National News Release 06-1695-NAT
September 29, 2006
Contact: David Sims or Sharon Worthy
Phone: (202) 693-1898 (202) 693-4676


WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today awarded more than $10 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants to 57 nonprofit organizations for safety and health training and educational programs.

"Training and education are the cornerstones of workplace safety and health," said OSHA Assistant Secretary Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "These grants create new opportunities to reach non-English speaking employees and others in high-hazard jobs and help them return home safe at the end of the work day."

The Susan Harwood Grants support the development of training materials and the provision of safety programs to educate Hispanic and other limited-English-proficient employees, hard-to-reach employees, employers in small businesses, and employees in high-hazard industries and industries with high fatality rates.

OSHA awarded $6.9 million in Targeted Topic Training Grants, which support training to educate employees on construction hazards; general-industry hazards; and other safety and health topic areas, such as disaster response and recovery, working with hexavalent chromium, and workplace emergency planning.

Approximately $3.3 million was used to fund renewal grants for recipients of last year's Institutional Competency Building Grants, which were used to help nonprofit organizations expand their safety and health training and education to assist employees on an ongoing basis.

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 2006 Susan Harwood Grant recipients follows this news release.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

2006 Susan Harwood Grants
Targeted Topics Training Grants (New Grants)

CONSTRUCTION

American Road & Transportation Builders Association, Washington, D.C. Association officials will develop two new highway-construction work-zone safety modules in English and Spanish to enhance their Roadway Safety Training curriculum; train construction safety personnel, foremen, and stewards as trainers around the country, including the Gulf States; and produce new materials for their roadway compact disc. $172,848.

Associated General Contractors of America, Arlington, Va. The grantee will conduct 38 eight-hour construction focus four hazards at 18 chapters and national safety committee meetings. It will distribute 5,000 educational CDs in English and in Spanish to general contractors, trainees and national-event attendees. $283,100.

Associated General Contractors of Kentucky Inc., Frankfort, Ky. Organization officials will hold six-hour weekly training sessions on construction focus four hazards that will be broadcast through video conferences and made available though the Internet. It will conduct 21 on-site training sessions in rural Kentucky for underserved contractors and suppliers. $169,639.

Construction Safety Council, Hillside, Ill. Council officials will develop and offer training on work-zone safety and disaster work-zone safety to contractors and support personnel working in the Gulf States, Southeast Coast, Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. $230,327

Home Builders Association of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. The association will hold 30 four-hour seminars on construction focus four hazards that target owners and supervisors of residential builders and trade subcontractors. Training and materials will be offered in English and Spanish; $161,639.

Laborers-AGC Education & Training Fund, Pomfret Center, Conn. The grantee plans to hold 174 training sessions at 15 locations. Courses will include training for flaggers, traffic control and work-zone safety. New modules will be translated into Spanish. $237,190

NAHB Research Center Inc., Upper Marlboro, Md. Center officials will conduct 40 training sessions in 20 top home- building markets on identifying and avoiding fall hazards, with an emphasis on residential construction. It will develop an instructor's guide, PowerPoint presentation and use the NAHB Fall Protection Handbook and video as the student guide. $295,464

National Roofing Contractors Association, Rosemont, Ill. Association officials intend to provide one-day training sessions on fall hazards, applicable regulations, and hazard abatement and rescue techniques for roofing personnel in 10 locations around the country. Sessions will be in English and Spanish at each location. $183,072

National Safety Council, Itasca, Ill. Council officials will develop materials on construction focus four hazards. The materials will provide small businesses with useful tools and resources, including a toolbox reference guide, student workbook, trainer manual and PowerPoint slides. Chapters will conduct 30 one-day training sessions for employers, supervisors and employees. $198,951

Organization of Hispanic Contractors, Irving, Texas. Organization officials will conduct 16 training sessions on construction focus four hazards for Spanish-speaking construction workers and four trainer courses for construction workers and supervisors. It will utilize materials developed through a current OSHA focus four training materials development grant. These include PowerPoint slides, pocket guides and computer-based modules. $175,000

Pueblo Community College, Pueblo, Colo. College officials will develop a six-hour training curriculum on construction focus four hazards and hold 15 classes for construction workers and employers of new and small businesses. Materials will be translated into Spanish. $112,100

Roofers & Waterproofers Research & Education Joint Trust Fund, Washington, D.C. The grantee intends to conduct roofing-industry fall-protection training for commercial roofers. Training will consist of question-and-answer sessions, a session by structural engineers on anchorages for personal fall-arrest systems and fall restraint in roofing and breakout sessions for management and journey worker trainees. $106,000

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, N.J. University officials will work with New Labor through their jointly formed organization-Latino Occupational Safety and Health Initiative-to provide fall-prevention training to Hispanic employees and employers. Sessions include residential fall prevention, contractor briefing and a five-day trainer course in Spanish and toolbox talks. $181,761

Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc., Tempe, Ariz. Alliance officials plan to develop construction focus four hazard training materials in English and Spanish to use in trainer classes in the Southwestern U.S. Workshops will be held with contractors, safety representatives and trainers to identify presentation material needs. $187,725

Trimmer Education Foundation, Arlington, Va. The foundation and its officials, the educational arm of Associated Builders and Contractors, will bring training classes to the field for construction and Hispanic employees and first-year apprentices. The four-hour training will consist of one-hour segments addressing each of the construction focus four hazards. Materials will be translated into Spanish for delivery by Spanish-speaking instructors. $183,426

University of Maine System (acting through University of Maine), Orono, Maine. The grantee proposes to train employees and employers of unionized small-construction businesses on construction focus four hazards through on-site training sessions. A project handbook will be developed to serve as an instructional and informational resource. $120,393.

University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas. University officials will conduct two days of training on highway- construction work-zone safety and disaster cleanup and recovery work zones. This training will be held in areas with active highway-construction projects and will be followed by the OSHA 10-hour Construction Outreach Training Program for those in need of this training. $198,765

West Kentucky Community and Technical College, Paducah, Ky. College officials plan to develop 15 fall-protection learning modules for members of the Home Builders Association of Western Kentucky. Modules will include guardrail systems; personal fall-arrest systems; fall-safety systems; roofing; ladders; and seven modules on scaffolds. Materials will be developed in five formats: Internet, CD, workbook, classroom and tailgate. The materials will be translated into Spanish. $170,701

West Virginia University Research Corp. Morgantown, W.Va. University officials will update residential fall-protection training materials to include fall hazards related to gutter installation; electrical wiring; drywall; scaffolds; and repairs following a natural disaster. Training materials and some course presentations will be available in English and Spanish. Residential construction training will be held in 13 regional locations. The grantee will partner with the University of Puerto Rico for training in Puerto Rico and the Gulf states training courses. $102,376

Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux City, Iowa. College officials will develop three training programs tailored to safety coordinators, supervisors and employees of small commercial-construction companies. In addition to construction focus four hazard topics, safety coordinator's training will include evaluating and maintaining a safety program. Supervisor's training will include accident procedures. Employees and supervisors will receive training on general-construction hazards. A bilingual instructor will be hired to provide instruction and translation services. $148,760

GENERAL INDUSTRY

Harry S. Truman College, Chicago. College officials will target Latino employees at small Chicago-area general-industry companies for five-hour bilingual safety training on amputation hazards. $127,620

Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan. University officials intend to offer safety training for hard-to-reach employers in the landscape and horticultural-services industry in Kansas and Iowa. The training materials will address the most serious hazards facing this population of employees. Training will be conducted in English and Spanish. $158,849

Louisiana Technical College, West Monroe, La. College officials plan to develop and provide three-hour training on prevention of amputation hazards for delivery to small businesses. Training will be delivered via classroom, lab, online, site-specific, and safety meetings. $117,822

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. University officials will develop and deliver safety training to landscaping- industry employees and employers in North Carolina. Training will be in English and Spanish. $128,750

Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles. The grantee will target landscape/horticulture safety and health training to supervisors and groundsworkers in the tourism industry. Training will include a four-hour course, with an additional four hours for a Train-the-Trainer component. Some sessions will be conducted in Spanish. $188,287

Southeastern Michigan Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, Detroit. Coalition officials will provide Spanish- lanuage safety and health training and materials to Spanish-speaking immigrant landscape/horticulture employees in Michigan. Information for supervisors and employers on communicating with their Spanish-speaking employees on safety and health topics will be provided in training sessions and on its Web site. $152,500

Texas Engineering Extension Service, College Station, Texas. The grantee will develop and deliver a four-day course focusing on OSHA regulations that apply to the oil and gas industry. Additional existing courses that apply to the industry will also be conducted. A regional plan for recruiting oil and gas-industry employees, supervisors and managers will be developed. $360,450

University of Georgia Board of Regents, Athens, Ga. University officials will target Hispanic employees in the landscaping industry with four-to-six-hour training. Safety training targeting Hispanic middle managers will be provided at various association meetings. Training will be available in Spanish and will include in-person classes, video, and online formats. $163,554

West Virginia University Research Corp., Morgantown, W.Va. University officials will develop and deliver courses on hazard identification and control training for landscape and horticultural service workers, owners, supervisors and employees. Downloadable materials, including PowerPoint presentations, a trainer's guide, trainee manuals and video clips of demonstrations performed during the training, will be made available in English and Spanish. $120,624

York Area Labor Management Council, York, Pa. Council officials will develop and conduct four-hour training programs for small business on the recognition and prevention of amputation hazards. The training materials and training will be available in English and Spanish. The plan includes an interactive e-learning program and uses local incidents as case scenarios. $90,000

OTHER SAFETY AND HEALTH TOPIC AREAS

Construction Advancement Foundation, Portage, Ind. Foundation officials and representatives from the Construction Employers Association of Northeast Ohio will develop materials on hexavalent chromium hazards, recruit members for the training and deliver the training at their two training facilities. They will develop a train-the-trainer course for managers and supervisors and an employee course. Courses and materials will be provided in English and Spanish. $157,784

Employers Association, Plymouth, Minn. Association officials plan to develop and deliver a training program targeting small businesses on pandemic influenza preparedness, response, and recovery. PowerPoint presentations will be developed for classroom instruction. Interactive e-learning programs for both employers and employees will be developed for use as learning and reference tools, with hard-copy handouts. $100,000

Florida Community College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Fla. College officials will develop and deliver a training program that targets businesses involved in port security. It will cover disaster response and recovery for both man-made and natural disasters. Training can be offered in Spanish and conducted on weekends or evenings to accommodate company schedules. The college will translate the visual text and graphics into Spanish. $104,648

International Union of Operating Engineers National Training Fund, Washington, D.C. The grantee will develop a guidance document and a three-hour PowerPoint lesson plan on how to form relationships between skilled support personnel (IUOE), first responders and regional response groups. The document will define each group's roles, capabilities and limitations on disaster sites. The materials will be distributed to its locals, added to its disaster site worker trainer and worker-level course materials and posted on its Web site. The union will facilitate partnerships with IUOE locals and regional and federal response groups. $226,382

Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. College officials will develop a workplace emergency planning trainer course. This builds on developed materials concerning preventing occupational respiratory illness for health-care workers, and a trainer program for outreach service organizations on training vulnerable employees on hazards related to transportation, violence, respiratory diseases, slips and falls and lifting and pushing-pulling hazards. The college will recruit students and conduct 24 train-the-trainer workshops. $174,653.

Non-Ferrous Founders' Society, Park Ridge, Ill. Society officials will develop a training program on workplace emergency planning and disaster response and recovery. The program will address emerging public health and preparedness issues, including diagnosis; prevention; safety precautions; surveillance; control; and treatment. Seminars will target small- business owners and managers in the cast-metals industry. Course materials will be in English and Spanish. $117,450

Regents of the University of California, San Diego. University officials will research and develop instructor and student materials for a train-the-trainer health-care facility evacuation-training course. Materials are to include a training outline, trainer manual, PowerPoint presentation, exam and supplemental resource materials. The program will target administrative and clinical supervisory staff of various health-care facilities. $174,903

University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico. University officials will develop course materials on hexavalent chromium hazards in Spanish and English. The training will be targeted to small stainless-steel repair and fabrication- maintenance contractors working at pharmaceutical and biomedical plants. The course and bilingual materials will cover industrial uses, health effects, controls, personal-protective-equipment disposal and regulatory requirements. $216,943

University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio. University officials will conduct focus groups with small-business owners and managers to assess needs and awareness levels of small businesses to tailor emergency-hazard recognition to their needs. The university plans to update training materials to develop a half-day training program on workplace emergency planning for general industry and health-care-industry small businesses. $179,977

Training Solutions for Construction and Industry, Mobile, Ala. Organization officials will convert OSHA's Disaster Site Worker course into portable two-hour training units with pictures and statistics for quick delivery. Training materials will be translated and training conducted in Spanish and Vietnamese. Training will be conducted at two training centers in Alabama. $236,068

Institutional Competency Building (Renewal Grants)
1. American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation, Washington, D.C., $150,268
2. Boat People S.O.S. Inc., Falls Church, Va., $165,750
3. Environmental Research and Education Foundation, Alexandria, Va., $56,260
4. George Meany Center-National Labor College, Silver Spring, Md., $224,250
5. Graphic Communications Conference of International Brotherhood of Teamsters (formerly Graphic Communications International Union), Washington, D.C., $223,500
6. International Union, United Auto Workers, Detroit, $230,250
7. National Roofing Contractors Association, Rosemont, Ill., $136,660
8. National Safety Council, Itasca, Ill., $193,003
9. North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project, Durham, N.C., $544,500
10. The Steelworkers Charitable and Educational Organization-associated with United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (formerly Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union), Nashville, Tenn., $231,000
11. Regents of the University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif., $206,250
12. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Education and Support Fund, Washington, D.C., $222,000
13. Trimmer Education Foundation (formerly Construction Education Foundation-Associated Builders and Contractors), Arlington, Va., $147,538
14. UNITE HERE (formerly Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees), New York, $156,000
15. United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Washington, D.C., $162,713
16. The Steelworkers Charitable and Educational Organization-associated with United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (formerly United Steelworkers of America), Pittsburgh, $113,250
17. University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D., $95,576

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