Health & Safety Resources

Healthy Schools Now is a coalition of public school advocates dedicated to ensuring that all New Jersey children and school employees learn and work in safe, modern school buildings. The page has links to the School Hazard Facts for Families Factsheet Series suitable for families and other community allies.

WEC is a frequent partner with NJEA on school health and safety. It is a membership alliance of labor, community, and environmental organizations working together for safe, secure jobs, and a healthy, sustainable environment. This page contains highlights of WEC’s school work and links to WEC publications on healthy schools.

Statewide network of individuals working to protect New Jersey’s public schools by keeping the community at large and legislators informed about issues and legislation that directly impact children’s education, both locally and at the state level.

Advocacy organization for equal educational opportunity and education justice, which won groundbreaking Abbott vs. Burke court rulings in NJ on behalf of at-risk students. ELC also promotes educational equity through coalition building, litigation support, policy development, communications, and action-focused research.

A state-wide campaign by Clean Water Action and Sustainable Jersey to get New Jersey schools and towns to adopt model policies on green cleaning, vehicle idling, and pesticide-free zones.

A statewide clearinghouse for asthma programs and services associated with the American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic with posters and videos on controlling asthma in schools. Schools can complete six steps for an Asthma Friendly School Award.

National non-profit that empowers people to address public health and environmental threats from chemical hazards. They have several programs that focus on schools, including the Green Flag Program for Student Environmental Leadership.

USGBC promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated. They are best known for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems. The Center for Green Schools promotes schools which are sustainable and healthy places to live, learn, work, and play.

National environmental health organization that does research, information sharing, education, coalition-building, and advocacy to ensure that every child has a healthy learning environment that is clean and in good repair.

Mothers fighting against polluters. Partners with the Healthy Schools Network. Released a 2014 report on schools near chemical plants.

National advocacy organization which released a 2014 report, Kids in Danger Zones, calculating that 43 percent of NJ students attend school within a chemical facility vulnerability zone. Information on specific sites in NJ is included.

Links to the school health and safety resources of The American Federation of Teachers, a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for students, their families and communities.

Manages and funds 100 percent of eligible school construction and renovation project costs in the 31 former Abbott special-needs districts, now known as SDA Districts. SDA also administers grants in New Jersey’s Regular Operating Districts (RODs), which manage their own projects. The “Visit My School” pages describe progress on projects.

Information on health-related topics like indoor air quality and hazardous substances. PEOSH regulations apply to public employees, including staff at public and charter schools.

Right to Know about hazardous substances in workplaces and communities. Link to Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets (HSFS) on over 1,600 chemicals. Spanish versions are available for 900 chemicals.

Works to reduce the public’s exposures to mold, asbestos-containing materials, lead-based paint hazards, and many other indoor environmental pollutants.

Access to state and federal requirements, programs, and best practices related to building operations and grounds, new construction, environmental health, indoor and outdoor environmental quality and natural resource management.

Establishes and enforces building codes in partnership with the State's municipalities. Enforces the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) implementing the building, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, energy, mechanical, elevator, radon, asbestos, rehabilitation and barrier-free subcodes, and lead hazard abatement.

Licenses childcare centers, including pre-schools, for basic building code requirements.

Reviews and approves, disapproves, or suggests changes to school districts’ five year plans and building project applications.

A project supported by the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education, to assist schools in reducing risk to occupational safety and health hazards in secondary school and work environments in which NJ adolescents spend time.

Gateway to online EPA resources to help facility managers, school administrators, architects, design engineers, nurses, parents, teachers and staff create healthy schools.

A comprehensive resource to help maintain a healthy environment in school buildings by identifying, correcting, and preventing IAQ problems. Detailed guidance and links for new school design and repair and maintenance of existing facilities.