PEOSH Consultation Project


Introduction

The Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Program's Consultation Project is a free service that serves as a source of information and technical assistance to help public employers identify, evaluate, and prevent hazardous workplace conditions and work practices that may cause injury and illness in the workplace. The Consultation Project also provides assistance to public employers to achieve compliance with PEOSH health standards, including but not limited to the following:

  • Respiratory Protection;
  • Hazard Communication;
  • Occupational Noise Exposure;
  • Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response;
  • Indoor Air Quality;
  • Air Contaminants;
  • Asbestos;
  • Bloodborne Pathogens;
  • Firefighters;
  • Personal Protective Equipment;
  • Sanitation;
  • Indoor Firing Ranges; and
  • Lead.
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Benefits

Free: PEOSH consultation services are free of charge to public employers. The Consultation Project will provide expert advice that will help in establishing a safe and healthful workplace.

No Citations or Penalties: No citations are issued for violations identified during a consultation and no penalties are proposed.

Confidential: PEOSH consultation is a confidential service that is separate from PEOSH enforcement operations. The employer's request for a consultation will not trigger an enforcement inspection. The employer's name or any information about the workplace will not be provided to PEOSH enforcement operations as long as the employer corrects all serious hazards or imminent danger situations in a timely manner.

Employer Determines the Scope of the Survey: A full range of consultation services are available. A full service consultation covers all occupational health concerns. While PEOSH encourages employers to request a full service consultation, the employer has the option of limiting the consultation visit to one or more specific workplace concerns. Whatever the scope of the survey, the PEOSH consultant will provide assistance in establishing effective workplace safety and health programs. The PEOSH consultant will also provide assistance in the form of training and education for management, supervisors and employees.

Other Benefits: Increased understanding of workplace hazards and remedies will enable employers to protect employees from injury and illness. Employers will be better able to comply with PEOSH standards. An effective safety and health program can improve morale and increase productivity. In addition to direct savings from lowered injury and illness rates, there are savings from decreased workers' compensation costs, fewer product losses and reductions in lost work time. Effective workplace safety and health management is good business because the cost of injuries and illnesses can far exceed the cost of prevention.

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Consultation Process

Requesting Assistance: Consultation requests can be submitted to the PEOSH using one of the following methods:

Method Instructions
Online Click here and complete as directed.
Fax Download the request form [pdf 27k]. Complete as directed and fax to (609) 984-2779.
Email Download and save the Microsoft Word fillable form [doc 54k]. Forward the completed form as an attachment to
Regular mail Download and complete the request form [pdf 27k] and mail to:
NJ Department of Health
PEOSH Consultation Services
135 E. State Street, 4th Floor
Trenton NJ 08625
Telephone Call the PEOSH at (609) 984-1863.

 

Scheduling the Survey: The PEOSH consultant will contact the employer, and an on-site survey will be scheduled at a mutually agreed-upon date and time. The employer is responsible for involving its management and employee representatives in the survey. The employer is also responsible for having the following items available on the day of the survey:

  • Written programs and records pertaining to the subject matter of the request;
  • Written hazard communication program and records; and
  • Illness and injury logs (NJOSH Forms 300 and 300A) for the previous three years.

On-Site Survey: Upon arriving at the workplace for a scheduled visit, the consultant will conduct an opening conference, during which the ground rules of the visit will be reviewed with employer and employee representatives. At this time, administrative paperwork for the survey will be completed, the subject matter of the survey will be discussed, and any written material that the employer provides to the consultant will be reviewed. A walk-through tour of the area(s) of concern will then be conducted. A survey may require one or several site visits, depending on the scope, size of the facility, or other factors. At the conclusion of the survey, a closing conference will take place, during which the PEOSH consultant will review the hazards identified during the walk-through and upon review of written programs and records. At the time of the closing conference, the employer and the consultant mutually agree on correction dates for serious hazards identified during the survey.

Correction and Follow-Up: Following the closing conference, the PEOSH consultant will send a detailed written report explaining the findings. The report will also confirm the mutually agreed-upon date by which the hazards are to be corrected, and an assessment of the employer’s safety and health management system. The employer must agree to post the List of Hazards identified in the consultation report. The List of Hazards must be posted for three days or until the serious hazards are corrected, whichever is the longer period of time. The employer may contact the PEOSH consultant for assistance at any time prior to the date that hazard correction is due. The employer must contact the PEOSH consultant by the hazard correction due date. The employer may submit a written request for an extension of the hazard correction date to the PEOSH consultant. It is important that such a request includes detailed information on the reason that more time is needed, steps that have been taken to correct the hazard, and the number of days needed. If the PEOSH consultant grants the extension, a formal letter will be sent to the employer.

Closeout: The PEOSH consultant will verify that all hazards are corrected through on-site verification or written assurance from the employer. At that time, the PEOSH consultant will send a closeout letter to the employer.

This information provided on this Web page is intended as a general description only and does not carry the force of legal opinion.

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Last Reviewed: 8/9/2023