(820 ILCS 219/65)

Sec. 65. Periodic inspection of workplaces.

(a) The Director shall enforce the occupational safety and health standards and rules promulgated under this Act and any occupational health and safety regulations relating to inspection of places of employment, and shall visit and inspect, as often as practicable, the places of employment covered by this Act.

(b) The Director or his or her authorized representative, upon presenting appropriate credentials to a public employer's agent in charge, has the right to enter and inspect all places of employment covered by this Act as follows:

(1) An inspector may enter without delay and at reasonable times any establishment, construction site, or other area, workplace, or environment where work is performed by an employee of a public employer in order to enforce the occupational safety and health standards adopted under this Act.

(2) If a public employer refuses entry to an inspector upon being presented with proper credentials or allows entry but then refuses to permit or hinders the inspection in any way, the inspector shall leave the premises and immediately report the refusal to authorized management within the Division. Authorized management shall notify the Director to initiate the compulsory legal process to obtain entry or obtain a warrant for entry, or both.

(3) An inspector may inspect and investigate during regular working hours and at other reasonable times, and within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, any workplace described in paragraph (1) and all pertinent conditions, structures, machines, apparatus, devices, equipment, and materials therein, and to question privately the employer or any agent or employee of the employer.

(4) The owner, operator, manager, or lessee of any workplace covered by this Act, and his or her agent or employee, and any employer affected by this Act shall, when requested by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health or any duly authorized agent of that Division: (i) furnish any information in his or her possession or under his or her control which the Department is authorized to require, (ii) answer truthfully all questions required to be put to him or her, and (iii) cooperate in the making of a proper inspection.

(c) In making his or her inspection and investigations under this Act, the Director has the power to require the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of evidence under oath.

(Source: P.A. 102-705, eff. 1-1-23.)