[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 74 (Monday, April 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22944-22951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07652]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center; Notice of
Competition and Request for Applications
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice of competition and request for applications for the OSHA
Training Institute Education Center program.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the opportunity for interested non-
profit organizations, including eligible educational institutions,
trade associations, labor unions, and community-based and faith-based
organizations, that are not an agency of a state or local government to
submit applications to become authorized as an OSHA Training Institute
Education Center and deliver standard classroom instruction on a
regional basis. This notice also contains information on a pre-proposal
conference designed to provide potential applicants with information
about the OSHA Training Institute Education Center program.
DATES: Applications (three copies) must be received no later than 4:30
p.m. Central Time on June 17, 2022. Requests for extension of this
application deadline will not be granted.
A pre-proposal conference will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2022,
at the OSHA Office of Training and Education, 2020 South Arlington
Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4102. Attendees are
required to pre-register for this conference. Specific details are
discussed in the ``Pre-Proposal Conference'' section of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Submit applications (three copies) to the OSHA Office of
Training and Education, Division of Training Programs and
Administration, Attn: James Brock, 2020 South Arlington Heights Rd.,
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4102.
Applicants selected for authorization as an OSHA Training Institute
Education Center must attend a mandatory orientation meeting. The
venue, method, times, and dates are to be determined.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information regarding this notice is
available from the following sources:
Press inquiries: Contact Mr. Frank Meilinger, Director, OSHA Office
of Communications, U.S. Department of
Labor; telephone: (202) 693-1999; email: meilinger.francis2@dol.gov.
General and technical information: Contact Mr. James Brock, Branch
Chief Training Programs, U.S. Department of Labor; telephone: (847)
725-7803; email: brock.james.e@dol.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The supplemental information contains
details concerning the following:
Table of Content
A. Background Information
1. Overview of the OSHA Office of Training and Education (OTE)
2. Overview of the OSHA Training Institute (OTI)
3. Overview of the OTI Education Center Program
4. Overview of the OSHA Outreach Training Program
B. Organizational Responsibilities
1. OTI Education Center Responsibilities
2. OSHA OTE Responsibilities
C. OSHA Jurisdiction
D. Geographic Distribution
E. Application Submission Requirements
F. Selection Guidelines
G. Selection Criteria
H. Consortia and Partnerships
I. Funding Provisions
J. Cooperative Agreement Duration
K. Pre-Proposal Conference
L. Application Submission
M. Application Deadline
N. Application Evaluation and Selection Process
O. Notification of Section
P. Freedom of Information Act
Q. Paperwork Reduction Act
R. Transparency
S. Notification of Non-Selection
T. Non-Selection Appeal
Authority and Signature
Appendix
A. Background Information
Interested non-profit organizations, including eligible educational
institutions, trade associations, labor unions, and community-based and
faith-based organizations, that are not an agency of a state or local
government to submit applications to become authorized as an OSHA
Training Institute Education Center and deliver standard classroom
instruction on a regional basis. State or local government-supported
institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. Eligible
organizations can apply independently or in partnership with other
eligible organizations, but in such a case, a lead organization must be
identified along with a list of any consortium partners. Current OSHA-
authorized OSHA Training Institute Education Centers required to renew
their status must submit a new application, and be re-authorized by
OSHA, in order to continue their authorization as an OSHA Training
Institute Education Center. If the corporate identity of an applicant,
or its membership has changed, the new entity must submit an
application. Applications will only be accepted during the solicitation
period and will be evaluated on a competitive basis. Complete
application instructions are contained in this notice.
A pre-proposal conference will review OSHA expectations for OSHA
Training Institute Education Centers, courses and methods of
instruction, and administrative and program requirements for OSHA
Training Institute Education Centers and the OSHA Outreach Training
Program. Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the pre-proposal
conference.
OSHA will enter into five-year, non-financial cooperative
agreements with successful applicants. These authorization agreements
are intended to facilitate the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of
safety training provided by authorized OSHA Training Institute
Education Centers. These cooperative agreements will not constitute a
grant or financial assistance instrument, and OSHA will provide no
compensation to authorized OSHA Training Institute Education Centers.
Such non-financial cooperative agreements are renewable, at the
government's sole option, for one five-year period, if the organization
has performed satisfactorily during the initial term. Please see
discussion under ``Cooperative Agreement Duration,'' later in this
notice for more information.
1. Overview of the OSHA Office of Training and Education (OTE)
OTE, located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, supports the agency's
mission and performance goals of securing safe and healthful workplaces
and increasing workers' voice in the workplace through the development
and delivery of training courses and educational programs. The Office
has three distinct functional areas: The OSHA Training Institute (OTI),
the Division of Training Programs and Administration, and the Division
of Training Educational Development (DTEP). The OTI provides training
for Federal and state compliance officers and State consultants. The
Division of Training Programs and Administration administers three
distinct external training programs: The OSHA Training Institute (OTI)
Education Center Program, the Outreach Training Program, and the Susan
Harwood Training Grants Program. DTEP develops training and educational
materials that support OTI and OTI Education Center courses and the
agency's compliance assistance initiatives.
2. Overview of the OSHA Training Institute (OTI)
The OTI is OSHA's primary training provider for Federal and state
compliance officers and state consultation program staff. OTI offers
over 50 unique course offerings on an annual basis. Training includes
job hazard recognition as well as OSHA standards, policies, and
procedures for persons responsible for enforcing or directly supporting
the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The OTI does not
provide training for private and public sector personnel.
3. Overview of OTI Education Center Program
The OTI Education Centers are a national network of non-profit
organizations authorized by OSHA to deliver occupational safety and
health training for the advancement of safe and healthful workplaces
for private and public sector workers, supervisors, and employers on
behalf of OSHA. The OTI Education Center Program was initiated in 1992
when OSHA began partnering with other training and educational
institutions to conduct OSHA courses. The OTI Education Center Program
supports OSHA's training and education mission through a variety of
occupational safety and health programs.
OTI Education Center courses include OSHA standards and Outreach
Training Program trainer and update courses. The OTI Education Centers
offer more than 50 courses on various safety and health topics,
including recordkeeping, machine guarding, confined space, electrical
standards, ergonomics, safety and health management, and fall
protection. Information regarding the OTI Education Center Program
background, including a complete list of current OTI Education Centers,
OSHA numbered course offerings, and course descriptions can be found on
the OSHA website at: https://www.osha.gov/otiec.
OTI Education Centers are selected through a national competitive
process and receive no funding from OSHA; they support their OSHA
training through their normal tuition and fee structures. OTI Education
Centers are located in all OSHA Regions and work closely with OSHA
Regional and Area offices to meet the needs of their regional
constituencies. OTI Education Centers are encouraged to conduct courses
at host training organizations in addition to their own facilities. OTI
Education Centers are also integral to OSHA's process for authorizing
Outreach trainers, processing Outreach trainer card requests, and
conducting Outreach trainer monitoring activities for the OSHA Outreach
Training Program.
4. Overview of the OSHA Outreach Training Program
OSHA established the Outreach Training Program (OTP)to provide an
overview of OSHA and to disseminate basic occupational safety and
health workplace hazard information to workers using independent OSHA
authorized trainers. OSHA administers the OTP including the
establishment of program requirements and providing program review and
oversight. Courses are intended to provide information on worker rights
and employer responsibilities and to focus on work-related hazards. OTP
courses do not focus on or teach OSHA standards. Workers who complete
the construction industry, general industry, maritime industry, or
disaster site worker Outreach courses receive OSHA student course
completion cards from the authorized trainer who conducted the
training. OSHA Outreach trainers are authorized by OSHA exclusively
through the OTI Education Centers. OTI Education Centers are
responsible for administering the Outreach Training Program, including
issuing course completion cards to authorized Outreach trainers and
conducting monitoring activity such as record audits and training
observations.
The Outreach Training Program is a voluntary program; however some
cities and states have enacted laws mandating the training. Some
employers, unions, organizations, or other jurisdictions may also
require this training. OSHA recommends Outreach Training Program
courses as an introduction to occupational safety and health hazard
recognition for workers. Please note that Outreach Training Program
courses do not meet specific training requirements contained in OSHA
standards. OSHA publishes Outreach Training Program requirements and
procedures to provide instructions and information to Outreach
trainers. Items addressed in the requirements and procedures include
course topic requirements, minimum contact hours for course topics,
advertising restrictions, records retention, and reporting
requirements. OSHA Outreach Training Program requirements and
procedures can be accessed at: https://www.osha.gov/training/outreach.
B. Organizational Responsibilities
1. OTI Education Center Responsibilities
OTI Education Centers must:
(1) Adhere to all OSHA/OTE program requirements, policies, and
procedures.
(2) Maintain updated course curriculum to support learning
objectives determined by OSHA/OTE.
(3) Ensure instructors are qualified in the courses/subjects they
will be teaching in accordance with OSHA instructor qualification
policies.
(4) Meet annual program goals that include the following:
(a) Achieve annual student training and course offering goals as
established by OSHA/OTE. Program goals are evaluated and revised
annually. For the Federal fiscal year 2022, each OTI Education Center
is expected to train 1,700 students and offer 95 courses annually.
(b) Provide standard classroom instruction training throughout
their region and target underserved areas and worker populations. All
consortium members must offer, deliver, and/or support the delivery of
open-enrollment standard classroom instruction throughout their region.
(c) Conduct courses on a year-round basis with each required,
elective, and short course being offered in accordance with annual
program goals. Required, elective, and short courses are subject to
change. (See Appendix A for a current list of required, elective, and
short courses)
(5) Publicize and promote the availability of open enrollment
courses to ensure attendance and the delivery of the scheduled courses.
(6) Register students, provide course materials, and issue course
completion certificates to students. This includes:
(a) Ensuring students have met all prerequisites prior to
registration.
(b) Collecting and retaining student registration and attendance
records in accordance with OSHA/OTE guidelines.
(7) Comply with reporting requirements as identified by OSHA/OTE.
This includes:
(a) Providing OSHA/OTE with monthly training summary reports.
(b) Providing OSHA/OTE with training and instructor records for
quarterly audits and semi-annual and annual performance reporting.
(c) Collecting student surveys in accordance with OSHA procedures
and providing to OSHA as requested.
(8) Administer Outreach Training Program activities. This includes:
(a) Distributing student cards to authorized Outreach trainers.
(b) Monitoring Outreach trainers including conducting record audits
and training observations.
(c) Processing exception requests in accordance with Outreach
Training Program requirements.
(d) Guiding and mentoring new Outreach trainers to assist them with
program compliance and delivery of quality training.
(9) Attend the semi-annual OSHA Training Institute Education Center
Directors meetings. Directors meetings are intended for OTI Education
Center Directors. Key staff may also attend.
(10) Collaborate with other OTI Education Centers including
participation on project teams and providing financial and personnel
support for OTI Education Center marketing initiatives.
(11) Provide dedicated staff for program management and
administration including an OTI Education Center Director and necessary
support staff to achieve program goals.
(12) Offer open enrollment OTI Education Center courses to all
areas within their region, supported by all consortium members.
(13) Ensure remote synchronous offerings restrict registrations to
students located within the OTI Education Center's region.
(14) Ensure all course offerings maintain a lecture to higher-level
interactive training ratio of 1/3:2/3.
2. OSHA OTE Responsibilities
OTE will:
(1) Develop program policies, procedures, and requirements.
(2) Provide answers and technical assistance related to OSHA policy
and program requirements.
(3) Provide learning objectives for all courses, update existing
course curricula, and provide new course curricula as needed.
(4) Coordinate the development of new OTI Education Center courses.
(5) Monitor the performance of the OTI Education Centers through
on-site program visits, conference calls, training observations, and
programmatic audits.
(6) Participate in the OTI Education Center Program Executive
Committee.
(7) Evaluate the effectiveness of the OTI Education Centers and
provide each OTI Education Center with an annual performance appraisal.
(8) Conduct investigations of alleged OTI Education Center non-
compliance with the Non-Financial Cooperative Agreement and OSHA
policies and procedures.
C. OSHA Jurisdiction
OSHA is a Federal agency within the United States. The agency
covers workers and employers in the 50 United States and certain
territories and
jurisdictions under Federal authority. Those jurisdictions include the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa,
Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Wake Island,
Johnston Island, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands as defined in
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
D. Geographic Distribution
There is currently at least one OTI Education Center in each OSHA
Region. However, OSHA may elect to select more than one OTI Education
Center in some or all OSHA Regions. The OSHA Regions contain the
following states and U.S. territories.
Region I: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, and Vermont.
Region II: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands.
Region III: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, and West Virginia.
Region IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Region V: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and
Wisconsin.
Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Region VII: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.
Region VIII: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
and Wyoming.
Region IX: American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii,
Nevada, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Region X: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
E. Application Submission Requirements
Submissions that are not in accordance with the application
submission requirements listed below will not be considered. The
application must include the following:
(1) Program Summary. The program summary is a one to two page
double-spaced abstract that succinctly summarizes the applicant's and
any consortium partners' background, experience, and qualifications in
occupational safety and health and training. The program summary must
also provide:
(a) Contact information including the following:
The name, address, and phone number of the lead
organization and all consortium partners. A post office box will not be
accepted.
The name, title, address, telephone number, and email
address of the program director who can answer questions regarding the
application.
(b) Information on which OTI Education Center courses may be
offered and any relevant language or target audience information.
(2) Program Narrative. The program narrative must be numbered and
not exceed 30 double-spaced pages. Attachments will not be included in
the page count.
(3) Applicant Eligibility. In order to be eligible, each
organization must document the following. Organizations that do not
address the following will not be given further consideration.
(a) Non-Profit Status. Include evidence of non-profit status of the
lead organization and each member organization if applying as a
consortium. A letter from the Internal Revenue Service, State, or a
statement included in a recent audit report is preferred. In the
absence of these, a copy of the articles of incorporation showing the
non-profit status will be accepted.
(b) Authority to Apply. Provide a letter on letterhead signed by
the company president, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors,
Board of Regents, or other governing body of the applicant approving
the submittal of an application to OSHA to become authorized as an OTI
Education Center.
(c) Occupational Safety and Health Training Experience. Demonstrate
previous experience delivering occupational safety and health training
to adults.
(d) Status as a Training Organization. (This applies only to
applicants that are not colleges or universities.) Document that
training or education is a principal activity of the applicant. Through
audit reports, annual reports, or other documentation, the applicant
must clearly demonstrate that for the last two calendar years more than
50 percent of the applicant's funds have been used for training and
education activities and more than 50 percent of staff resources have
also been used for this purpose.
(e) Curriculum Development. Explain the applicant's process for
developing and updating occupational safety and health curricula to
meet learning objectives provided by OSHA.
(f) Training Facilities. Provide detail regarding available
classrooms, laboratories, and testing facilities. The applicant must
have training facilities that are under their direct control.
(g) Training Throughout the OSHA Region. Provide details regarding
the applicant's ability to provide standard in-person classroom
training across the OSHA Region in which the applicant is physically
located. Each consortium member must contribute to this effort.
(h) Nondiscrimination. Provide copies of the applicant's
nondiscrimination policies covering staff and students. In the absence
of a written policy, explain how the applicant will ensure that staff
and students are selected without regard to race, ethnicity, religion,
national origin, gender, age, or disability.
(4) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). OSHA is
committed to ensuring DEIA principles are integrated into its training
programs. DEIA represents consistent and systematic fair, just, and
impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who
belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment,
such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons,
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color;
members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live
in rural areas; and persons who otherwise adversely affected by
persistent poverty or inequity. Applicants who demonstrate their
commitment to DEIA in their organization description and can
demonstrate the extent they have institutionalized DEIA principles
within their operations, outreach, and training will receive one bonus
point. Additionally, applicants are encouraged to describe how training
programs will be accessible to the most prominent linguistic
communities located within your region. Applicants who address this
will receive one bonus point.
F. Selection Guidelines
OSHA does not have a predetermined number of applicants to be
selected to act as authorized OTI Education Centers. The number of
applicants selected will be determined on a competitive basis using the
selection criteria contained in this announcement.
G. Selection Criteria
Applications that meet the factors listed in the ``Applicant
Eligibility'' section above will be reviewed by a technical panel based
on the criteria listed below.
(1) Organizational Commitment (10 Points)
(a) Explicit commitment of the highest-ranking executive of the
applicant's organization (e.g., company president, Chief Executive
Officer, Board of Directors, Board of Regents, or other governing body)
to fully utilize all available organizational resources
necessary to support a large-scale occupational safety and health
training program.
(b) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
(i) Include a signed Letter of Commitment from company president,
Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, Board of Regents, or other
governing body of the applicant detailing how they will support the
initial startup, the short-term viability, and the long-term growth of
an OTI Education Center.
(ii) Clearly state the metrics and outcomes the applicant will use
to formally evaluate and assess the success of an OTI Education Center
program.
(2) Organizational Experience and Qualifications (20 Points)
(a) Experience delivering occupational safety and health training
in the construction, general, and maritime industries.
(b) Experience training adult learners.
(c) Ability to deliver required, elective, and short OTI Education
Center courses; (See Appendix A for a current list of required,
elective and short courses).
(d) Provision for a systematic process for developing and updating
occupational safety and health curricula to support learning objectives
provided by OSHA.
(e) Resources for supporting a large-scale occupational safety and
health training program, such as appropriate management, instructional
staff, and administrative staff to fulfill all program requirements
including marketing, registration, student training materials,
instruction, reporting, and Outreach Training Program administration.
(f) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
(i) Describe experience delivering occupational safety and health
training including the number of classes offered, number of students
taught in each class, and number of student contact hours for each
course during the last three calendar years.
(ii) Include copies of catalogs and other marketing materials that
provide descriptive material about occupational safety and health
training courses.
(iii) Describe ability to deliver OTI Education Center courses
including required, elective, and short courses. Please note the
required, elective and short course offerings are subject to change. A
current list of required, elective and short courses may be found at
Appendix A. The complete list of courses and descriptions is available
online at https://www.osha.gov/otiec/courses/all.
(iv) Indicate the number of occupational safety and health courses
for which the applicant has developed curricula within the last three
calendar years including the title and student contact hours for each
course.
(v) Indicate the number of synchronous remote delivery and
instructor-led in-person classroom training occupational safety and
health courses the applicant has conducted within the last three
calendar years including title, student contact hours, and number of
trainees.
(vi) Describe applicant's process for evaluating course content as
it relates to student learning outcomes and process for reviewing and
updating curricula and course materials.
(vii) Demonstrate that the applicant, and when applicable the
applicant's consortium, is capable of providing in-person classroom
training throughout the OSHA Region in which the lead organization and
consortium partner(s) are physically located. Applicants with
consortium members must identify the portion of the region or target
audiences for which each consortium member is responsible.
(3) Staff Experience and Qualifications (15 Points)
(a) Staff experience in delivering training courses to adults in
occupational safety and health in construction, maritime, and general
industries.
(b) Staff experience with occupational safety and health training
topics including the application of OSHA standards to the recognition,
avoidance, abatement, and prevention of workplace hazards.
(c) Professional certifications related to occupational safety and
health held by staff such as such as Certified Safety Professional,
Professional Engineer, Marine Chemist, or Certified Industrial
Hygienist.
(d) Staff experience in managing and administering a training
program including student registration and enrollment, class
scheduling, course preparation, records maintenance, and marketing.
(e) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
(i) Include an organizational chart of the department responsible
for training. Indicate number and titles of staff positions that will
be dedicated to the OTI Education Center program along with the
expected annual number of man-hours that will be allocated to the
Program.
(ii) Describe staff knowledge of and experience with OSHA standards
and their application to hazard recognition and hazard abatement.
(iii) Describe applicant's process for evaluating instructor
effectiveness in the classroom. Provide copies of evaluation measures,
checklists, and forms used to evaluate instructors.
(iv) Include resumes for current staff and instructors responsible
for conducting OSHA courses. Provide position descriptions for
positions to be filled.
(4) Location and Training Facilities (10 Points)
(a) Ability to conduct standard classroom instruction training
throughout the applicant's region.
(b) Classroom facilities available for delivery of training
including room capacity, availability of audiovisual equipment, and
appropriate laboratories and other facilities available for hands-on
exercises.
(c) Availability of testing center, evaluation center, or
comparable facility.
(d) Provisions for accessibility for persons with disabilities.
(e) Accessibility of the training facility to population centers,
including such factors as distance from a major airport, transportation
from the airport to hotels, and distance from the interstate system.
(f) Availability and affordability of lodging and accommodations,
food service, and restaurants available both in the area in which the
classes will be held and in the area where the hotels are located.
(g) Availability of local transportation, including how students
will be transported between the hotels and classes using hotel
shuttles, public transportation, or other means.
(h) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
(i) Describe the accessibility of the training facility for
students within local commuting area.
(ii) Clearly identify the applicant has classrooms, laboratories,
and testing facilities available. Training facilities must be under the
direct control of the applicant. Floor plans are encouraged and may be
included as an attachment.
(iii) Include such items as distance from a major airport, number
of airlines serving the airport, transportation from the airport to
hotels, and distance from the interstate system.
(iv) Provide a representative listing of hotels available for
student accommodation and give sample room rates. Explain how students
will be transported between the hotels and classes. Describe
restaurants available both in the area in which the classes
will be held and in the area where the hotels are located.
(v) Describe the applicant's ability and plan to provide off-site
and host training organization site training within their respective
region including procedures to assure classroom facilities and
accommodations are adequate. Off-site training includes the ability to
conduct courses at sites other than the applicant's facilities and in
other states and U.S. territories within your region. Host training
organizations must be non-profit organizations and proof of non-profit
status is required.
(5) Marketing (15 Points)
(a) Experience in marketing training to adults.
(b) Ability to effectively market occupational safety and health
training programs.
(c) Utilization of various media to support marketing efforts.
(d) Ability to solicit and deliver training on a contract basis.
(e) Resources sufficient to support participation in national
industry conferences in order to market the OTI Education Center
programs.
(f) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
(i) Explain applicant's procedures for marketing training courses
and recruiting adult learners.
(ii) Include examples of current course marketing materials such as
catalogs, flyers, brochures, emails, website URLs and screen shots,
postcards, use of social media, and any other associated relevant
materials.
(iii) Explain how applicant will promote its status as an OTI
Education Center.
(iv) Describe applicant's experience in exhibiting at conferences
and trade shows.
(6) Administrative Capabilities (20 Points)
(a) Ability to administer a large-scale occupational safety and
health training program including employment of clerical and support
staff and customer service capabilities to fulfill program
requirements.
(b) Ability to administer the Outreach Training Program, including
processing card requests for Outreach trainers and conducting Outreach
monitoring activities such as record audits and training observations.
(c) Ability to compile and submit reports and other training data.
(d) Capability to provide mandatory reports consistent with current
OSHA requirements, including the ability to submit reports based on
templates provided by OSHA/OTE. Please note, OSHA periodically revises
reporting requirements.
(e) Ability to respond to inquiries from OSHA and the public.
(f) Ability to manage student records.
(g) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
(i) Describe registration procedures and provisions for course
cancellation, and processes for providing course materials to students,
verifying course prerequisites are met in advance of registration, and
collecting tuition or fees.
(ii) Describe capabilities to process and issue course completion
documents to students.
(iii) Describe personnel and resources available to conduct
Outreach monitoring activities, including record audits and training
observations.
(iv) Include information about applicant's record retention policy
and ability to issue replacement course completion documents. Please
note OSHA requires records to be maintained for a minimum of five
years.
(v) Explain the procedures that will be implemented for reporting
to OSHA/OTE.
(vi) Provide specific details regarding the applicant's full-time
customer service staff, capabilities, and/or planned approach for
responding to questions from students; handling questions and concerns
related to occupational safety and health; resolving problems
associated with a class, whether received via student satisfaction
surveys or direct communication from a student; and issuing replacement
course completion certificates in a timely manner, including
verification of student identity and training completion.
(vii) Provide a copy of the applicant's tuition and fee schedule;
explain how tuition or fees will be computed for each OTI Education
Center numbered course, referencing the applicant's tuition and fee
schedule; and describe tuition and fee procedures including provisions
for the collection of tuition, cancellation fees, and issuing refunds.
(7) Evaluation (10 Points)
OSHA utilizes Kirkpatrick's Levels of Evaluation as described
below. Each OTI Education Center is responsible for collecting and
submitting student surveys.
Satisfaction Survey (Level I Evaluation) to Measure Reaction. Each
student must receive a satisfaction survey to assess student
perceptions of the quality of the training.
Testing (Level II Evaluation) to Measure Learning. Learning
assessments measure the skills and knowledge that the trainees retain
as a result of the training. Testing is mandatory at the end of the
OSHA General Industry, Construction, and Maritime standards courses and
the Outreach trainer courses.
Follow-up Impact Survey (Level III Evaluation) to Measure Results.
Each applicant must be knowledgeable and be capable of assessing
training effectiveness using Level III evaluations.
(a) Ability to administer student surveys in a classroom setting.
(b) Ability to administer exams and ensure test integrity.
(c) Ability to assess the effectiveness of training after an
elapsed time period.
(d) Ability to summarize and report evaluation results.
(e) To fully address this element, the proposal must:
(i) Describe the applicant's experience in evaluating training
programs.
(ii) Describe applicant's experience in administering student
surveys. Provide examples of student surveys presently in use.
(iii) Describe applicant's experience in administering classroom
exams and the process for ensuring test integrity.
(iv) Describe applicant's experience conducting follow-up
evaluations that measure behavior and/or results.
(8) DEIA (1 Bonus Point)
Applicants demonstrating their organization's commitment to DEIA
may submit their organization's equity plan and demonstrate the extent
they have institutionalized DEIA principles within their operations
will receive one bonus point.
(9) Language Accessibility (1 Bonus Point)
Applicants describing how training programs will be accessible to
the most prominent linguistic communities located within their region
will receive one bonus point.
H. Consortia and Partnerships
Applicants may join with one or more other non-profit organizations
in their region to apply as a consortium. A training or education
institution may elect to apply for this program in partnership with a
safety and health organization that is not primarily a training
organization. For example, a university could enter into an agreement
with a labor union that provides for the use of university classrooms
and faculty supplemented by union safety and health professionals. All
consortium partners must be physically located in the same OSHA region.
Partners must designate a lead organization that will be responsible
for program reporting
and Outreach Training Program administration including Outreach card
distribution. OTI Education Centers may request to change the lead
organization within a consortium in writing. OTE will only consider
changes to the lead organization when all consortium members support
the change.
I. Funding Provisions
OSHA provides no funding to OTI Education Centers. OTI Education
Centers are expected to support their training through their normal
tuition and fee structures.
J. Cooperative Agreement Duration
Selected applicants will sign five-year non-financial cooperative
agreements with OSHA. Such an agreement may be renewed at the
government's sole discretion without the additional competition
otherwise required by this notice for one additional five-year period,
provided that: (1) OSHA found the OTI Education Center's performance
during the cooperative agreement to be satisfactory; (2) the OTI
Education Center has not altered its existing membership of constituent
organizations (i.e., the member organizations that comprise its
consortium); and (3) the OTI Education Center has not had any
significant findings of program non-compliance or served any period of
probation or suspension.
The agency reserves the right to revoke the authorization of an OTI
Education Center. Either party may terminate the cooperative agreement
with advance written notice, provided both parties continue to meet all
obligations of the agreement for the duration of the advance notice
period.
K. Pre-Proposal Conference
A pre-proposal conference will be held to provide potential
applicants with information about the OTI Education Center Program. The
conference will also review OSHA expectations for OTI Education
Centers, courses and methods of instruction, and administrative and
program requirements for OTI Education Centers and the OSHA Outreach
Training Program. Attendance at the pre-proposal conference is not
mandatory, but applicants are strongly encouraged to attend.
The pre-proposal conference is scheduled for Wednesday, May 18,
2022, at the OSHA Directorate of Training and Education, 2020 S.
Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4102.
Attendees are required to register for this pre-proposal
conference. Applicants interested in attending this conference must
register by emailing otiecreports@dol.gov.
Required registration information includes:
(1) Name and street address of the organization; and
(2) Name, title, telephone number, and email address of the
attendee(s).
Registration information must be submitted no later than Wednesday,
May 11, 2022.
L. Application Submission
Applications must be submitted to the attention of James Brock,
Branch Chief, Training Programs, OSHA Office of Training and Education,
2020 S Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005-4102.
Applicants must submit three copies of the application.
Applications may be bound. The program narrative must not exceed 30
pages. Attachments will not be included in the page count. Applications
must be double-spaced, in 12-point font, with all pages numbered,
including attachments. Attachments must only include essential
documents that are relevant to this program.
M. Application Deadline
Applications must be received by the OSHA Office of Training and
Education no later than 4:30 p.m., Central Time, on June 17, 2022.
Requests for extension to this application deadline will not be
granted.
N. Application Evaluation and Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed by technical panels comprised of OSHA
staff. The technical panels will review applications based on criteria
listed in this notice to determine which applicants best meet the
stated requirements. As part of the evaluation and selection process,
OSHA may request additional information from applicants. This may
include written requests for clarification, phone or in-person
interviews, access to existing programs, and on-site visits of
applicant facilities. OSHA will attempt to select qualified applicants
who have the ability to provide training throughout their region based
on program needs. The panels' recommendations to the Assistant
Secretary are advisory in nature. The final decision will be made by
the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
O. Notification of Selection
Applicants will be notified by a representative of the Assistant
Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health if their
organization is selected to be authorized as an OSHA Training Institute
Education Center. Applicants selected to be authorized as OSHA Training
Institute Education Centers must attend a mandatory orientation meeting
at a time and date to be provided after selection.
An organization may not deliver OSHA Training Institute Education
Center courses until the program has been authorized, the organization
has signed a non-financial cooperative agreement with OSHA, and the
organization has participated in the orientation meeting.
P. Freedom of Information Act
Information submitted in the respondent's application is not
considered confidential. Organization's application data may be
releasable under the Freedom of Information Act.
Q. Paperwork Reduction Act
Interested parties must submit an application as discussed under
section ``Application Submission Requirements.'' According to the
Paperwork Reduction Act, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and no
persons are required to respond to, a collection of information unless
such collection displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
control number. The application provides to OSHA basic information
about the applicant. Information will be used to evaluate the
qualifications of the applicants, including their ability to serve the
regional population; determine ability to conduct OSHA courses for
private sector personnel and Federal personnel from agencies other than
OSHA; and to evaluate the applicant's competence to provide the
proposed training (including the qualifications of the personnel to
manage and implement the training). OSHA estimates employer burden for
the completion of this application is sixty hours per application.
These estimates include the time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing the collection of information.
The application was previously reviewed and approved for use by OMB
under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L.
104-13). The assigned OMB control number is 1218-0262
R. Transparency
The Department of Labor is committed to conducting a transparent
selection process and publicizing information about program outcomes.
Applications or abstracts may be posted
on public websites as a means of promoting and sharing innovative
ideas.
S. Notification of Non-Selection
Applicants will be notified in writing if their organization is not
selected to be authorized as an OSHA Training Institute Education
Center.
T. Non-Selection Appeal
All decisions by the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational
Safety and Health are final. The Department of Labor does not provide
an appeal procedure for applicants that are not selected.
Authority and Signature
Douglas L. Parker, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational
Safety and Health, authorized the preparation of this notice.
Accordingly, the agency is issuing this notice pursuant to Secretary of
Labor's Order No. 8-2020 (85 FR 58393, Sept. 18, 2020), and 29 CFR
1910.7.
Signed at Washington, DC.
Douglas Parker,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
Appendix A--Current List of Required, Elective and Short Courses
1
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\1\ Subject to change based on agency initiatives, yearly annual
performance criteria and national emphasis programs.
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(1) Present OTI Courses
(a) FY 2017 rating criterion is 95 courses conducted annually
with a minimum of four in-person courses per month.
(b) Present all OTI Courses as follows:
(i) OTI Education Centers are required to present the following
ten courses annually:
(1) #500 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards
for the Construction Industry
(2) #501 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards
for General Industry
(3) #502 Update for Construction Industry Outreach Trainers
(4) #503 Update for General Industry Outreach Trainers
(5) #510 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the
Construction Industry
(6) #511 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General
Industry
(7) #3095 Electrical Standards
(8) #3115 Fall Protection
(9) #7500 Introduction to Safety and Health Management
(10) #7845 Recordkeeping Rule Seminar
(ii) OTI Education Centers are required to present at least five of
the following elective courses annually:
(1) #521 OSHA Guide to Industrial Hygiene
(2) #2015 Hazardous Materials
(3) #2045 Machinery and Machine Guarding Standards
(4) #2055 Cranes in Construction
(5) #2225 Respiratory Protection
(6) #2255 Principles of Ergonomics
(7) #2264 Permit-Required Confined Space Entry
(8) #3015 Excavation, Trenching, and Soil Mechanics
(9) #3085 Principles of Scaffolding
(10) #5029 Cal/OSHA Update for Construction Industry Outreach
Trainers
(11) #5039 Cal/OSHA Update for General Industry Outreach Trainers
(12) #5109 Cal/OSHA Standards for the Construction Industry
(13) #5119 Cal/OSHA Standards for General Industry
(14) #5400 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health
Standards for the Maritime Industry
(15) #5402 Maritime Industry Trainer Update Course
(16) #5410 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Maritime
Industry
(17) #5600 Disaster Site Worker Trainer Course
(18) #5602 Update for Disaster Site Worker Trainer Course
(19) #5810 Hazards Recognition and Standards for On Shore Oil and
Gas Exploration and Production
(20) #6005 Collateral Duty Course for Other Federal Agencies
(21) #6015 Occupational Safety and Health Course for Other Federal
Agencies
(iii) OTI Education Centers are required to present at least three
of the following short courses annually:
(1) #7000 OSHA Training Guidelines for Safe Patient Handling
(2) #7005 Public Warehousing and Storage
(3) #7100 Introduction to Machinery and Machine Safeguarding
(4) #7105 Evacuation and Emergency Planning
(5) #7110 Safe Bolting: Principles and Practices
(6) #7115 Lockout/Tagout
(7) #7120 Introduction to Combustible Dust Hazards
(8) #7200 Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control
(9) #7205 Health Hazard Awareness
(10) #7210 Pandemic Illness Preparedness
(11) #7215 Silica in Construction, Maritime, and General Industries
(12) #7225 Transitioning to Safer Chemicals
(13) #7300 Understanding OSHA's Permit-Required Confined Space
Standard
(14) #7400 Occupational Noise Exposure Hazards
(15) #7405 Fall Hazard Awareness for the Construction Industry
(16) #7410 Managing Excavation/Trenching Operations
(17) #7415 OSHA Construction Industry Requirements (Major Hazards
and Prevention)
(18) #7505 Introduction to Incident (Accident) Investigation
(19) #7510 Introduction to OSHA for Small Business
[FR Doc. 2022-07652 Filed 4-15-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
