Executive Vice President

By Eugene Berghoff

In discussing Public Employees Safety with officials of the Illinois Department of Labor, they have informed us of a new proposal they have presented to the Legislature in Senate Bill 510.

The Illinois Department of Labor has proposed a new program that is completely different than the old State OSHA Program. The Public Employee Safety Program is based on voluntary compliance with the OSHA rules and regulations, not mandatory compliance with monetary penalties, as was the old state OSHA Program.

Consultative visits will occur only upon requests. Consultative services that will be provided include:

1. Probing the possibilities of what problems and hazards that particular community or agency might have. Provide any assistance that the community or agency requests.

2. Assist in the formation of safety committees and make recommendations as to what activities they should undertake, for example, self-inspection accident investigations and review of accident reports.

3. Provide experts to assist with solutions to local safety and health problems.

4. Conduct safety and health sessions for both employers and employees.

5. Develop in-depth training programs for both employer and employee to identify hazards, and keep up to date on the latest accident prevention and safety techniques.

6. Provide applicable information and brochures from state and federal agencies that will be of assistance in training for specific types of employment.

Actual inspections of facilities will be made only upon complaints, fatalities, or catastrophies. The findings of these inspections will be forwarded to the employer in the form of a citation.

This program is orientated toward the voluntary compliance of all political subdivisions within the state with all federal occupational safety and health regulations, as opposed to mandatory compliance and monetary penalties as proposed for the public sector, by U.S. Congressman Steiger (Wis.).

The Department of Labor believes that a cooperative effort will be much more successful in providing a safe working environment for all public employees than a program based on intimidation and a general lack of sensitivity to the problems encountered in publicly supported non-profit service groups.

Illinois Parks and Recreation July/August, 1975