Illinois warehouse safety task force finalizes report — wants tornado shelters required

The final recommendations from an Illinois warehouse safety task force, created after a deadly 2021 tornado in Edwardsville, provide a good starting point for future legislation, said a state lawmaker and the father of one of the six people killed.

“You have to get the foundation laid and then go from there,” said Lynn Cope, whose 29-year-old son, Clayton, was killed in the tornado that leveled an Amazon warehouse.

The final report includes recommendations to require storm shelters in Illinois warehouses, built specifically for tornadoes based on the size and occupancy of the building, by amending a section of the state’s code requirements.

Site-specific emergency plans for each warehouse should be required, and building code inspectors need to get a statewide certification, the report says.

“I think that would help,” Cope said of the storm shelters and emergency plans.

The task force, consisting of state lawmakers, Edwardsville’s mayor and representatives from industry and trade groups, approved its final report 8-1 on Wednesday. The document will soon be sent to the Illinois General Assembly to consider legislation.

“I do think the recommendations put us on a path to protecting safety,” said state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, a task force member who sponsored the legislation to create the group. “I wouldn’t say it’s the be-all-end-all of everything that we could do, but I think it is a good start to protect warehouse workers.”

The report included recommendations that the state continue investing in a statewide nonprofit response system that helps local fire departments and that emergency responders coordinate with other agencies during a disaster.

The work of the task force, which heard expert and witness testimony over the past 16 months, did not end without disagreement.

State Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, cast the lone vote against the final report, telling members the recommendations had been watered down to the bare minimum.

“The reality is we’re going to be faced with the same problems in the future of warehouse workers dying for the lack of businesses not doing the right thing,” Ventura said. “The fact that this task force couldn’t have better standards is kind of ridiculous.”

Ventura, whose district includes much of Will County in the Chicago suburbs, said she wanted to address more worker safety issues and would have rather require stronger buildings be built than storm shelters be built.

State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, told Ventura that he was disappointed by her comments.

“It misses the mark, and it also misses the opportunity for us to accomplish a goal without chasing job creators out of this state,” Keicher said.

Alexandra Cope, the sister of Clayton Cope, said at the meeting she’d like to see more details about potential consequences warehouse operators could face if they don’t follow the standards recommended.

“My fear is that, while we can make these recommendations, there won't be enough teeth to these,” Alexandra Cope said.

Jane Flanagan, the state's secretary of labor and chair of the task force, said that may be a conversation while the recommendations are working their way through the legislative process.

Flanagan also said she doesn’t often see the level of public involvement she saw from the Cope family while on a task force.

“It really does mean a lot to our family that this is taken seriously,” Alexandra Cope said.