U.S. Department of Labor
Program Highlights

Fact Sheet No. OSHA 99-21

SUSAN HARWOOD TRAINING GRANT PROGRAM

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers funds to train workers and employers to recognize, avoid, and prevent safety and health hazards in their workplaces.

Each year, OSHA selects topics for training grants. The selection is based on OSHA's strategic plan which contains goals to

• improve workplace safety and health for all workers;
• change workplace culture to increase employer and worker awareness of, commitment to, and involvement in safety and health; and
• to secure public confidence through excellence in the development and delivery of OSHA's programs and services.

OSHA's intent is to reduce the number of worker injuries, illnesses and fatalities by focusing nationwide attention and Agency resources on the most prevalent types of workplace injuries and illnesses, the most hazardous industries, and the most hazardous workplaces. The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program is one of the tools being used by OSHA to achieve its strategic goals.

In 1997, OSHA renamed its grant program to honor Susan Harwood, the former director of the Office of Risk Assessment in OSHA's health standards directorate. Harwood, a 17-year OSHA employee, died in 1996. At the time of her death, she was working on a proposed tuberculosis standard. During her OSHA career, she helped develop OSHA standards on bloodborne pathogens, cotton dust, benzene, formaldehyde, asbestos and lead in construction.

OSHA expects each organization awarded a grant to develop a training and/or educational program that addresses a topic named by OSHA, recruit workers and employers for the training, and conduct the training. Grantees are also expected to follow-up with people who have been trained to find out what changes were made to reduce hazards in their workplaces as a result of the training.

OSHA has been awarding training and education grants since 1978. The following are examples of safety and health topics that have been funded through the grant program in recent years.

• Construction
• Ergonomics
• Food processing
• Lead in construction
• Preventing lifting injuries in medical facilities
• Safety and health programs for small businesses
• Scaffolding

OSHA has made awards to safety and health organizations, employer associations, labor organizations, educational institutions, and other nonprofit organizations.

One grantee funded by OSHA, a safety and health organization, trained small businesses about OSHA requirements and then provided on-site assistance in setting up safety programs. Other grantees have included national unions that trained trainers to teach members in their local areas, employer associations training members in OSHA requirements so that they could bring their businesses into compliance, and a university working with labor and management to conduct joint training about abating hazards.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any nonprofit organization is eligible to apply.

How are grants awarded?

Each year, OSHA has a national competition that is announced in the Federal Register and on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/fso/ote/training/sharwood/sharwood.html. OSHA rates the applications submitted in response to the announcement based on factors such as program design, safety and health experience, training experience, experience administering grants, and budget request. The average award is $125,000. In addition, grantees must contribute a minimum of 20 percent of the total project costs. Grants are awarded for one year and may be renewed for additional 12-month periods depending on whether there are funds available, there is still a need for the training, and the grantee has performed satisfactorily.

How do I apply for a grant?

There is usually one grant application deadline each year. If you do not have access to the Internet to watch for the announcement and want to be put on a mailing list to receive an application package for the grant competition, write to the Division of Training and Educational Programs, OSHA Office of Training and Education, 1555 Times Drives, Des Plaines, Ill. 60018, or fax a request to (847) 297-4874.

For more information, contact the OSHA Office of Training and Education, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, Ill 60018, phone (847) 297-4810.

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