The Right to Know Program

The New Jersey Worker and Community Right to Know Act requires public and private employers to provide information about hazardous substances at their workplaces. The Act informs public employees about chemical hazards at their workplace so they can work safely with these hazardous substances. It also helps firefighters, police, and other emergency responders adequately plan for and respond to incidents such as fires, explosions, or spills. Additionally, the act provides data for monitoring and tracking hazardous substances in the workplace and the environment.

The Cumberland County Health Department works for two different divisions of the State that handle the New Jersey Worker and Community Right to Know Act. The New Jersey Department of Health provides funding to our Department to provide assistance to public entities that are experiencing difficulty with filing their State reports or conducting product inventory. We conduct site visits to assist the managers with navigating the State’s website and provide outreach to government entities that are unsure of the requirements.    

Unfortunately when a business or entity fails to submit their survey to the State, some form of action has to be taken to ensure that the hazards in that business continue to be properly reported. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection provides funding to our Department to investigate businesses or entities that fail to submit their survey in accordance with the New Jersey Worker and Community Right to Know Act. For more information on the right to know program.