In 2023, 29 New Jersey employers that used OSHA's On-Site Consultation services received a Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Award for their commitment to workplace safety and health.  The awards are sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL), the U.S Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the New Jersey State Industrial Safety Committee (NJSISC).

The 94th Annual Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Awards were presented during OSHA Region 2's Safe + Sound Week Kickoff Lunch & Learn Webinar, which highlighted the roles of management and employees in finding and fixing hazards to ensure workplaces remain healthy and safe. A national event held each August, Safe + Sound Week recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep workers safe.

Since its establishment in 1927, the Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Awards program has promoted safer and healthier workplaces with thousands of awards being earned by Garden State employers. There are two categories of safety and health awards:

• The Governor's Award for Safety and Health Performance recognizes employers who have shown a strong commitment to improving their safety and health programs by utilizing the NJDOL OSHA On-Site Consultation Program, or Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Consultation Program, and who have established robust safety and health program management systems as evidenced by low injury and illness rates. Employers must have received full-service Consultation visits and corrected any serious and other than serious hazards identified during the visit.
• The Governor's Award for Safety and Health Excellence recognizes employers who have demonstrated the highest level of safety and health performance by participating in voluntary safety and health achievement programs, demonstrating a comprehensive safety and health culture, and striving for continuous improvement.  These employers must be a current OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) participant, a NJDOL Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) participant or be certified under ISO 45001.  Their injury and illness rates must be less than half the rates for their industry and they must have a workers' compensation experience modification rate that is 0.8 or lower.

The 29 New Jersey employers that received one of these awards in 2023 represented a variety of industries, such as chemical manufacturing, cosmetics manufacturing, construction project management, and cranberry processing.

The OSHA On-Site Consultation Program offers no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small and medium-sized businesses in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards and how to fix them, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, train and educate workers, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs. On-Site Consultation services are separate from OSHA enforcement efforts. To locate the OSHA On-Site Consultation program nearest you, call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or visit www.osha.gov/consultation.