U.S. Dept. Of Labor Gives $10.1 Million in Workplace Safety Training Grants

In a recent press release, the U.S. Dept. of Labor announced that they have given $10.1 million in safety and health training grants. Classified as Susan Harwood Training Grants, they are given to 55 different nonprofit organizations so that they can provide additional safety, health training, and educational programs that will benefit American workers.

These grants are designed to help teach employees how to be safe on their jobs. Many of the recipients will use their funds to develop training programs targeted at small businesses.

As an example, the American Red Cross received nearly $200,000 from OSHA to develop and give seminars for small businesses and their employees about the potential for an influenza pandemic. They'll develop a guide for leader's, PowerPoint slides, a DVD, and a resource CD-ROM.

Another example of the grants is the Laborers-AGC Education & Training fund received $194,500 from OSHA. They will provide eight hour-long classes on Trench and Excavation Safety for construction workers. Their goal is to reach over 900 employees at 14 different training sites within the U.S. They'll also use some of the money to translate these materials into Spanish.

Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan received grant money to develop training materials that target highway construction workers. Highway workers, supervisors, and managers can learn more about maintaining safe work zones while working on roads.

"Outreach and education are at the heart of our compliance assistance efforts for employers and employees. The Harwood grants will help OSHA expand its educational resources to protect working men and women," said Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA.

These grants are named in honor of the late Susan Harwood, who died in 1996. She was employed as the director of the Office of Risk Assessment in OSHAs Health Standards Directorate. She worked for OSHA for 17 years. During this time, she was instrumental in helping develop standards to protect workers.