New Jersey Worker and Community Right-To-Know Act
he New Jersey Worker and Community Right To Know Act is commonly described as one of the most ambitious laws of its nature in the country. The law includes a requirement that businesses must label all substances in the workplace with both their specific chemical name, a universally recognizable code, and the chemical subtract service number. This applies to both chemicals that are hazardous, and those that are not. (This provision was hotly contested by industry, and is not included in other RTK laws.) Employers must document the chemicals they keep on site, and share the information with relevant state agencies. Workers have the right to receive health and safety information from their employers, and they can refuse to work with a hazardous substance if they are not granted access to the information within five days. (Protections against retaliations are included in the bill.) The general public can request Material Safety Data Sheets from the relevant state agencies.
Evidence
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Reducing Carcinogens in Public Schools: A non-regulatory approach by a regulatory agency
Using the New Jersey Right to Know law, advocates were able to find 318 public school districts in their state that used or held a list of 10 known carcinogens, including arsenic, benezene, vinyl chloride, and lead chromate. The study documents how these substances are used and who is exposed to them. The authors then show that the schools disposed of the toxics, or used them all up and did not order replacements.
