed in 2007 affecting Oregon OSHA ........................................................... xi
Oregon laws
The following pages contain direct reproductions of officially published Oregon laws
relating to and administered by the Workers’ Compensation and Oregon-OSHA divisions
of the Department of Consumer & Business Services.
ORS Chapter 656: Workers’ Compensation ................................................................................ 1
ORS Chapter 654: Occupational Safety and Health ...............................................................133
ORS Chapter 183: Administrative Procedures Act;
Legislative Review of Rules; Civil Penalties ............................................157
ORS Chapter 659: Miscellaneous Prohibitions Relating to
Employment and Discrimination ..............................................................193
ORS Chapter 659A: Unlawful Discrimination in Employment,
Public Accommodations and Real Property Transactions;
Administrative and Civil Enforcement ....................................................203
ORS Chapter 658 (Partial): Farmworker Camps .........................................................................247
General Index to Workers’ Compensation ........................................................................ INDEX-1
Applicable rules and regulations are promulgated by the department and filed with the Office
of the Secretary of State.
iii
DIRECTOR’S OFFICE
Director ..........................................................................503-378-4100
Ombudsman for Injured Workers .............................503-378-3351
Small Business Ombudsman ......................................503-378-4209
BUILDING CODES DIVISION
Administrator ............................................503-378-4133
Information ................................................503-378-4133
FINANCE AND CORPORATE SECURITIES
Administrator ............................................503-378-4140
Finance Section .........................................503-378-4140
Securities Section .......................................503-378-4387
FISCAL AND BUSINESS SERVICES
Administrator ............................................503-947-7977
Accounting .................................................503-947-7977
Budget .........................................................503-947-7977
Self-insureds & Premium Assessment ...503-947-7941
Workers’ Compensation Assessment .....503-378-2372
Mail .............................................................503-947-7928
Purchasing ..................................................503-947-7923
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT DIVISION
Administrator ............................................503-378-8254
Research & Analysis .................................503-378-8254
INSURANCE DIVISION
Administrator ............................................503-947-7980
Producer Licensing ...................................503-947-7981
Financial Regulations ...............................503-947-7982
Market Regulations ...................................503-947-7984
Rates & Forms ............................................503-947-7983
Consumer Services ....................................503-947-7984
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH
(Oregon OSHA)
Administrator ............................................503-378-3272
Administration Section ............................800-922-2689
Consultative Services ................................503-378-3272
Education ...................................................503-378-3272
Enforcement ...............................................503-378-3272
Standards & Technical Services ..............503-378-3272
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH continued
Field offices
Bend: Enforcement ........................541-388-6066
Consultation........................541-388-6066
Eugene: Enforcement ........................541-686-7562
Consultation........................541-686-7913
Medford: Enforcement ........................541-776-6030
Consultation........................541-776-6016
Pendleton: Enforcement ........................541-276-9175
Consultation........................541-276-2353
Portland: Enforcement ........................503-229-5910
Consultation........................503-229-6193
Salem: Enforcement ........................503-378-3274
Consultation........................503-373-7819
Occupational Health Lab, Portland .......503-731-8398
OFFICE OF MINORIT, WOMEN, AND
EMERGING SMALL BUSINESS
Office ...........................................................503-947-7976
OREGON MEDICAL INSURANCE POOL
Administrator ............................................503-373-1692
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BOARD
Administrator ............................................503-378-3308
Board Members .........................................503-378-3308
Eugene Administrative Law Judges ......541-686-7841
Hearings Support .....................................503-378-3308
Managing Attorney ...................................503-378-3308
Medford Administrative Law Judges .....541-776-6217
Portland Administrative Law Judges .....503-731-4534
Presiding Administrative Law Judges ....503-378-3308
Salem Administrative Law Judges ..........503-378-3308
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION DIVISION
Administrator ............................................503-947-7500
Central Support ........................................503-947-7810
Info line .......................................................503-947-7585
Employer Compliance ..............................503-947-7815
Medical and Benefit Services ...................503-947-7816
Operations ..................................................503-947-7810
Workers’ Compensation Division
350 Winter St. NE
P.O. Box 14480
Salem, Oregon 97309-0405
v
Continued...
The 1913 Oregon Legislative Assembly gave
Oregon its first workers’ compensation law, which
became effective July 1, 1914. This law set up a
State Industrial Accident Commission (SIAC),
consisting of three trustees, to oversee the Indus-
trial Accident Fund. Employers in hazardous
occupations had to decide whether to be part of
the fund. Contributors to the fund could not be
sued; suits were brought against the commission.
Noncontributors, on the other hand, had no
common-law defenses, and the Employer Liability
Act made them vulnerable to unlimited damages
for worker injuries or illnesses. Employers in
nonhazardous occupations could opt to contrib-
ute to the fund and get the benefits.
In 1965, the legislature overhauled the law. Most
employers came under the Workmen’s Compensa-
tion law with this overhaul, effective Jan. 1, 1966.
Two years later, all employers came under this
law if they employed subject workers. Employers
could buy the commission’s insurance, self-in-
sure, or insure with private companies. The
SIAC was renamed Workmens’ Compensation
Board and its insurance function was given to the
State Compensation Department, the forerunner
of the State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF) and
SAIF Corporation.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act
of 1970 gave rise to the Oregon Safe Employment
Act in 1973. Its purpose was to ensure safe and
healthy working conditions for every working
man and woman in Oregon, to preserve the
state’s human resources and to reduce the sub-
stantial burden, in terms of lost production, wage
loss, medical expenses, disability compensation
payment, and human suffering created by occu-
pational injury and disease.
The 1977 Legislature reshuffled workers’ compen-
sation administration and created the Workers’
Compensation Department headed by a director
appointed by the governor. The Workers’ Com-
pensation Board, continuing under gubernatorial
appointment, supervised a Hearings Division that
settled contested cases under both workers’
compensation law and the Oregon Safe Employ-
ment Act.
The 1987 Legislature made substantial changes to
workers’ compensation law. Cha
