From the Executive Director's Desk
Congratulations to Governor Phil Murphy, and members of the 2018 Legislature. I was excited to attend the worker roundtable with Governor Murphy that NJ Working Families Alliance and other labor unions coordinated last week, and was particularly moved by the workers who spoke about their challenges, and the real need for a minimum wage increase and guaranteed earned sick time. Thankfully all indications are that these will be priorities.
While we recognize that there are plenty of things to do, we have compiled suggestions for our Top 10 Health & Safety Priorities
1. Provide Access to Emergency Response Plans
Direct SERC to provide first responders, workers and community members with access to up to-date municipal and county emergency response plans in the event of a chemical disaster.
2. Prepare for Disasters
Conduct a comprehensive review of chemical facilities covered by TCPA, as well as hospitals and other critical infrastructure, to ensure they are adequately prepared for an extreme weather event.
3. Create Thermal Hazard Standard
Develop and implement a statewide thermal hazard standard to protect workers from the damaging effects of extreme temperatures.
4. Enact Safe Staffing Legislation
Provide safe staffing level regulations for acute care hospitals, nursing homes, and addiction treatment centers.
5. Guarantee Safe Patient Handling
Require NJDOH to hold facilities accountable when they are not in compliance with the law, and ensure mandatory inspections (every two years) of licensed healthcare facilities to guarantee compliance of the Safe Patient Handling and Violence Prevention in Health Care Facilities Act.
6. Temperature Control for Schools
Enact temperature control legislation that requires boards of education to adopt a written policy establishing temperature control standards and guidelines for how to proceed when there are extreme temperatures within school district facilities.
7. Get the Lead Out
Require completion of healthy homes assessments (lead, asthma) by home visitors from NJ Children & Family Services and their local subcontractors; update NJ lead reports to include maps that show neighborhoods with high concentrations of lead poisoned children so that public action and funds can be targeted to areas in need; develop an assessment protocol, funding and timeline for identifying and replacing hazardous lead service lines across New Jersey.
8. Renew Bonding for SDA
Approve additional bonding for the NJ Schools Development Authority to fund projects to address school health and safety issues in SDA (formerly Abbott) and Regular Operating Districts.
9. Ensure Safe Drinking Water
Update testing equipment and reinforce standards to eliminate dangerous pollutants in tap water sources to ensure safe, clean drinking water, especially in troubled municipalities.
10. Provide Information on Rail Hazards
The deadly hazards of shipments on rail are concerning to residents in New Jersey as thousands of rail cars now pass through our communities, and even first responders are kept in the dark. Governor Murphy should direct the DOT to request information about rail bridges, and sign the oil train safety bill, which is slated to be re-introduced in February.
BONUS: Overhaul Safety and Health Grants
Restore the competitive NJ Department of Labor & Workforce Development for Occupational Safety and Health Training Services grants process for non-profits and improve capacity to reach those workers at greatest risk of on-the-job injuries, illnesses and fatalities.
And as an added bonus, here are a whole series of recommendations for addressing climate change, the largest health and safety issues of all, which we compiled with our allies in the Jersey Renews coalition.
In Solidarity,
 
P.S.
Thank you to all who supported our work last year, especially those that made a gift in December. If you forgot, or you want to help get us started for 2018, please consider donating to WEC today. |
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OSHA HazCom Webinar
For the last two years, the Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) 1910.1200 was the second most cited standard on OSHA’s Top 10 list of violations. The sections within the HazCom standard most often violated include implementation of a HazCom program and training, followed by the requirement to maintain Safety Data Sheets.
Please join us Tuesday, January 30 at 12pm for a 30-minute webinar, Introduction on OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard.
Please register here.
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Public Need Over
Corporate Greed
Train-the-Trainer
Join us on March 16th and 17th at NJEA Headquarters in Trenton (180 W. State Street) to learn how our economy, and our democracy, have been strip-mined by financial institutions. This intensive training will involve materials developed by WEC and Les Leopold, author of Runaway Inequality and director of The Labor Institute.
We’ve already trained 65 educators, who are working across Jersey to share this content within their organizations, spreading the word to fellow activists. Join the discussion on direct actions that we can take to address the fundamental inequalities in our system. Space is limited to 20 participants. Apply today!
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Workers Acquitted in
Lac Megantic Trial
All three former Montreal, Maine and Atlantic (MMA) railway employees were acquitted. They had been charged with criminal negligence in the 2013 crude train derailment that killed 47 people when a runaway train exploded in downtown Lac Megantic. The trial lasted more than three months.
Tom Harding was the train’s engineer, Richard Labrie the traffic controller and Jean Demaitre was the manager of train operations that were charged.
“The wrong people were on trial. It was a clear example of blame the worker instead of fixing the hazard. The employer should have been on the stand because this horrific explosion that ended the lives of 47 people could have been prevented with the right policies in place and a strong safety culture,” said Debra Coyle McFadden, WEC Assistant Director.
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