Region 10 News Release:   USDOL: 99-190
September 30, 1999
Contact: Jeannine Lupton
Office: (206) 553-7620 TDD: (800) 676-8956

SEATTLE - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has awarded an $81,000 grant to Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash., to provide training in logging safety, the Department of Labor announced today.

OSHA awarded the grant to Eastern Washington University to conduct seminars on OSHA's logging standards, provide on-site training for loggers, assist logging firms in implementing safety and health programs and train loggers to conduct safety training at logging sites in eastern Washington and northern Idaho.

"These grants educate and train employers and workers in ways to reduce injuries and illnesses," Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman said. "The programs funded will go a long way to achieving our goal of a safe and healthful workplace for all Americans."

OSHA awarded a total of $4 million to 40 nonprofit groups nationwide to help reduce workplace injuries and illnesses. The grantees will develop educational materials and provide training on construction safety; ergonomics; food processing; health care services; logging safety; outreach and training to workers on their rights under OSHA; silica dust protection and preventing amputations in manufacturing.

"Many of the grants will focus on the injuries and illnesses in selected industries identified by OSHA's strategic plan-construction, health services and preventing amputations in manufacturing," said Assistant Secretary of Labor Charles N. Jeffress. "Others will provide training on such significant topics as ergonomics, food processing safety and silica hazards in general industry."

The 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 career, Harwood helped develop OSHA standards to protect workers exposed to bloodborne pathogens, cotton dust, benzene, formaldehyde, asbestos and lead in construction.

Editor's Note: For further information contact Greg Isaman at 206-553-5930.