While some serious injuries are not avoidable, there are ways to prevent most of them. Homeowners, businesses and government agencies share a responsibility to keep people safe from injuries that cause pain and suffering as well as financial hardships.
Two prominent agencies work to keep New Jersey residents safe from a variety of dangers present in a complicated society.
Department of Health
The New Jersey Department of Health, through the Consumer, Environmental and Occupational Health Service has the charge of improving the well-being and health of everyone in the state. Three major programs utilize initiatives to decrease exposure to biological, physical and chemical hazards:
1. Environmental and Occupational Health Surveillance
2. Food Safety and Public Protection
3. Public Health Sanitation and Safety
These programs focus on such things as food and drug safety, asbestos and lead training and certification and the regulation of pools, tanning businesses and youth camps. They provide resources and information to workers and employers with the goal of preventing illnesses, injuries and deaths.
OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration works on behalf of all U.S. residents to ensure safe working conditions. As part of the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA strives to reduce injuries and deaths in the workplace by developing safety standards, enforcing them and providing training, education and assistance.
The federal agency covers most private sector employers and workers, as well as many public companies and their workers. New Jersey operates an OSHA-approved state plan that only covers state and local government workers. It is everyone’s responsibility to seek to make workplaces as safe as possible.
