Safety Training And Education Grants Available From Oregon OSHA
The Department of Consumer and Business Services, Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) has grant funding available to assist in the development of workplace safety and health education programs in Oregon. The Oregon OSHA Training and Education Grants Program is accepting applications for projects until Feb. 28, 2007.
Grants are awarded to help develop education programs for use by an entire industry or for a specific work process to reduce or eliminate hazards. Applicants may be any employer or labor consortium, association, or other nonprofit organization - educational institutions may apply if they are affiliated with any of these listed groups. Applicants may apply for up to $40,000 per grant project without a requirement for any matching dollars or in-kind contributions. Funding for the grant program comes from the Workers' Benefit Fund established by the Oregon Legislature.
Employers cannot use the program to fund training projects for their employees.
All workplace safety topics are eligible for consideration; however, preference is given to programs that support two goals listed in the Oregon OSHA Strategic Plan:
- Change the workplace culture in Oregon by increasing employer and worker awareness, with commitment to, and involvement in safety and health.
- Improve workplace safety and health for all workers, as evidenced by fewer hazards, reduced exposures, and fewer injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.
Some examples of grant projects funded within the past few years include:
- Development of safe lifting guidelines;
- A checklist and video educating dairy farmers on safety;
- Pictograms for training people on hazards in the workplace with a variety of learning needs or language barriers;
- Manuals and videos in Russian, Spanish, and English designed for home builders;
- An educational program for prevention of ergonomic-related injuries for nurses;
- A CD-ROM interactive training program for meter readers on preventing attacks by vicious dogs.
Materials produced by grant recipients become the property of the Department of Consumer & Business Services, Occupational Safety and Health Division. They are housed in the Oregon OSHA Resource Center and are available for loan to the public.
Application packets for the OR-OSHA Training and Education Grants Program are available for download from the Oregon OSHA Web site, www.orosha.org, on the "Education" page. Questions regarding the program can be directed to Claudia Marthaller with Oregon OSHA, (800) 922-2689.
SOURCE: Oregon OSHA