Right to Know Publications

• General Information (Fact Sheets, Hazardous Substance List, Video List, etc.)
• Compliance (Private employers, public employers, Survey, labeling, etc.)

Hard copies of RTK posters and brochures in English or Spanish can be requested by using our online order form.

All other RTK publications, documents, and information bulletins listed on our Web site may be downloaded, printed and distributed without permission.

General Information

• Description of a Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet
  Describes the different sections of a Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet. Beginning September 2007, the NJDOH has adopted a new format for Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets. Fact Sheets in the old format will be converted over time as they are revised. Detailed descriptions are as follows:
  
  
  • Old format: English version; Spanish version
  • New format: English version; Spanish version
  
  
  
•  Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets
  More than 1,600 Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets have been written and are available online. The Fact Sheets contain chemical specific information on acute and chronic health effects, workplace exposure limits, medical testing, workplace controls, personal protective equipment, fire fighting, storage and handling, and first aid. The last page of the Fact Sheet is the Quick Reference page for emergency responders. More than 900 fact Sheets have been translated into Spanish. A complete set of the English or Spanish Fact Sheets CD can be requested by using our online order form.
  
  
•  You Have the Right to Know
  A brochure which provides an overview of the Right to Know law meant to be given to public employees at work sites which report hazardous substances and at Hazard Communication training sessions. Sent to public employers in bulk. Available in English and Spanish.
  
  
  • English version: [pdf 352k] 
  • Spanish version: [pdf 209k] 
  
  
• Right to Know Public Service Announcements
  The Departments of Health and Environmental Protection have prepared a bilingual (English and Spanish) Public Service Announcement in both video and audio formats for television and radio stations encouraging the public and emergency responders to obtain and use the Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets and Right to Know Surveys to find out about workplace and environmental hazards to which they may be exposed.

  The audio files are available online in WAV format:
  
  

  • Workplace Hazards English (161k) Spanish (164k)
  • Environmental Hazards English (157k) Spanish (163k)
  
  
• Right to Know Hazardous Substance List
  Under the New Jersey Worker and Community RTK Act, the NJDOH is required to develop the Right to Know Hazardous Substance List (RTKHSL). The revised RTKHSL (2010) contains 2,459 hazardous substances, including those which are on the Special Health Hazard Substance List (SHHSL). The SHHSL consists of 1,410 substances which are considered to be special health hazards and are defined as carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, corrosives, flammables, and reactive materials.
  
  

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Compliance

New Jersey Worker and Community Right to Know Act/Regulations

PRIVATE EMPLOYERS

Private Employers - Major Provisions of Right to Know Labeling - (pdf 30k)
This fact sheet explains private employers how to comply with the labeling requirements of the Right to Know law.

PUBLIC EMPLOYERS

Public employers have the responsibility to assist workers in learning about the hazards of the products they work with. The employer must:

• Complete the Right to Know Survey
• Label Containers
• Create and Maintain a Right to Know Central File
• Post the Right to Know Poster.

Right to Know Survey

Beginning with the 2011 Right to Know (RTK) Survey Update, the NJDOH is changing its RTK Survey Update submission requirements. Public employers are required to submit a RTK Survey Update ONLY if they have additions to the list of products containing hazardous substances that were brought to their facility during the preceding calendar year. The NJDOH will not mail survey forms to employers. All survey forms will be available only on the Internet. Please consult our RTK Survey Page for complete instructions.

Labeling

Public Employers - Major Provisions of Right to Know Labeling - (pdf 243k)
This fact sheet explains public employers how to comply with the labeling requirements of the Right to Know law.

Right to Know Central File

Each New Jersey public employer must establish and maintain a Right to Know (RTK) Central File. The following documents constitute a RTK Central File and should be available to all employees:

1. Most recent complete Right to Know Survey and Updates
2. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all chemical products at the facility
3. Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets for all individual chemicals reported on the Right to Know Complete Survey and Updates or information on how to access the NJDOH’s Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets online collection
4. Right to Know Hazardous Substance List (HSL) or information on how to access the RTK HSL from the NJDOH’s Web site

Right to Know Poster

The Poster describes the rights of a public employee under the Right to Know law and tells them who to contact for more information about the law and hazardous materials at their workplace. Available in English, Spanish, and Polish. Call the Right to Know Infoline at (609) 984-2202 for copies of this poster.

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More Publications

• Occupational Health Surveillance Unit Publications
• Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Publications