Oregon Safety Committees: What you need to know

Most private and public sector employers are required to establish either a safety committee or hold safety meetings to communicate and evaluate safety and health issues in the workplace (OAR 437-001-0765). Many employers with 11 or more employees do not have this option and are required to establish and maintain a safety committee.

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services/Occupational Safety and Health Division (OR-OSHA) administers and enforces safety and health requirements in private and public sector workplaces.

An employer may either establish workplace safety committees or hold safety meetings if:

• It has fewer than 11 employees for more than half of the year (including seasonal and temporary).
• More than half of all employees report to construction sites.
• More than half of all employees are mobile or move frequently between sites.
• Most employees do not regularly work outside an office environment.

An employer with more than 10 employees at a location must establish a safety committee if none of the conditions listed above applies.

Employers that have satellite or auxiliary offices with 10 or fewer employees at each location may either establish a committee or hold meetings.

Exempt employers. Employers with only one employee and employers engaged in agricultural activities and forest activities are exempt from the requirements of this rule.

Committee purpose and structure. Safety committees develop or oversee development of safety and health programs, monitor and help implement program elements, and evaluate program progress toward the reduction of workplace illness and injury rates. A safety ...