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Salem – The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) advises filers who use the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) Electronic Filing Depository (EFD) that the system will be offline and unavailable to all filers and regulators Jan. 1-5. If your filing is due during those dates, DFR advises you to file before 9 p.m. Pacific Time Dec. 31, 2024.

• The EFD will be updated and migrated to a new website, nasaaefd.org.
• EFD services will be offline and unavailable to all filers and regulators after 9 p.m. Pacific Time Dec. 31, 2024, through 6 a.m. Pacific Time Jan. 6, 2025.
• NASAA will migrate all usernames and passwords to the new site. EFD users will not need to update or change their credentials.
• Starting Jan. 6, 2025, EFD support staff can be reached at 1-800-378-5007 (toll-free) or support@nasaaefd.org.

More information is available in the NASAA news release: NASAA announces upcoming changes to the electronic filing depository.

If you must make a filing during this timeframe that you would otherwise file through EFD, you may still file using paper filings. Forms are available on the Division of Financial Regulation’s applications, forms, and reports webpage. If you have questions or concerns, send an email DFR’s securities registration unit at securities.registrations@dcbs.oregon.gov.  

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About Oregon DFR: The Division of Financial Regulation protects consumers and regulates insurance, depository institutions, trust companies, securities, and consumer financial products and services. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

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Salem – The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) has fined a Newberg contractor $135,407 for repeatedly violating requirements to protect its employees from work-related hazards. In one of the violations, View Top Construction LLC did not ensure workers were protected from falls of 6 feet or more to a lower level by using a protection system.

Falls are one of the leading causes of death in the construction industry. Under Oregon OSHA’s penalty structure, penalties significantly increase for repeat violations. 

“When employers assign work to be done at heights, they must protect their employees from fall hazards,” said Renée Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA. “It is a commitment required by law. It is never an option. And workers have a right to work safely.” 

The division cited View Top Construction LLC following an inspection of a jobsite in Hillsboro where work was being done on the roof of a house. The division conducted the inspection under its prevention-based emphasis program addressing fall hazards in all industries. 

The inspection found an employee installing roofing material while not fully implementing a fall protection system the company had provided. The employee was wearing a fall protection harness but it was not connected to a fall protection anchor, according to the inspection. View Top Construction’s rule violation exposed the employee to a fall of as high as 17 feet to the ground. 

In total, Oregon OSHA cited the company for three violations of the Oregon Safe Employment Act. Those violations were:

• Failure to ensure fall protection systems were implemented where employees were exposed to a hazard of falling 6 feet or more to a lower level. It was a third repeat violation. Penalty: $84,996.
• Failure to ensure that the side rails of an extension ladder used by employees extended at least 3 feet above the roofline. It was a first repeat violation. Penalty: $38,883.
• Failure to ensure employees used eye protection as they operated pneumatic nail guns. It was a first repeat violation. Penalty: $11,528.

Oregon OSHA opened the inspection on Oct. 19 and closed it on Nov. 21. The division issued the citation to View Top Construction LLC on Dec. 3. During the inspection, the company corrected the violations identified by Oregon OSHA. The total penalty issued to the company included a standard penalty reduction based on the size of the company. Employers have 30 calendar days after receiving a citation to file an appeal. View Top Construction LLC has filed an appeal of the citation. 

In addition to its enforcement activities, Oregon OSHA offers employers free resources – involving no fault, no citations, and no penalties – to help protect their employees: 

Consultation services – Provides free help with safety and health programs, including how to control and eliminate hazards, and hands-on training

• Phone (toll-free in Oregon): 800-922-2689
• Field offices
• Online
• Email: consult.web@dcbs.oregon.gov

Technical staff – Helps employers understand requirements and how to apply them to their worksites

• Phone (toll-free in Oregon): 800-922-2689
• Online 
• Email: tech.web@dcbs.oregon.gov

Also available are free online resources to help improve workplace safety and health. These include Oregon OSHA’s Fall Protection Suite of online video training courses and its A-to-Z topic page about fall protection. The Fall Protection Suite includes courses addressing fall protection fundamentals, construction, roofing, and ladder safety.

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About Oregon OSHA: Oregon OSHA enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit osha.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

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Salem – The Building Codes Division (BCD) has announced the formation of an agreement that allows building departments throughout the state to request and share services such as plan review and inspections.

The Building Evaluation Support Agreement (BESA) is a voluntary agreement between jurisdictions. Building departments across Oregon regularly provide mutual aid in which one department with extra capacity helps another in need, such as with an inspector out on leave, a recruitment, or a special project. Without that mutual aid, inspections and plan reviews can be delayed due to staff shortages, causing construction delays. The division created the agreement to make mutual aid more efficient, particularly in anticipation of increased demand for services as housing production increases.

“We believe the BESA will be a valuable tool for local jurisdictions and the construction industry across Oregon,” Building Codes Division Administrator Alana Cox said. “Because of the way the BESA is structured, participating jurisdictions can work directly with other participants, including our staff at BCD. We hope this will help jurisdictions be nimble in responding to local builders’ needs and allow those with expertise and extra capacity to help others that are in a crunch. This will be positive for everyone.”

How it works
Jurisdictions, including cities and counties, that maintain building inspection programs under Oregon’s statewide building code can elect to join the agreement. By joining, jurisdictions agree that they intend to provide services for building official, plan review, or inspection services to each other when requested and mutually agreed.

Because the BESA is structured as a multilateral agreement, all participating jurisdictions have a framework in place to work directly with other participants. Once a jurisdiction joins the agreement, it does not need to have separate agreements with each jurisdiction. Any participating municipality can request from and provide services to BCD and any other participating municipality. BCD is also acting as a connector by helping to join jurisdictions in need to those with extra capacity.

“We are excited to offer this service to help builders keep projects moving while simultaneously helping building departments to efficiently address staff shortages or special projects,” Cox said. “We invite all building departments that have not yet joined to consider being a part of the agreement, which will be more effective as more local governments sign on.”

For more information, including specific information within the agreement, go to the BCD BESA webpage at https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/jurisdictions/Pages/besa.aspx.

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About Oregon BCD: The Building Codes Division administers the statewide building code, which provides uniform standards that ensure newly constructed residential and commercial buildings are safe for people to occupy. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit oregon.gov/bcd and dcbs.oregon.gov.

Salem – A two-day training conference in central Oregon will offer training opportunities for workers in the residential, commercial, and industrial construction industries to increase their protection from safety and health hazards. The Mid-Oregon Construction Safety Summit, held Monday-Tuesday, Jan. 27-28, 2025, will address many topics, several of which will be offered in Spanish. Topics include fall protection, ladders and scaffolds, excavations, electrical systems, communication, and heat and wildfire smoke.   

The event will feature the OSHA 10-hour training for construction and training in work zone safety and flagging. Certifications and recertifications will be available. Moreover, attendees will have access to continuing education credits, including credits through Oregon’s Construction Contractors Board and Landscape Contractors Board. 

Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (Oregon OSHA), a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, encourages employers and workers to attend the 22nd annual Mid-Oregon Construction Safety Summit at the Riverhouse Lodge Convention Center in Bend. Oregon OSHA is one of several partners sponsoring the summit. 

The event’s keynote presentation, “Champions of Safety: Unleashing the Lifesaving Power of Culture and Communication,” will be delivered by Layla McGlone, founder of Building Excellence. On Tuesday, McGlone will show how a strong safety culture – driven by core values, leadership commitment, and employee engagement – can transform an organization and significantly reduce workplace injuries. 

The Mid-Oregon Construction Safety Summit’s other sessions include:

• Preventing fall hazard exposures
• Pre-task planning to strengthen safety and health
• Hand and power tools, and personal protective equipment
• Health hazards in the construction industry
• Understanding Oregon OSHA and its inspection process
• A supervisor’s safety responsibilities
• Underground line safety
• Building a better safety culture
• Driving defensively and safely

Registration for the event’s preconference workshops (Monday) is $75. Conference registration (Tuesday) is $120. Registration for the OSHA 10-hour training for construction is $175 for both days. The cost of the first-aid workshop (Monday) is $95. To register, go to safetyseries.cventevents.com/summit25.

For more information, contact the Oregon OSHA Conference Section, 503-947-7411 or oregon.conferences@dcbs.oregon.gov. For information about other upcoming safety conferences, visit Oregon OSHA’s online conferences page.

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About Oregon OSHA: Oregon OSHA enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit osha.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

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The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR), through its consumer advocates, recovered nearly $1.6 million for Oregonians in the third quarter of 2024.

DFR’s consumer advocates field calls every day from concerned and confused Oregonians over insurance and financial issues from institutions that are regulated by the division. Advocates have extensive industry knowledge and they analyze complex issues.

In the third quarter of this year, advocates have helped recover $1,599,299. The first two quarters of 2024 saw $5,397,613 in recoveries, bringing the year-to-date total to nearly $7 million.

“This is money that goes directly back into the pockets of Oregonians,” said Andrew R. Stolfi, Oregon insurance commissioner and director of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services. “Consumers don’t have to work alone in trying to fix an error by an insurance company or financial institution. Our consumer advocates are here to help.” 

Here are a few examples of work DFR advocates did during the third quarter: 

• A consumer filed a complaint as they were being charged for a hernia repaired while they were under anesthesia for another surgery. Upon receipt of the complaint, it was found that during the provider appeal, an agent accidentally denied the claim in error as the consumer’s responsibility, resulting in an amount due for the consumer. The claim was then denied correctly as “provider responsibility” for not getting the appropriate authorization for a hernia that would heal on its own. This kept the consumer from being balance billed for $15,830.38.
• A consumer purchased travel insurance and suffered a medical event during the trip. A claim was filed, and the consumer provided the medical bills to the company and was reimbursed $453.80, which was the maximum coverage limit. The consumer then submitted additional bills that went above the maximum coverage limit, but the insurer did not communicate either acceptance or denial for about 11 months. The consumer submitted a complaint and the insurer acknowledged that there had been delays in communication, but there would be no further payments made as the maximum coverage limit was previously met. After a division consumer advocate had further discussion with the insurer, the company agreed to issue an additional $173.80 to satisfy the consumer’s expenses.
• A consumer submitted a duplicate payment through a money transmitter, and the company returned the duplicate payment to that money transmitter. However, the consumer did not receive the payment from the money transmitter. After the division’s involvement, the consumer was refunded $1,068.65.

“Our consumer advocates are highly skilled professionals dedicated to solving consumer challenges,” said DFR Administrator TK Keen. “Their expertise and commitment ensure that consumers get the help they need, resulting in meaningful recoveries throughout the state.” 

Anyone who may need a consumer advocate can call 1-888-877-4894 (toll-free) or email dfr.insurancehelp@dcbs.oregon.gov for insurance questions and dfr.financialserviceshelp@dcbs.oregon.gov for financial services questions.

Here is the list of the consumer advocacy complaints through the first three quarter:

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About Oregon DFR: The Division of Financial Regulation protects consumers and regulates insurance, depository institutions, trust companies, securities, and consumer financial products and services. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.