OSHA Opens $12.7 Million Susan Harwood Training Grant Applications

OSHA Announces Funding Availability

OSHA has made available $12.7 million as part of its Susan Harwood Training Grant Program according to Safety+Health Magazine. The grants support the development and delivery of training and education that help employers and workers identify and prevent workplace safety and health hazards.

Eligible Recipients and Program Focus

Grants are available to nonprofit organizations including community, faith-based and grassroots organizations; employer associations; labor unions; joint labor/management associations; Indian tribes; and public/state colleges and universities. The grants will support recipients’ efforts to provide instructor-led training opportunities for workers and employers in small businesses with an emphasis on industries with high injury, illness and fatality rates. The grants specifically fund training and education on hazard recognition, control and avoidance, along with training and education on workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

Grant Categories

Grants will be awarded for Targeted Topic Training supporting educational programs that identify and prevent workplace hazards and require applicants to conduct training on OSHA-designated workplace safety and health hazards. Grants will also be awarded for Training and Educational Materials Development supporting the development of quality classroom-ready training and educational materials that identify and prevent workplace hazards.

Application Requirements and Deadline

The deadline for applications submitted at grants.gov is July 31. Anyone interested in applying for a Harwood grant must register with grants.gov and SAM.gov according to Safety+Health Magazine. The grants honor the legacy and work of Dr. Susan Harwood who during her 17 years with OSHA developed workplace safety guidelines for benzene, formaldehyde, bloodborne pathogens and lead in the construction industry according to Safety+Health Magazine. Harwood was also primary author of OSHA’s cotton dust standard which virtually eliminated byssinosis among textile workers.