(820 ILCS 255/16) (from Ch. 48, par. 1416)

Sec. 16. Employee information and training. (a) An employer shall provide all employees with an education and training program with respect to all toxic substances to which the employee is routinely exposed in the course of his or her employment. An employee shall be deemed to be routinely exposed to any toxic substance which he ingests, inhales, absorbs through the skin or otherwise comes into contact with on a regular basis during the course of his employment in concentrations for which there is substantial scientific evidence that a significant risk to human health may occur from exposure or which falls above threshold limits established by the Department. If no employees are exposed to any toxic substance, the employer does not have to provide an employee education and training program.

(b) It shall be prima facie evidence that an employer has fulfilled the education and training requirements of this Section if, before an employee is assigned to work where he will be routinely exposed to a toxic substance, and at least annually thereafter for as long as the employee remains routinely exposed to the toxic substance, the employer provides the employee with: (1) personal instruction with respect to methods of material handling for each toxic substance to which the employee will be exposed in the normal course of his or her employment; (2) a material safety data sheet pertaining to such toxic substance; and (3) a summary, written by the Department, which includes (i) a summary of the employee's rights and obligations under the Act and (ii) a readily understandable explanation of how to read and understand a Material Safety Data Sheet.

(c) It shall be the duty of the Department to publish, to distribute to any employer in the State who so requests, and to publish in the Illinois Register, copies of the summary described in subsection (b) of this Section. The summary must be available for distribution to employers and published in the Illinois Register within 6 months of the effective date of this Act. The Department may charge a reasonable fee to those persons requesting copies of the summary, to cover publication and distribution costs.

(d) The Director shall develop a program to inform employers, manufacturers, importers, and suppliers of their rights and duties under this Act. Such program shall begin on the effective date of this Act and shall last for at least one year thereafter. The program shall include, but shall not be limited to: (i) Providing information to employers and employees on their duties and responsibilities under this Act; and (ii) Providing information on procedures adopted by the Department for the purpose of implementing this Act.

The Department shall make efforts to assist small businesses in complying with the provisions of this Act and shall also attempt to notify suppliers located out of the State concerning the provisions of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-816.)