New Jersey has become the newest state to receive approval from OSHA to administer its own occupational safety and health plan for public employees.
New Jersey joins Connecticut and New York as one of three states authorized by OSHA to offer a safety and health program specifically for public employees.
The New Jersey plan is the first new state plan since New York was added in 1984.
Twenty-three other states have OSHA-approved plans for the private sector that extend coverage to state and local government employees.
"We applaud the state of New Jersey for their ongoing commitment to the safety and health of their public employees," said OSHA Administrator Charles Jeffress. "It''s a pleasure to recognize their accomplishment and welcome them as our newest state partner."
The plan will be administered by the New Jersey Department of Labor with the Department of Health and Senior Services having responsibility for conducting health inspection.
The program covers more than 470,000 public employees, including approximately 112,900 state government workers and roughly 357,100 municipal employees.
Private employees remain under the jurisdiction of federal OSHA.
New Jersey has adopted standards identical to most federal OSHA safety and health standards and has committed to bring all of its standards into line with OSHA requirements.
The state plan also provides that future OSHA standards and revisions will be adopted by the state.
by Virginia Sutcliffe
About the Author
EHS Today Staff
EHS Today's editorial staff includes:
Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.
Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.
Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.