any factory, plant, establishment, construction site, or other area, workplace or environment where work is performed by an employee of a public employer in order to enforce such occupational safety and health standards.

presented proper credentials or allows entry but then refuses to permit or hinders the inspection in some way, the inspector shall leave the premises and immediately report the refusal to authorized management. Authorized management shall notify the Director of Labor to initiate the compulsory legal process or obtain a warrant for entry, or both.

hours and at other reasonable times, and within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, any such place of employment and all pertinent conditions, structures, machines, apparatus, devices, equipment, and materials therein, and to question privately any such employer, owner, operator, agent or employee.

place affected by the provisions of this Act and his or her agent, superintendent, subordinate or employee, and any employer affected by such provisions shall when requested by the Division of Safety Inspection and Education, or any duly authorized agent thereof, furnish any information in his or her possession or under his control which the Department of Labor is authorized to require, and shall answer truthfully all questions required to be put to him, and shall cooperate in the making of a proper inspection.

inspection to be conducted under the authority of this Act without authority from the Director of Labor, or his or her authorized representative, commits a Class B misdemeanor.

Labor, a representative of the employer and a representative authorized by his or her employees shall be given an opportunity to accompany the Director of Labor or his or her authorized representative during the physical inspection of any workplace under this Section for the purpose of aiding such inspection. Where there is no authorized employee representative the Director of Labor or his or her authorized agent shall consult with a reasonable number of employees concerning matters of health and safety in the workplace.

that an imminent danger exists in any place of employment, the inspector shall inform the affected employees or their authorized representatives and employers of the danger and that the inspector is recommending to the Director of Labor that relief be sought.

imminent danger exists in the working conditions of any public employee in this State, which condition may reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical harm, the Director may file a complaint in the circuit court for appropriate relief against an employer and employee, including an order directing the employer or employee to cease and desist from the practice creating the imminent danger and to obtain immediate abatement of the hazard.

capriciously fails to seek relief under this Section, any employee who may be injured by reason of such failure, or the representative of the employee, may bring an action against the Director of Labor in the circuit court for the circuit in which the imminent danger is alleged to exist or the employer has his or her principal office, for relief by mandamus to compel the Director of Labor to seek such an order and for such further relief as may be appropriate.

Director of Labor or his or her authorized representative believes that an employer has violated a requirement of the Health and Safety Act, or a standard, rule, regulation or order promulgated pursuant to this Act or the Health and Safety Act, he or she shall with reasonable promptness issue a citation to the employer. Each citation shall be in writing; describe with particularity the nature of the violation and include a reference to the provision of the Act, standard, rule, regulation, or order alleged to have been violated; and fix a reasonable time for the abatement of the violation.

for the issuance of a notice of de minimis violations which have no direct or immediate relationship to safety or health.

copy or copies thereof, shall be prominently posted as prescribed in regulations issued by the Director of Labor at or near the place at which the violation occurred.

operator, manager, or agent by delivering an exact copy to the person upon whom the service is to be had, or by leaving a copy at his or her usual place of business or abode, or by sending a copy thereof by registered mail to his place of business.

after the expiration of 6 months following the occurrence of any violation.

issues a citation, he or she shall within 5 days after the issuance of the citation, notify the employer by certified mail of the penalty, if any, proposed to be assessed for the violation set forth in the citation.

that an employer has failed to correct a violation for which a citation has been issued within the period permitted for its correction, the Director of Labor shall notify the employer by certified mail of such failure and of the monetary penalty proposed to be assessed by reason of such failure.

relating to the abatement of a hazard to be considered by an authorized representative of the Director of Labor. The authorized representative of the Director of Labor shall notify the interested parties if such data will be used to modify an abatement order.

subparagraphs (A) through (E) may be assessed by the Director of Labor as part of the citation procedure as follows:

the requirements of the Health and Safety Act or any standard, or rule, or order pursuant to that Act and this Act may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $10,000.

a serious violation of the requirements of the Health and Safety Act or any standard, or rule, or order pursuant to that Act and this Act shall be assessed a civil penalty up to $1,000 for each such violation.

shall be deemed to exist in a place of employment if there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a condition which exists, or from one or more practices, means, methods, operations, or processes which have been adopted or are in use in such place of employment unless the employer did not know and could not, with the exercise of reasonable diligence, have known of the presence of the violation as specifically determined.

citation for violations of any standard, or rule, or order not of a serious nature may be assessed a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each such violation.

violation for which a citation has been issued within the period permitted may be assessed a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each day the violation continues.

violates the requirements of the Health and Safety Act or any standard, or rule, or order pursuant to this Act or demonstrates plain indifference to its requirements shall be issued a willful violation and may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $10,000.

willfully violates any standard, rule, or order is guilty of a Class 4 felony if that violation causes death to any employee.

penalty may be reduced by the Director of Labor or the Director's authorized representative by as much as 95% depending upon the public employer's "good faith", "size of business", and "history of previous violations". Up to 60% reduction is permitted for size, up to 25% reduction is permitted for good faith, and up to 10% reduction is permitted for history.

order or determination of the Director may obtain judicial review by filing a complaint for review within 35 days after the entry of the order or other final action complained of, pursuant to the provisions of the Administrative Review Law, all amendments and modifications thereof, and the rules adopted pursuant thereto.

the Director shall become final.

be heard expeditiously.