(820 ILCS 255/3) (from Ch. 48, par. 1403)

Sec. 3. Definitions. As used in this Act:

(a) "Chemical name" means the scientific designation of a chemical in accordance with the nomenclature system developed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), or the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) rules of nomenclature, or a name which will clearly identify the chemical for hazard evaluation purposes.

(b) "Department" means the Illinois Department of Labor.

(c) "Container" means any bag, barrel, box, can, cylinder, drum, pipe, piping system or the like that contains a toxic substance.

(d) "Director" means the Director of the Illinois Department of Labor.

(e) "Employee" means any person employed by an employer on or after the effective date of this Act, except domestic workers or casual laborers. For purposes of this Act, any person whose employment is terminated for any reason after the effective date of this Act is an employee.

(f) "Employer" means any individual, partnership, corporation or association including the State and all of its political subdivisions, engaged in a business which has 20 or more employees or 5 or more full-time employees in the State. The term "employer" does not include an employer of domestic workers or casual laborers employed at a place of residence. Where the employees are present at the workplace of another employer, pursuant to an agreement between the employers, "employer" means the employer having control of the toxic substances in the workplace.

(g) "Employee representative" means an individual or labor organization to whom an employee gives written authorization to exercise his or her rights to request information under Sections 8 and 9 of this Act. A recognized or certified collective bargaining agent of a group of employees shall be considered to be an employee representative with respect to those employees without written employee authorization.

(h) "Hazard Warning" means any words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof which convey the hazards of the toxic substances in the container.

(i) "Health professional" means a safety engineer employed by an employer to evaluate hazards or a physician, dentist, toxicologist, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or industrial hygienist.

(j) "Material safety data sheet" means a document describing the properties and methods of safe handling and use of a substance, compound or mixture. A material safety data sheet shall contain the following information with respect to the substance, compound or mixture unless otherwise provided by this Act:

(1) The chemical name, common names, trade name and the identity used on the label, except as otherwise provided by Section 13.

(2) Physical and chemical characteristics, including vapor pressure and flash point.

(3) Physical hazards, including the potential for fire, explosion or reactivity.

(4) Known acute and chronic health effects of exposure, including signs and symptoms of exposure based on substantial scientific evidence. Information contained in Appendix B of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Hazard Communication Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 47 Federal Register 12001; March 19, 1982, shall be considered scientific evidence for purposes of this paragraph.

(5) The known primary route of exposure.

(6) The permissible exposure limit for those toxic substances for which the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has promulgated a permissible exposure limit.

(7) Precautions for safe handling and use.

(8) Recommended engineering controls.

(9) Recommended work practices.

(10) Recommended personal protective equipment.

(11) Emergency and first aid procedures and procedures for cleanup of leaks or spills.

(12) The date of preparation of the material safety data sheet and of any changes to it.

(13) The name, address and telephone number of the employer, manufacturer, importer or supplier preparing the material safety data sheet.

(k) "Mixing/loading site" means a work area where pesticide products are transferred to containers and combined with diluents as provided by label instructions to form use-dilutions for application to a site for the purpose of effecting pest control.

(l) "Mixture" means any combination of two or more substances if the combination is not, in whole or part, the result of a chemical reaction.

(m) "Toxic substance" means any substance, mixture or compound containing a substance which is determined as being hazardous as defined in 29 C.F.R. 1910.1200.

(n) "Trade secret" means the whole or any portion or phase of any scientific or technical information, design, process, procedure, formula or improvement or business plan which is secret in that it has not been published or disseminated or otherwise become a matter of general public knowledge, and which has competitive value. A trade secret is presumed to be secret when the owner thereof takes reasonable measures to prevent it from becoming available to persons other than those selected by the owner to have access thereto for limited purposes.

(o) "Work area" means a room or defined space where toxic substances are produced, used or stored and where employees are present.

(p) "Workplace" means an employer's usual place of business containing one or more work areas.

(Source: P.A. 89-696, eff. 6-1-97.)