Reavis High School in Burbank acted to fix a crumbling exterior staircase after being ordered to address the issue by the Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
A complaint was submitted in April that alleged that eroded stairs at the school’s Austin Avenue entrance represented a trip and fall hazard to employees.
Photos included with the complaint showed the edges of the stairs were worn and that concrete had partially crumbled away from a stair railing.
In response, Illinois OSHA sent the school a complaint, but received no initial response, according to records. Illinois OSHA sent a second letter in May ordering the school to respond or an on-site inspection might be scheduled.
Reavis High School District 220 Superintendent Dan Riordan did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Southtown, but responded to OSHA with photos that showed the damaged area around the railing had been repaired.
In emails to OSHA, Riordan said that the school plans a comprehensive renovation of the main gym and auditorium entrances, which is scheduled to go out for bid later this year, with work to begin in 2027.
“There is a plan in place to replace and renovate the entire area within the next 12 – 18 months,” Riordan wrote to Illinois OSHA.
Riordan also said the school recently had an independent team walk the entire building as part of an annual audit, and no areas were determined to be unsafe.
“We do agree the steps and railings are not aesthetically appealing to the eye, but we would refute any claim that it is unsafe or out of code,” Riordan wrote in the email.