The grants are targeted to organizations that propose to conduct training programs to educate Hispanic and other limited English proficiency employees, hard-to-reach workers, employers in small businesses, and workers who are employed in high-hazard industries and industries with high fatality rates.OSHA notes that community-based and faith-based organizations are eligible to apply. Labor unions are also eligible to apply, although OSHA doesn't mention them by name.
You may think that this is one of those rare times when I praise OSHA for doing the right thing. Wrong. The Bush administration has tried to first slash, and then kill the Susan Harwood training program for the past six years, but Congress has restored the funding every year.
The grants will focus on three main areas: constructoin hazards, general industry hazards and "other" areas such as disaster response and recovery; hexavalent chromium; workplace emergency planning, including the healthcare industry; and overview of OSHA safety and health requirements for tribal organizations.
Applications will be available on OSHA's web site at http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/ote/sharwood.html or may be obtained from the OSHA Office of Training and Education, Division of Training and Educational Programs, 2020 South Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Ill., 60005, telephone (847) 297-4810
Grant applications are due to the OSHA Office of Training and Education in Arlington Heights, Illinois, by 4:30 p.m. (central time) on Friday, July 21, 2006.
So get busy.
