WEC's Executive Director Offshore Wind Op-Ed

On February 21st, WEC’s Executive Director Debra Coyle published an op-ed on NJ.com on New Jersey’s wind auction, which offered leases to develop wind farms on six offshore water parcels.  

In the op-ed, Debra details the urgency with which climate action is needed- as our lives, homes, and businesses are all at risk. Offshore wind is a way to move us towards a necessary, huge, shift to low-carbon renewable energy sources.

“This is no time to think small, which is why the states of New Jersey, New York and the federal government are teaming up to go big. New offshore wind turbines will have the capacity to power 2 million homes…”

“...Moving power generation offshore, with full environmental safeguards that creates good paying jobs, offers a path to improve our current standard of living. And it will allow future generations to enjoy our beautiful Jersey shore, with less fear from ever-rising sea levels.”

Read the full op-ed here.

To show your support for responsibly developed offshore wind in New Jersey, click here and scroll down to sign the petition!

NJ Mercury Legislation Gaining Ground

Legislation seeking to stop future mercury floor installations in schools made progress. Under bill A1096, advanced by the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee, flooring material that contains mercury would not be permitted in the construction or renovation of a school or child care center. 

Inhaling mercury vapor can affect one's nervous, digestive, and immune systems, as well as their lungs and kidneys. Minimal exposure could cause a sore throat, cough, and headaches. Pregnant women and developing fetuses are particularly vulnerable as well as young children.

Organizers, teachers, parents, and community leaders have been pushing for a statewide assessment of these floors for years, because a floor's installation date, and even the safety data sheets that come with the floor, won’t indicate whether the floor was prepared with mercury. 

School conditions also play a vital role as poor temperature control and ventilation significantly contribute to the mercury vapor’s toxicity. "Some of our schools are very antiquated and they don't have the proper ventilation system in place," said Heather Sorge, organizer for Healthy Schools Now in an interview with NJ 101.5.

The committee made amendments, including a requirement that any school projects impacting an already existing floor will need to provide proof that the existing floor is mercury-free, or remove that floor completely. 

This NJ legislation gained national attention. The National Desk released a comprehensive news story this month addressing the mercury flooring issue, its potential health impacts and efforts to address it. Allen Barkkume, an industrial hygiene consultant for WEC, pointed out in an interview for the story that it's not just kids who are being put at risk from this harmful neurotoxin.

"A student is in a gym class for 30 minutes, 40 minutes a day. A gym teacher is in that gym for eight hours a day," he told us, pointing out that their total exposure may be much greater than a child's."

The bill will go to the Assembly Education committee for review.

You can read more about the dangers of mercury flooring here.

Healthcare Facilities Disproportionately Affected by Workplace Violence

Pandemic related workplace violence has exploded across many industries, and healthcare facilities are disproportionately affected. According to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics 2020 report on Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, healthcare workers experienced an almost 250% increase in workplace related injuries, and one out of five nurses reported being physically assaulted at work according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). 

While OSHA does not have a particular standard regarding workplace violence, under the General Duty Clause Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are required to provide their employees with a place of employment that is “free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm."

In the case of Montefiore Medical Center in New York, OSHA found that the hospital had inadequate protections set in place to safeguard their employees from workplace violence and issued the hospital fines of more than $17,000. Workers at the hospital have repeatedly fallen victim to violent attacks from patients. The workplace violence prevention program at the hospital was deemed to lack effective administrative and engineering controls to protect employees from the repeated attacks. 

Most of the attacks occurred during one-on-one interactions with patients, where a procedure could have been implemented to avoid a violent situation. Montefiore Medical Center has also received fines for failing to properly record the workplace violence incident reports that each instance requires.  

To learn more about workplace systems of safety in relation to workplace violence, join WEC’s upcoming virtual Workplace Violence Prevention Training. WEC’s free training reviews the Systems of Safety, and applies each system to workplace violence scenarios through participatory activities that help participants identify system failures.  

Monday, February 28, 6:00pm - 7:30pm: Preventing Exposure to Workplace Chemicals. Employers have a responsibility under OSHA’s HazCom Standard to educate and train employees about the chemicals they work with and how to protect themselves from any potential hazards. Join us as we discuss OSHA's HazCom standard and assessing chemical hazards and understanding safety data sheets. Click here for more information.

Monday, March 7, 1:00pm - 3:00pm: Violence Prevention Training. Join us as we discuss workplace violence prevention strategies, identifying safety system failures in the workplace, and OSHA and NJ state regulations that address workplace violence.  Click here for more information.

Thursday, March 10, 2:00pm - 4:00pm: Identifying Workplace Hazards in the Time of COVID-19. Understanding the hierarchy of Systems of Safety (with design as the primary system) enables workers to become active participants in developing and implementing safe work practices (“training and procedures”). Join us as we introduce the concept of Systems of Safety and identifying safety system failures in the workplace. Click here for more information.

Thursday, March 17, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm - Opioids in the Workplace: Prevention and Response. This course, put on through the Rutgers Center for Public Health Workforce Development, is intended for workers and employers who may be impacted by the opioid crisis. The goal of the course is to provide an evidence-based worker awareness training program that identifies workplace risk factors and solutions for opioid use, misuse, and addiction. This training is free and offered through Zoom virtual learning. Link to registration and additional information:

Tuesday, March 22, 11:00am - 12:30pm: Hazard Mapping Training. Join Us as we examine hazards in your workplace and learn how to develop a map to identify, locate, and evaluate hazards so they can be targeted for elimination. This training will be participatory and you will need video capability, paper and pen for the breakout rooms. Click here for more information.

Wednesday, March 23, 1:00pm - 2:30pm: Preventing Exposure to Workplace Chemicals. Employers have a responsibility under OSHA’s HazCom Standard to educate and train employees about the chemicals they work with and how to protect themselves from any potential hazards. Join us as we discuss OSHA's HazCom standard and assessing chemical hazards and understanding safety data sheets. Click here for more information.