Agriculture Workers

The Division administers two programs that affect agricultural workers, one dealing with field sanitation and the other with migrant labor camps.

The field sanitation program promotes the health and safety of agricultural workers by requiring that basic sanitary facilities be available to them. All farm operators who employ 10 or more agricultural workers must provide toilets, hand-washing facilities and safe drinking water within one quarter mile of a work site. Division staff inspect all licensed migrant labor camps to assure that they comply with the state's Field Sanitation Act; and respond to complaints involving other agricultural operations.

Under the migrant labor camp program, the Division licenses camps that provide housing for 10 or more workers or four or more families. Facilities that provide housing for fewer individuals/families are required to comply with the standards but are not subject to licensing. There are approximately 50 licensed camps in Illinois. Division staff visit each camp at least once before occupancy and once during the operating season to inspect the water supply system, sewage disposal system, food preparation facilities, general housing conditions, fire safety conditions and vector control.

Manufactured/Mobile Structures

Advanced construction standards and a housing shortage for low- and moderate-income families have made manufactured and mobile structures attractive alternatives to traditionally built homes. The Division administers several programs to ensure that people living or working in these structures are safe.

The Division regulates construction of modular homes and commercial mobile structures located in Illinois. Staff review plans for each model to be located in Illinois to ensure that these units meet minimum structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and energy conservation standards. About 1,000 modular homes and commercial mobile structures are placed in llinois annually.

The Division also has responsibilities relating to mobile homes. To ensure quality living conditions for people who reside in mobile home parks, the Division licenses all parks with five or more sites (except those located in home rule units). Staff inspect each park annually for license renewal, at which time they check the water supply, sewage disposal system, electrical system, lighting, road conditions, spacing of homes and garbage disposal. Division staff also review plans for all new parks and any additions to existing ones

State law requires that all mobile homes moved since January 1, 1980 be secured using equipment that meets standards adopted by the Division. Although installers of tiedown equipment must comply with these standards, the home owner is ultimately responsible for properly securing the home. The Division administers a voluntary certification program for manufactured home installers.

Recreation

Camping and swimming are important recreational pursuits for many people. Ensuring that the state's recreational areas, youth camps, swimming pools and bathing beaches follow health and safety standards is one of the Division's responsibilities.

State law requires the Division to annually inspect and license the approximately 650 Illinois campgrounds that accommodate 10 or more people for more than six days each year. (Campgrounds within home rule units are exempt.) Staff inspect the water supply and sewage disposal systems, the electrical systems, general sanitation, food service and recreational facilities. The Division also reviews construction plans for all new campgrounds and for major expansions or alterations of existing ones.

In addition, the Division inspects water slides that are not regulated as part of a swimming pool or bathing beach. Other types of recreational areas that do not provide overnight camping such as highway rest stops and picnicking areas are subject to the rules, but are not licensed or routinely inspected.

Illinois has more than 160 youth camps for children under the age of 18. Those that accommodate five or more children for at least five days each year are inspected and licensed annually to assure they are safe and sanitary. Division staff inspect the water supply, sewage disposal system, electrical system, general sanitation, food service and water recreational facilities. The Division also reviews camp construction plans and issues permits for new camps.

Swimming pools have become standard features in hotels, motels, apartment complexes and subdivisions. However, swimming can be hazardous due to the numerous diseases that may be transmitted by contaminated water and the dangers associated with diving accidents and falls on wet surfaces. In order to minimize these risks, the Division requires the state's 3,500 swimming pools and bathing beaches to meet water quality and safety standards, including engineering design standards that apply to pools, bathing beaches, water supplies, bather preparation areas, and water treatment systems. The Division enforces these rules and regulations through plan approvals and inspections. An extensive sampling program of the 350 licensed bathing beaches helps assure that they comply with bacteriological standards. The Division also administers a voluntary certification program for swimming pool operators.