SAFETY FIRST

Helena Worthen, Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois’ Institute of Labor & Industrial Relations, believes that it is an employer’s responsibility to provide a safe working environment. “These things happen all the time,” says Worthen. “Workers are exposed to dangerous situations and they have neither the equipment or training to deal with them.”

Emmanuel Blackwell, Director of the Chicago Area Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (CACOSH) believes that problems like this are not unusual, but are preventable. “Many times businesses put their employees at risk because no one knows the proper way to dispense, use, or neutralize a cleaning agent. Everyone assumes that the user is properly informed, which is not always the case. Contractors or custodial personnel should explain to the office managers the potential dangers of chemicals and what to do in an emergency. This almost never happens. Most situations, like the one at the Art Institute, are preventable with the proper training.”

May 2006