To continue to promote workplace safety and health in New Jersey workplaces, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration joined with the state’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the New Jersey State Industrial Safety Committee August 19 in renewing an alliance to help protect the Garden State’s workers.
The three parties renewed an alliance that was established in December 2018. The alliance, which also includes the OSHA Challenge and the New Jersey Safety Recognition Programs, has the following aims:
- Promote the Safe + Sound Campaign, OSHA’s year-round campaign to promote workplace safety, and similar awareness campaigns to the membership of NJSISC through meetings, newsletters, websites and social media.
- Produce and disseminate case studies and success stories on effective safety and health programs.
- Develop methodologies to provide subject matter experts or resources for New Jersey employers to help them improve their workplace safety and health practices.
- Develop and share information on management leadership, employee involvement and systematic approaches to find and fix workplace hazards before they can cause injury and illness.
- Share information about good practices or effective approaches among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals through workshops, seminars and lectures.
- Promote use of the free, on-site consultation services available through the state Labor Department.
- Encourage companies with exemplary safety and health programs to participate in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs and/or Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program.
“Worker injuries and illnesses have significant costs for all involved. They harm workers and their ability to care for themselves and their families, they take money away that companies could better use to grow their businesses and create new jobs, and they deprive the economy of monies spent by workers,” explained OSHA Regional Administrator Richard Mendelson in New York. “The initiatives described in this alliance will help New Jersey businesses improve their workplace safety and health systems while increasing competitiveness within their respective industries.”
The OSHA Challenge is a cooperative program through which employers and employees work with OSHA to develop and improve their safety and health management system through mentoring, training, and progress tracking. The New Jersey Safety Recognition Programs acknowledge workplaces with outstanding performance in the prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses, and that utilize the on-site consultation program.
Safe + Sound Week is a nationwide event held each August that recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America’s workers safe.