Illinois OSHA Releases Updated Fact Sheet For Fire Departments

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor’s (IDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA) has released an updated fact sheet detailing the top 20 fire department safety violations.

The standards cited by IL OSHA occurred during fire department inspections between 2022-2023.

IL OSHA inspects municipal fire departments and fire protection districts across the State due to the highly hazardous environments in which firefighters work. The Division focuses on identifying lessons from incidents and sharing those lessons with the Illinois Fire Service so the lessons identified become lessons learned.

Since 2019, IL OSHA has conducted over 700 fire department inspections under the Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Act. Fire departments can use the top 20 fact sheet to audit their programs and operations to improve workplace safety and health. Seven of the 20 most frequent violations involve the respiratory protection standard. This standard covers the safe and effective use of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) firefighters wear during interior firefighting.

“IL OSHA does not require a fire department to perform interior firefighting,” said IL OSHA Division Chief Erik Kambarian. “However, if a department performs interior firefighting, they are required to ensure SCBAs are maintained, inspected, and ready for use. They are also required to provide quarterly training on interior firefighting, and ensure firefighters can demonstrate knowledge on SCBA use, including emergency procedures.”

Read the fact sheet here.

Occupational safety and health standards enforcement for employers in Illinois is a shared responsibility between the U.S. Department of Labor (federal OSHA) and the Illinois Department of Labor (IL OSHA). Federal OSHA, an Administration under the U.S. Department of Labor, covers all private sector workplaces while IL OSHA, a Division of the Illinois Department of Labor, covers all state and local government workplaces.

For more information about IL OSHA, click here.

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