Oregon established a mechanism Tuesday for employees to report instances when businesses aren’t following health advisories for maintaining a safe environment amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Workers can submit complaints about their employers online to Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health division, which can enforce restrictions designed to keep workers safe, according to Gov. Kate Brown’s office.

When Brown ordered Oregonians to “stay home” Monday, she ordered some businesses to close and instructed the state’s residents not to visit playgrounds, gyms or travel for vacation during the outbreak. She allowed many businesses to remain open, including grocery stores, factories and construction sites, provided they keep workers and customers six feet apart to avoid spread of the deadly coronavirus.

Violators are technically subject to citation for a misdemeanor violation and penalties up to 30 days in jail, a $1,250 fine or both. However, the governor said she will not establish patrols to enforce the order and law enforcement agencies said they are more likely to warn violators than cite them.

So while members of the public can call police to report a person or shop they believe is violating the governor’s order, it appears unlikely law enforcement would respond.

People who continue to work during the outbreak remain in a potentially vulnerable situation, though, having to be on the job to earn their pay while subject to whatever working conditions their employers establish.

Two of Oregon’s largest corporate employers, Intel and Precision Castparts, have each reported coronavirus infections among people at their facilities. And many workers, who asked not to be identified speaking about their employer, have expressed concerns about workplace conditions they fear could expose them to the virus.

Some manufacturers in other states shut down after their governors issued orders keeping people at home, but practices varied widely from place to place. Michigan’s big three automakers closed their factories last week and Boeing said Monday it is closing its Washington factories.

In Oregon, Brown said Monday that she wants to strike a balance between protecting people’s health and their livelihoods.

“I am gravely concerned, if I shut down every single business, that we will be in an economic hurt that it will be extremely hard for us to crawl out of,” she said.

-- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699

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