Employers must provide important health and safety information

 

[July 26, 2019] 

Workers have specific rights aimed at protecting them while on the job and providing for a safe and healthy work environment. To help ensure they know those rights, all public sector employers are required to prominently post the Illinois Department of Labor’s Job Safety and Health poster.

“It is important that employers display this poster where their workers will see it on a regular basis,” said Department of Labor Director Michael Kleinik.

Illinois OSHA, a division of the state Department of Labor, covers public-sector employers in the state. In Illinois, most private employers fall under federal OSHA’s jurisdiction, which also requires the display of a similar poster.

The poster provides a summary of employees’ rights, for example:

• You have the right to notify your employer or IDOL about workplace hazard. You can remain confidential upon request.

• You have the right to see IDOL citations issued to your employer.

• You have the right to request an IDOL inspection if you believe that there are unsafe or unhealthy working conditions.

And it also addresses employers’ responsibilities:

• You must furnish your employees a place of employment free from recognized hazards.

• You must comply with the occupational safety and health standards issued under this Act.

• You must post any citations issued by IDOL at or near the place of the violation(s).

The poster also notifies employers that they are required to orally report all work-related fatalities to Illinois OSHA within eight hours and report all work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations or losses of an eye within 24 hours at the Illinois OSHA hotline – 217-782-7860.

Here is a link to the state safety poster: https://www2.illinois.gov/idol/Laws-Rules/safety/Documents/ILOSHA SafetyHealthPosterEnglish01162019.pdf

Here is a link to the federal OSHA safety poster: https://www.osha.gov/ Publications/ poster.html

[Illinois Office of Communication and Information]