At least one Washington County worker filed a wildfire smoke or heat complaint with Oregon's workplace safety agency this summer, part of a record 44 complaints statewide.
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division, or Oregon OSHA, received the complaints between June 1 and Aug. 18, Oregon Capital Chronicle reporter Mia Maldonado reported after obtaining records through a public records request. That total is about 10 more than the previous high of 34 in 2023. The agency logged nine complaints in 2024 and just two in 2025.
The spike tracks with Oregon's record wildfire season, which has burned 2.5 million acres statewide. Thirty-two of the 44 complaints arrived during the first week of August, after lightning-caused fires including the Grasshopper Fire near Mount Hood.
Most complaints came from the service and retail industry. Other complaint industries included outdoor recreation, government services, manufacturing and construction.
Workers alleged their employers required them to work outdoors in unhealthy air without masks, indoors without proper ventilation, or both. Workers also alleged they received no training on heat illness or wildfire smoke safety.
Half of the complaint records did not list an employer or address. Of those that did, six came from Clackamas County. The rest came from Crook, Deschutes, Harney, Linn, Union, Washington and Yamhill counties.
No specific Washington County employer was identified in the records.
What employers are required to do
Oregon OSHA adopted permanent rules in 2022 requiring most employers to protect workers from extreme heat and wildfire smoke. The heat rules require free drinking water and shade when temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit, plus mandatory breaks above 90 degrees.
The wildfire smoke rules, outlined in Oregon OSHA's fact sheet, kick in when the Air Quality Index (AQI) hits 101. At that level, employers must assess air quality, train employees, set up two-way communication and provide N95-style respirators at no cost for voluntary use. Mandatory respirator use begins at AQI 277. The rules do not apply inside enclosed buildings with mechanical ventilation when exterior openings stay closed.
How complaints are handled
Oregon OSHA spokesperson Aaron Corvin said the agency can order a workplace inspection, contact the employer for more information, or take no action if a complaint falls outside its jurisdiction. "Citations are only issued if a compliance officer identifies a violation under the Oregon Safe Employment Act," Corvin said.
More than half of the 44 complaints prompted the agency to contact employers. Nine led to workplace inspections, all still in process. At least 10 employers received no further action.
Kathleen Johnson, senior program coordinator for environmental health in Washington County, warned in August about the overlap between heat and smoke. "We also get concerned around heat later in the summer … because it tends to overlap with wildfire smoke season," Johnson told the Valley Times on Aug. 6.
Workers who believe their employer is not following the rules can file a complaint through Oregon OSHA's online portal or by contacting the field office nearest their worksite.
