information provided by the Illinois Department of Labor
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (October 7, 2019) – Worker safety is the primary mission of Illinois OSHA, a division of the Illinois Department of Labor. Documenting dangers is one way to avoid them in the future, and with that in mind Illinois OSHA released the top five safety violations for municipal public works departments for fiscal year 2019 in the state of Illinois:
- Hazard communications – This involves label warnings of hazardous chemicals, data sheets for such hazardous materials, and training of employees on these hazards.
- Machine guarding – This involves requiring that safety guards be in place on machinery that could pose a threat of injury or death to workers.
- Lockout/Tagout – This involves disabling and identifying machinery that if unexpectedly was energized could harm a worker.
- Walking surfaces – This involves keeping walking surfaces clean, orderly, in good repair, dry whenever possible and free from hazards such as sharp objects or loose boards.
- Emergency action plans – This involves a plan that is communicated to all employees for actions to be taken in an emergency such as a fire, including evacuation plans.
Illinois OSHA protects the health and safety of public employees through the inspection, investigation, and evaluation of public facilities and working conditions to ensure compliance with occupational safety and health standards. Illinois OSHA also conducts educational and advisory activities to assure safe and healthy working conditions.
“The old saying is that we learn from our mistakes. We hope by pointing out the most common safety violations that our inspectors have documented at public works departments around the state, that we can avoid or lessen these dangers going forward,” said Ben Noven, director of Illinois OSHA.
Illinois OSHA’s jurisdiction is over public employees while federal OSHA covers private sector employees.
