New study shows workers are safe here in New Jersey

A new study came out conducted by the safety team at Protex that ranked the most and least dangerous states for workers in the country.

Fishing, farming, and forestry were identified as the most dangerous jobs in the country. As New Jersey is so densely populated and farming and forestry are not as prominent here in the Garden State as other states, New Jersey scored well in the survey as one of the top five safest states in the country.

Even though we have a prohibitive cost of living, New Jersey has had the fewest fatalities with 2.67 per 100,000 workers. In addition, the survey pointed out that New Jersey has affordable health insurance with a reasonable minimum wage.

For its overall ranking, the study considers several factors including, number of fatal and nonfatal injuries and illness per 100,000 workers, cost of living index, unemployment rate, healthcare cost, minimum wage, and crime rate index.

How does New Jersey stand up to other states? New Jersey scored an overall total of 29.63. The safest state in the country is Maryland with a 24.26 overall score.

The least safe state is Oregon at a whopping overall score of 68.70. It is no wonder Oregon ranks so high with forestry being one of the most dangerous industries for workers. Vermont is the second least safe state with an overall score of 60.75.

It is good that there is a balance here in New Jersey and that there are safety factors that will give us all a peace of mind. We make good decisions when it comes to workplace protection and protocol.

Let’s be careful out there and keep up the excellent work.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

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