Illinois e-News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2025
Contact:
Paul Cicchini 217-785-1719
IL OSHA Releases Fact Sheet of Top Water and Sewer Department Violations
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor’s (IDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA) has released a new fact sheet highlighting the top 20 safety violations identified during water and sewer department inspections conducted in recent years.
IL OSHA inspects municipal water and sewer departments across the state to help ensure employees working in high-risk environments are protected from hazards that can lead to serious injury or death. The fact sheet provides a summary of the most frequently cited standards and offers corrective recommendations that municipal departments can use to improve workplace safety and health.
Common violations cited in the latest fact sheet involve working in tight spaces, breathing safely, protection from moving machine parts, and making sure machines that are turned off stay off.
“Many of these hazards can be mitigated with proper training, written procedures, and regular maintenance,” said IL OSHA Division Chief Erik Kambarian. “We encourage departments to use the fact sheet as a proactive tool to identify and correct safety gaps before an incident occurs.”
Among the most frequently cited violations were:
- Lack of written permit-required confined space (PRCS) programs: these permits allow for critical safety planning before workers enter tight spaces, such as manholes;
- Failure to perform personal protection equipment hazard checks or provide respirator fit testing;
- Blocked electrical panels and improper use of extension cords;
- Missing exit signs and unmarked slow-moving vehicles;
- Inadequate maintenance of fire extinguishers and eyewash stations.
The fact sheet also reminds departments of their obligations under the Illinois General Duty Clause to protect employees from recognized hazards not explicitly addressed by other standards.
Read the full 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.
About IL OSHA
IL OSHA protects the safety and health of public employees through education, training, and enforcement of state occupational safety and health regulations.
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