by Brianna Crandall — May 18, 2016 — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced last week the availability of a total of $4.6 million in funds in the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. The program intends to help workers and employers identify and prevent workplace safety and health hazards.
The grants will fund the creation of in-person, hands-on training and educational programs and the development of materials for workers and employers in small businesses; industries with high injury, illness and fatality rates; and vulnerable workers who are underserved, have limited English proficiency or are temporary workers.
Nonprofit organizations including community and faith-based organizations, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor / management associations, Indian tribes, and colleges and universities are eligible and encouraged to apply for the grants.
The program honors the late Susan Harwood, former director of OSHA’s Office of Risk Assessment, whose 17-year tenure led to the development of worker protection standards for exposure to bloodborne pathogens, cotton dust, benzene, formaldehyde, asbestos and lead.
This funding opportunity includes two separate announcements: Targeted Topic Training Grants and Capacity Building Training Grants.
Targeted Topic Training grants support the development of quality training programs and educational materials that focus on identifying and preventing workplace hazards. These grants require applicants to address the occupational safety and health hazards designated by OSHA in the announcement.
There are two types of Capacity Building grants available: Capacity Building pilot and Capacity Building Developmental grants. Pilot grants will assist organizations in assessing their needs and formulating a capacity-building plan before moving forward with a full-scale safety and health education program. Developmental grants focus on improving and expanding the capacity of an organization to provide safety and health training, education, and related assistance to target audiences.
The funding opportunity announcements are available at Grants.gov, where new applicants must register and returning applicants must ensure registration is accurate and up-to-date prior to completing the application. Applicants are encouraged to begin the process of registering as soon as possible, as the deadline is June 28, 2016. Webinars explaining the application process will be available on the Training Grant Web site.
