Opinion ID: 2612181
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: application of the oregon safe employment act and regulations promulgated thereunder

Text: As stated at the beginning of this opinion, the Oregon Safe Employment Act was enacted in 1973. This code was enacted for essentially the same reasons as its predecessor safety acts were enacted  to assure as far as possible safe and healthful working conditions for every working man and woman in Oregon   . (Emphasis added.) ORS 654.003. [4] It aims to achieve occupational health and safety in    every place, whether fixed or movable or moving, whether indoors or out or underground, and the premises and structures appurtenant thereto, where either temporarily or permanently an employe works   and every place where is carried on any process, operation or activity related, either directly or indirectly, to an employer's industry, trade, business or occupation   . ORS 654.005(9). Although adherence to safety standards may be of particular importance in work involving risk or danger to the employes (the workplace of the ELA, ORS 654.305), the standards apply to all workplaces. The Court of Appeals erred in limiting the application of the safety codes to only ELA workplaces. On retrial, the court should first determine whether there is evidence which tends to show that a code standard has been violated. If so, the applicable code provisions should be submitted to the jury under appropriate negligence per se instructions as to both counts in the plaintiff's complaint. We add, however, that safety code standards are minimum standards. A showing of compliance with such minimum standards does not foreclose a plaintiff from pleading and proving that other precautions could and should have been taken, either under the general negligence standard or under the ELA standard. Accordingly, the decision of the trial court and the Court of Appeals as to GP is affirmed. The Court of Appeals decision reversing the trial court and awarding a new trial against Consolidated on the negligence count is affirmed. The Court of Appeals decision affirming the trial court removal of the ELA count against Consolidated is reversed, and the case is remanded to the trial court for a new trial against Consolidated on both the ELA and the negligence count.