Oregon Statutes - Chapter 654 - Occupational Safety and Health - Section 654.086 - Civil penalty for violations; classification of violations; payment and disposition of penalty moneys.

(1) The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services or the authorized representative of the director is hereby granted the authority to assess civil penalties as provided by this section for violation of the requirements of any state occupational safety or health statute or the lawful rules, standards or orders adopted thereunder as follows:

(a) Any employer who receives a citation for a serious violation of such requirements shall be assessed a civil penalty of not less than $50 and not more than $7,000 for each such violation.

(b) Any employer who receives a citation for a violation of such requirements, and such violation is specifically determined not to be of a serious nature, may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $7,000 for each such violation.

(c) Any employer who willfully or repeatedly violates such requirements may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $70,000 for each violation, but not less than $5,000 for a willful violation.

(d) Any employer who receives a citation, as provided in ORS 654.071 (4), for failure to correct a violation may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $7,000 for each day during which such failure or violation continues.

(e) Any employer who knowingly makes any false statement, representation or certification regarding the correction of a violation shall be assessed a civil penalty of not less than $100 and not more than $2,500.

(f) Any employer who violates any of the posting requirements, as prescribed under the provisions of ORS 654.001 to 654.295, 654.412 to 654.423 and 654.750 to 654.780, may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for each violation.

(g) Any person who violates the provisions of ORS 654.082 (2) or (3) shall be assessed a civil penalty of not less than $100 and not more than $5,000 for each such violation.

(h) Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this subsection, an employer who substantially fails to comply with ORS 654.174 (1) shall be assessed a civil penalty of not less than $250 and not more than $2,500 for each such violation.

(i) Any insurer or self-insured employer who violates any provision of ORS 654.097, or any rule or order carrying out ORS 654.097, shall be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $2,000 for each violation or $10,000 in the aggregate for all violations within any three-month period. Each violation, or each day a violation continues, shall be considered a separate offense.

(2) For the purposes of ORS 654.001 to 654.295, 654.412 to 654.423 and 654.750 to 654.780 a serious violation exists in a place of employment if there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a condition which exists, or from one or more practices, means, methods, operations or processes which have been adopted or are in use, in such place of employment unless the employer did not, and could not with the exercise of reasonable diligence, know of the presence of the violation.

(3) When an order assessing a civil penalty becomes final by operation of law or on appeal, unless the amount of penalty is paid within 20 days after the order becomes final, it constitutes a judgment and may be recorded with the county clerk in any county of this state. The clerk shall thereupon record the name of the person incurring the penalty and the amount of the penalty in the County Clerk Lien Record. The penalty provided in the order so recorded shall become a lien upon the title to any interest in property owned by the person against whom the order is entered, and execution may be issued upon the order in the same manner as execution upon a judgment of a court of record.

(4) Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, civil penalties collected under ORS 654.001 to 654.295, 654.412 to 654.423 and 654.750 to 654.780 shall be paid into the Consumer and Business Services Fund.

(5) Civil penalties assessed under this section for a violation of ORS 658.750 shall be credited to the Farmworker Housing Development Account of the Oregon Housing Fund. [1973 c.833 §21 (enacted in lieu of 654.050); 1981 c.696 §5; 1983 c.696 §22; 1985 c.423 §4; 1987 c.884 §56; 1989 c.962 §20; 1991 c.676 §159; 1991 c.570 §1; 1991 c.640 §2; 1995 c.640 §1; 2001 c.310 §4; 2007 c.432 §2]

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Last modified: August 7, 2008