PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In an effort to comply with social distancing guidelines, the Oregon State Fire Marshal is suspending its enforcement of gas station self-service regulations.
Effective immediately, gas stations will be allowed to let drivers pump their own gas if they meet any of the following requirements:
- The owner (of the gas station) retains documentation that there are no employees available to work as an attendant, including documentation for absences and employee hiring and retention efforts;
- The owner is subject to State Fire Marshal audit and has posted safety signs for how to safely operate a fuel pump; and
- The hours of operation under this subsection do not exceed 10 consecutive hours.
“During this unprecedented time of state emergency, we need to ensure that critical supply lines for fuels and other basic services remain uninterrupted,” said State Fire Marshal Jim Walker.
Additionally, active stations must abide by the Fire Marshal’s latest guidelines:
- Prepare, implement and enforce social distancing policies consistent with guidance from the Oregon Health Authority,
- Require an attendant to be on duty to supervise self-service refueling consistent with the social distancing policies and help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through sanitization measures, and
- Designate an employee at each station to implement and enforce the social distancing policies.
