QuickTake:

The state-run psychiatric hospital had one “serious” violation and a handful of others after an unscheduled November inspection. Hospital officials agreed to pay the fine and do better. 

Oregon State Hospital was cited for a “serious” issue and a handful of other violations after state workplace safety inspectors made a surprise visit to the Salem facility. 

The hospital paid a $3,177 fine, promised to do better and addressed the problems, records show.

The state psychiatric hospital serves nearly 600 patients at its main Salem campus, most of them entering through the criminal justice system because they need treatment before they can defend themselves against charges.

In the case of the serious violation, inspectors found a bench grinder used for metal projects did not have safety guards properly adjusted on it to protect employees from injuries, Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division records show. The inspection happened in November and the agency sent state hospital officials the citation and results in January.

Other violations, though not classified as serious, were:

  • Flexible cords and cables were used instead of fixed wiring to power items in work areas, exposing employees to “potential electrical failure.” 
  • A cord pushed through a hole in a hall to power a television in an employee break room.
  • Three exit doors did not have an “exit” sign, potentially delaying evacuations during emergencies.

In its Jan. 21 response to the Occupational Safety and Health agency, Oregon State Hospital’s administration said the cited items were fixed as soon as inspectors noted them. The hospital also has added break rooms and electrical conditions to its routine safety inspections.

“The Oregon State Hospital remains committed to maintaining a safe and compliant workplace,” Marshall Jennings, the hospital’s occupational safety and investigations manager, wrote to the agency. 

The inspection across the facility noted other areas that were in compliance, including work areas free of tripping hazards, good housekeeping in kitchen areas and fully stocked first-aid kits in employee work areas.

Since 2023, the hospital has faced five unexpected patient deaths, most recently a Lane County resident in March 2025. Both before and after that death, records show hospital staff have repeatedly raised general safety concerns about the hospital and the care of patients.

After the latest death, federal inspectors put the hospital in “immediate jeopardy” status, meaning it needed to fix patient care issues and return to compliance to quality for Medicare funding.

The hospital has since returned to substantial compliance and promised to make changes that include staff training and more detailed reviews when patients are placed in seclusion rooms.

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.