Oregon OSHA launches free online course addressing COVID-19 safety training
Course is part of ongoing roll out of resources to help employers comply
SALEM – Employers now have a free and flexible resource to help them comply with rules aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus in the workplace, thanks to an interactive online training course developed by Oregon OSHA.
The multimedia course, “COVID-19 Training Requirements,” is designed to help employers meet certain employee training requirements found in Oregon OSHA’s temporary rule, which addresses the risks of COVID-19 in the workplace.
“This course adds to a growing number of resources we’re producing and providing to employers to help them achieve success in complying with this rule,” said Roy Kroker, consultation and public education manager for Oregon OSHA.
The temporary rule took effect Nov. 16, with certain parts phased in, and is expected to remain in effect until May 4, 2021. The rule requires employers to comply with employee training requirements no later than Dec. 21, 2020. However, certain employers who have been particularly affected by the recent two-week freeze and newly adopted risk levels will have more time to meet the deadlines for the rule’s training and related provisions. A Dec. 7 enforcement memo describes these decisions in more detail.
The multimedia course is available in English and Spanish. It is divided into four interactive modules and takes about an hour to complete. It provides an overview of the training requirements and explains the dangers of COVID-19. It illustrates the signs, symptoms, and spread of the virus and shows how to reduce its hazards through physical distancing, face coverings, sanitation, and proper ventilation. And it concludes by covering several more topics.
Supported by powerful visuals and graphics, the course offers links to additional resources to help employers achieve compliance. The course, which is also available as a PowerPoint for instructors, includes an opportunity to obtain a certificate of completion.
The course is built to provide employers with a solid foundation to understand the hazards of COVID-19 and the solutions that are available to keep workers safe. It is not intended to replace an employer’s COVID-19 training.
Oregon OSHA encourages a careful reading of the temporary rule. Meanwhile, the division continues to roll out new resources to help employers and workers understand the requirements and achieve compliance.
Those new resources include:
- Questions and Answers
- Fact Sheet: COVID-19 Temporary Rule for All Workplaces
- Fact Sheet: Provisions with Delayed Effective Dates
- Example Risk Assessment / Sample Items to Consider for Risk Assessment
- Example Infection Control Plan / Sample Items to Consider for Infection Control Plan
Those and other resources are available on the division’s COVID-19 resources web page in the green box under “COVID-19-Related Rule Updates.”
The division also offers consultation services and technical specialists:
Consultation services – provides no-cost assistance with safety and health programs
- Phone (toll-free in Oregon): 800-922-2689
- Field offices
- Online
- Email: [email protected]
Technical staff – helps employers understand requirements
- Phone (toll-free in Oregon): 800-922-2689
- Online
- Email: [email protected]
Contact information:
Aaron Corvin, public information officer
971-718-6973
[email protected]
English 
Spanish