Workers in Washington County were among those who filed safety complaints with Oregon's workplace safety agency during a wildfire season that has burned a record 2.5 million acres.

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) received at least 44 employee complaints between June 1 and Aug. 18 about employers failing to provide wildfire smoke protections or heat-illness training, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported in a story published by OPB on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The Capital Chronicle obtained the records through a public records request. That total is the highest since Oregon OSHA adopted wildfire smoke and heat rules in 2022.

Washington County was one of eight counties where complaints with identified employers were filed. The records did not reveal the specific employer or industry involved locally.

The complaint surge hit hardest in early August. Thirty-two of the 44-plus complaints arrived during the first week of that month alone, after lightning-caused wildfires in July sent smoke across the state. During that same week, Hillsboro and Beaverton recorded Air Quality Index readings as high as 138, in the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" range, according to the Hillsboro News-Times.

What employers must provide

Under Oregon OSHA rules adopted in 2022, employers must offer free drinking water and shade when temperatures exceed 80 degrees and mandatory rest breaks above 90 degrees.

For wildfire smoke, the rules are tied to AQI levels. When AQI is between 101 and 276, employers must offer N95 or equivalent respirators. Above 276, respirators become mandatory. At 849 or higher, employers must implement a full respiratory protection program with medical evaluations and fit testing.

Employees who filed complaints alleged they were required to work outdoors in unhealthy air without masks, indoors without proper ventilation, or both. Multiple employees alleged they received no heat-illness training, according to the records obtained by the Capital Chronicle.

How Oregon OSHA responded

Oregon OSHA contacted employers for more information in more than half the cases. Nine complaints led to workplace inspections, all still in process as of Sept. 8. At least 10 employers received no action.

The complaint volume is a sharp jump. Oregon OSHA received about 10 fewer complaints in 2023, its second-highest year. The agency received nine in 2024 and two in 2025.

Oregon OSHA spokesperson Aaron Corvin said the agency can inspect a workplace, contact the employer or take no action depending on whether the complaint falls within its jurisdiction. "Citations are only issued if a compliance officer identifies a violation under the Oregon Safe Employment Act," Corvin said.

Residents who believe their employer is not meeting wildfire smoke or heat safety requirements can file a complaint with Oregon OSHA or by calling 800-922-2689.