Illinois Department of Labor releases top 5 safety violations for Illinois fire departments

information provided by the Illinois Department of Labor

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (October 19, 2019) – Worker safety is the primary mission of the Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division of the Illinois Department of Labor. Documenting dangers is one way to avoid them in the future. With that in mind, Illinois OSHA released the Top 5 safety violations Illinois fire departments received in fiscal year 2019:

1. Respiratory Protection—providing the proper respirators for workers when necessary to protect them from harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays, or vapors in the workplace air.
2. Fire Brigade—establishing a proper organizational structure; the type, amount, and frequency of training to be provided to fire brigade members; the expected number of members in the fire brigade; and the functions that the fire brigade is to perform at the workplace.
3. Hazard Communications—providing label warnings of hazardous chemicals, data sheets for such hazardous materials, and training of employees on these hazards.
4. Bloodborne Pathogens—providing protection from blood, other body fluids, and other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of a worker’s duties.
5. Walking Working Surfaces—keeping walking surfaces clean, orderly, in good repair, dry whenever possible, and free from hazards such as sharp objects or loose boards.

“We hope that by pointing out the most common safety violations our inspectors have documented at fire departments around the state, we can avoid or lessen these dangers going forward,” said Ben Noven, director of Illinois OSHA.

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. The administration conducts educational and advisory activities to assure safe and healthy working conditions.

Illinois OSHA’s jurisdiction is over public employees while federal OSHA covers private sector employees. Illinois OSHA is partially funded by two federal grants. The State Plan is a shared 50 percent state/50 percent federal funding. The On-Site Consultation Cooperative Agreement is funded 90 percent by a federal grant with 10 percent state funding.