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Region 10 News Release:   00-159
August 29, 2000
Contact: Mike Shimizu
PHONE: (206) 553-7620
TDD: (800) 676-8956

SEATTLE -- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the Washington Health Foundation in Seattle will receive an $87,000 grant as part of approximately $8 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants awarded to 53 nonprofit organizations nationwide to administer safety and health training programs.

The foundation provides an ergonomic patient lifting and transfer safety training program for Washington State Hospital Association members in cooperation with their workers' compensation provider.

"Education and training are the cornerstones of reducing workplace injuries and illnesses," said Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman. "These grants provide valuable tools to protect America's workers and promote a greater understanding of ways to avoid occupational risks."

"OSHA will assist nonprofit organizations that serve immigrant, contingent and other vulnerable workers, small business employers and employees, and workers in jobs with high-risk activities or hazards, such as the construction industry, to develop their safety and health capacity over a three-to-five year period," said OSHA Administrator Charles N. Jeffress. "These Institutional Competency Building Grants are intended to develop ongoing safety and health training and service programs that will continue after the grant period ends."

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.

Thirty-three new grantees were selected through a national competition announced last March. The remaining 20 awards are extensions of existing grants for another year. A complete listing of grantees with details on their training proposals is available on the OSHA Web site at www.osha.gov under training.

EDITOR'S NOTE -- For futher information, contact the OSHA Regional Office in Seattle at (206) 553-5930.