The name change was intended to "help workers and employers identify the division as the state's occupational safety and health enforcement agency and to more accurately reflect its diverse mission.
The OSEA, signed into law by Governor Tom McCall on July 22, 1973, was landmark legislation with a purpose to "assure as far as possible safe and healthful working conditions for every workingman and woman in Oregon."
Oregon OSHA's status as an independent state-run program became final in 2005 when acting Assistant U.S. Secretary of Labor Jonathan Snare presented the final approval agreement to Governor Ted Kulongoski – 38 years after Tom McCall signed the initial state-plan agreement with the federal government.
Oregon OSHA's major program areas are enforcement,[7] consultation services,[4] standards and technical resources, education,[8] and conferences.
[9] Oregon OSHA also has a nationally certified occupational health laboratory and a resource center[10] that lends books and videos to the public.