OSHA Bestows More Than $10 Million in Safety Training Grants

On Sept. 15, OSHA granted $10.7 million to nearly 70 organizations, groups, associations, businesses, labor unions and universities as part of the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. This program exists to support training and educational programs for workers and employers in industries with high injury and fatality rates; workers who are young, have low literacy or limited English proficiency and/or are otherwise vulnerable; and small business employers.

OSHA awarded the grants to 37 new and 32 returning recipients. Twenty new organizations were awarded a total of $3.2 million in Capacity Building Developmental Grants to develop their expertise and capacity to provide occupational health and safety training and education for their constituents. Five organizations received a combined $400,000 for pilot grants to lay the groundwork for self-sufficient safety and health education programs.

“The programs funded by these grants are unique in providing hands-on training to workers in dangerous jobs. They will have a long-lasting, positive impact on workplace safety and health,” said OSHA Administrator Dr. David Michaels.

The grants are named in honor of Susan Harwood, a former director of the Office of Risk Assessment in OSHA’s health standards directorate, who died in 1996.

For a list of 2011 grant awards, visit http://www.osha.gov/dte/sharwood/grant_awards.html.