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OSHA News Release
2002 - 09/27/2002 - OSHA AWARDS MORE THAN $11 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAMS

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National News Release   USDL [02-560]
Friday, September 27, 2002
Contact: Frank Meilinger
Phone: (202) 693-1999
Grants Office: Cynthia Bencheck,
(847) 297-4810


OSHA AWARDS MORE THAN $11 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAMS


Washington -- OSHA today awarded more than $11 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants to 64 nonprofit organizations for safety and health training programs. Primary areas of emphasis for the grants are ergonomics, responding to workplace emergencies, and training for small businesses and non-English speaking workers. Many of the grants include development of training materials, which can be used by other organizations in their training programs.

"Education is the foundation for ensuring safety and health in the workplace," said U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao. "And these grants will help deliver that education -- through training and compliance assistance -- which contributes to our mission of protecting America's workers from being injured on the job."

This year OSHA awarded two categories of grants: Targeted Topic Grants support training in the recognition and prevention of ergonomic hazards in industries with high rates of ergonomic injuries; homeland security programs that train workers and employers on preparing to respond to emergency situations in the workplace; Institutional Competency Building Grants help nonprofit organizations to expand safety and health training, education and outreach to assist workers on an ongoing basis.

"Outreach and education are important tools for us to use in reducing injuries and illnesses," said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. "The grants will help these organizations train employees in targeted occupational safety and health topics, and develop materials and curricula that will be made available to others so that a larger audience can benefit in the future."

Of the 64 grants made, 20 of them are to new grantees that were selected through a national competition announced in May. The remaining 44 awards are one-year extensions of existing grants.

The training grants are named in honor of the late Susan Harwood, a former director of the Office of Risk Assessment in OSHA's health standards directorate, who died in 1996. During her 17-year tenure with the agency, Harwood helped develop OSHA standards to protect workers exposed to bloodborne pathogens, cotton dust, benzene, formaldehyde, asbestos and lead in construction.

A complete list of the 2002 Susan Harwood Grant recipients follows in the accompanying fact sheet.

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FACT SHEET
2002 Susan Harwood Grants

ERGONOMICS (New Grants)

California State University, Dominguez Hills Foundation, Carson, Calif. The grantee will develop a train-the-trainer ergonomics program for supervisors in garment manufacturing shops. Trainer materials include workbooks and multi-media products that will be produced in English and Spanish; $135,875.

Ergonomics Center of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C. The grantee will conduct three-hour training classes throughout the state to educate small business employers and workers on ergonomics and how to apply it to their workplaces. Participants will be provided with a resource manual and materials to assist in the implementation of ergonomic projects in their workplaces; $91,207

University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. The University plans to conduct 13 training events for the construction trades. Training content will cover the components of an effective ergonomics process, recognizing musculoskeletal disorders, identifying ergonomics hazards, and developing solutions; $170,217.

University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla. The University will conduct a patient care ergonomics program to train nursing home employees. The training will cover aspects of an evaluation audit, including collecting data, identifying high-risk units and tasks, conducting risk analysis, and implementing recommendations; $154,671.


HOMELAND SECURITY (New Grants)

Construction Safety Council, Hillside, Ill. The grantee will deliver hazard awareness classes on emergency response in the event of natural or man-made disasters. The council will develop a generalized planning tool for all types of disasters to be used as a framework for developing guidelines for preventing and mitigating airborne contaminant exposures. A training program will focus on hazards associated with rescue, recovery and demolition/removal activities; $168,754.

Employers Association, Inc., Plymouth, Minn. The grantee will develop separate training programs for employees and management that address emergency preparedness and response. The programs will address emergency action plans, evacuation procedures, security, suspicious letters and parcels, and biological and chemical hazards; $77,605.

Laborers-AGC Education & Training Fund, Pomfret, Conn. The grantee will develop and implement a program to train workers involved in anthrax remediation. The course will address characteristics of anthrax, health effects, signs and symptoms of exposure, PPE, decontamination, workplace monitoring and sampling, and remediation techniques; $282,419.

York Area Labor-Management Council, York, Pa. The council will develop a four-hour emergency action program that addresses homeland security, emergency response, and disaster plan development for small businesses. The council will also develop and present teleconferences; $65,000.


INSTITUTIONAL COMPETENCY BUILDING GRANTS (New Grants)

American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, Washington, D.C. The union will contract with the National Resource Center, an OTI Education Center, for general industry train-the-trainer courses to develop 50 instructors. Trainers will conduct 30 ten-hour general industry courses nation-wide for postal workers, postal contract workers, and workers from other government agencies located within the same facilities. Specialized short-courses will also be available; $244,772.

Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Alexandria, Va. The AGC will develop and conduct training on OSHA's steel erection standard for contractors and their employees nationwide. AGC will also distribute educational pamphlets and CD-ROMs that contain presentation content, OSHA regulations and interpretations, and OSHA publications for steel erection; $299,900.

Harry M. Ayers State Technical College, Anniston, Ala. The College will work with partner organizations to provide education and training to employers and workers from small businesses in the rural environments of Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. The College will conduct train-the-trainer workshops in constructing industry specific safety training programs. A toll-free line be set up to provide ongoing technical assistance, access to Spanish translation services, and to request on-site training assistance; $249,021.

GateWay Community College, Phoenix, Ariz. The College will work with the Southwest Safety Training Alliance (SSTA) to provide 16-hour standardized safety and health training, initially to member companies and workers. The program will be upgraded, translated into Spanish, and will include an instructor's guide, overheads, and Power Point presentations. Trainers will be trained on the new materials. Ten new member companies will be added in Southwestern United States; $123,972.

Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, Sewickley, Penn. The Foundation will develop employee and instructor ergonomic training materials for the printing industry that will compile and expand existing safe ergonomic work practice guidelines, and develop training materials, fact sheets, and employee pocket cards in English and Spanish. The foundation will develop and conduct train-the-trainer courses regarding ergonomics guidelines for the printing industry; $249,740.

National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center, Upper Marlboro, Md. NAHB will develop Spanish versions of existing materials on the "Big-Four" construction safety hazards. Website materials will be updated and developed in Spanish. Six-hour seminars on the "Big-Four" will be conducted in English for potential trainers, who must be fluent in English and Spanish. Trainers will be required to take courses on teaching techniques in order to deliver courses in classroom settings. Trainers will be required to conduct "Big-Four" courses in Spanish; $276,259.

Sheet Metal Air Conditioning National Assoc., Kansas City, Mo. The association will update and expand an existing training program on machine guarding and amputation prevention in the sheet metal industry. A CD-ROM presentation and accompanying book will be developed and presented in a train-the-trainer format. Courses will be presented at the chapter level in a six-state region and at SMACNA'S national conference; $113,382.

Shipbuilders Council of America, Washington, D.C. The council will develop a Shipyard Ergonomics Employees Awareness Training video and workbook. The workbook will include ergonomic training procedures, checklists, and program evaluation forms. Train-the-trainer courses will be presented to members of SCA's safety committee; $95,750.

Solid Waste Assoc. of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Md. SWANA will develop training materials for municipal solid waste workers and employers on hazards associated with delivery of solid waste services and waste facilities. Three new health and safety on-site training courses will be developed for collection, transfer station and recycling facility workers, and a separate course will be updated for landfill personnel; $237,277.

Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), College Station, Tex. TEEX will train high school vo-tech teachers throughout OSHA Region 6 in the #500 Construction and #501 General Industry trainer courses so they can teach the 10-hour outreach versions to students in work/study programs. The 10-hour construction and general industry courses will be translated into Spanish. TEEX will provide 250 scholarships to teachers to attend the trainer courses; $312,034.

Texas State Technical College Marshall, Marshall, Tex. The College will provide an OSHA Safety Training Outreach Program (STOP) to train small companies within a 4-state region. The grantee will develop and conduct Hazardous Waste Operations Refresher Workers Courses, Hazardous Waste Operations Refresher Supervisor Courses, Employee Safety Orientation & Awareness, and 10-hour OSHA General Industry and Construction Outreach Courses; $134,669.

University of CA, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif. The University will work in partnership with the Associated General Contractors of San Diego to identify potential bilingual construction participants to be trained as trainers. The University will translate the OSHA #500 Construction Trainers course and #311 Fall Arrest course into Spanish. The courses will be piloted in Spanish in three states; $246,597.


BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS (Renewal Grants)
-American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Training and Education Institute, Washington, D.C., $117,442
-American Nurses Foundation, Washington, D.C., $149,052
-Joint Commission Resources, Inc., Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., $134,812
-Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Houston, Tex., $198,592.
-Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, N.J., $104,112.


CONSTRUCTION, INCLUDING RESIDENTIAL (Renewal Grants)
-Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Austin, Tex., $115,260.
-Building Trades Labor Management Organization of Washington State, Olympia, Wash., $186,968.
-Construction Education Foundation, Rosslyn, Va., $152,575.
-Labor-Management Construction Safety Alliance, Boston, Mass., $134,931
-Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North America, Washington, D.C., $174,892.
-National Roofing Contractors Association, Rosemont, Ill., $223,050
-Roofers and Waterproofers Research and Education Joint Trust Fund, Washington, D.C., $156,750.
-Safety and Health for Industrial Education and Labor Development (SHIELD), Inc., Middletown, Ohio, $74,995.
-Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux City, Iowa, $89,355


ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION (Renewal Grants)
-Construction Safety Council, Hillside, Ill., $198,498.
-Northwest Public Power Association, Vancouver, Wash., $329,270.
-Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, Braintree, Mass., $167,457.


ERGONOMICS (Renewal Grants)
-Arnot Ogden Medical Center, Elmira, N.Y., $185,165.
-International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Washington, D.C., $150,000.
-Pennsylvania Foundry Association, Plymouth Meeting, Pa., $138,750.
-St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo., $219,685.


HARD-TO-REACH WORKERS (Renewal Grants)
-Forest Industry Safety and Training Alliance (FISTA), Inc., Rhinelander, Wisc., $96,850.
-Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, $128,998.
-National Safety Council, Washington, D.C., $161,150.
-Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, New York, N.Y., $147,461.
-Southeast Michigan Coalition on Occupational Safety and Health (SEMCOSH), Detroit, Mich., $110,933.
-Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), College Station, Tex., $150,000.


INSTITUTIONAL COMPETENCY BUILDING (Renewal Grants)
-American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation, Washington, D.C., $150,484.
-Boat People S.O.S., Inc., Falls Church, Va., $165,750.
-Construction Education Foundation, Rosslyn, Va., $147,538.
-Environmental Research and Education Foundation, Alexandria, Va., $56,330.
-George Meany Center - National Labor College, Silver Spring, Md., $224,250.
-Graphic Communications International Union, Washington, D.C., $223,500.
-International Union, UAW, Detroit, Mich., $230,250.
-National Roofing Contractors Association, Rosemont, Ill., $164,130.
-National Safety Council, Itasca, Ill., $193,178.
-North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project, Durham, N.C., $544,500.
-Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy (PACE) Workers International Union, Nashville, Tenn., $231,000.
-Regents of the University of California, Berkeley, Calif., $206,250.
-Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Education and Support Fund, Washington, D.C., $222,000.
-Union of Needle Trades, Industrial and Textile Employees, AFL-CIO (UNITE), New York, N.Y., $156,000.
-United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), Washington, D.C. $162,718.
-United Steelworkers of America, Pittsburgh, Pa. $113,250.
-University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D. $95,576.




This news release text is on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov. Information on this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 693-1999.


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