DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Susan Harwood Training Grant Program

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and request for grant applications.

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SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) awards funds to nonprofit organizations to conduct safety and health training and education in the workplace. This notice announces grant availability for training in safety and health programs in construction; in health services; and for preventing amputations in manufacturing. The notice describes the scope of the grant program and provides information about how to get detailed grant application instructions. Applications should not be submitted without the applicant first obtaining the detailed grant application instructions mentioned later in the notice.

Section 21(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 670) authorizes this program.

DATES: Applications must be received by May 28, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit grant applications to the OSHA Office of Training and Education, Division of Training and Educational Programs, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald Mouw, Chief, Division of Training and Educational Programs, or Cynthia Bencheck, Program Analyst, OSHA Office of Training and Education, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018, telephone (847) 297-4810, e-mail cindy.bencheck@oti.osha.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

What is the purpose of the program?

OSHA's strategic plan contains strategic goals to improve workplace safety and health for all workers, change the workplace culture to increase employer and worker awareness of, commitment to, and involvement in safety and health, and to secure public confidence through excellence in the development and delivery of OSHA's programs and services. OSHA's intent is to reduce the number of worker injuries, illnesses and fatalities by focusing nationwide attention and Agency resources on the most prevalent types of workplace injuries and illnesses, the most hazardous industries and the most hazardous workplaces. The Susan Harwood Training Grants Program is one of the mechanisms OSHA is using to achieve its strategic goals.

Susan Harwood Training Grants provide funds to train workers and employers to recognize, avoid, and prevent safety and health hazards in their workplaces. The program emphasizes three areas.

• Educating workers and employers in small businesses. A small business has 250 or fewer workers.
• Training workers and employers about new OSHA standards.
• Training workers and employers about high risk activities or hazards identified by OSHA through its strategic plan, or as part of an OSHA special emphasis program.

Grantees are expected to develop training and/or educational programs that address topics named by OSHA, recruit workers and employers for the training, and conduct the training. Grantees will also be expected to follow-up with people who have been trained by their program to find out what, if any, changes were made to reduce hazards in their workplaces as a result of the training.

What are the training topics this year?

The purpose of this notice is to announce that funds are available for grants. The three training topics were chosen based on injuries and illnesses in selected industries identified in OSHA's strategic plan. Each grant application must address one of the following areas.

1. Preventing Amputations in Manufacturing. Programs that train workers, operators and maintenance personnel in the recognition and avoidance of amputation hazards with industrial machinery in manufacturing industries: shears, slitters, saws, slicers, and/or power presses. (Standard Industrial Classifications (SIC) beginning with the number 2 or 3).

2. Health Services. Programs that train workers in the recognition and prevention of safety and health hazards in health services facilities, including medical and dental offices, hospitals, nursing homes, medical laboratories, and home health care services. (Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 80).[[Page 16762]]

While OSHA is interested in providing health services workers with training encompassing all safety and health hazards, we are primarily concerned with ergonomic hazards and biohazards. Your proposal may cover other safety and health topics, but your program should emphasize the topics of primary concern.

3. Construction. Programs that train workers on non-residential construction sites in the recognition and avoidance of hazards relating to falls.

Who is eligible to apply for a grant?

Any nonprofit organization that is not an agency of a State or local government is eligible to apply. However, State or local government supported institutions of higher education are eligible to apply in accordance with 29 CFR 97.4(a)(1).

Applicants other than State or local government supported institutions of higher education will be required to submit evidence of nonprofit status, preferably from the IRS.

What can grant funds be spent on?

Grant funds can be spent on the following.

• Conducting training.
• Conducting other activities that reach and inform workers and employers about occupational safety and health hazards and hazard abatement.
• Developing educational materials for use in the training.

Are there restrictions on how grant funds can be spent?

OSHA will not provide funding for the following activities.

1. Any activity that is inconsistent with the goals and objectives of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

2. Training involving workplaces that are not covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Examples include state and local government workers in non-State Plan States and workers covered by section 4(b)(1) of the Act.

3. Production, publication, reproduction or use of training and educational materials, including newsletters and instructional programs, that have not been reviewed by OSHA for technical accuracy.

4. Activities that address issues other than recognition, avoidance, and prevention of unsafe or unhealthy working conditions. Examples include workers' compensation, first aid, and publication of materials prejudicial to labor or management.

5. Activities that provide assistance to workers in arbitration cases or other actions against employers, or that provide assistance to employers and/or workers in the prosecution of claims against Federal, State or local governments.

6. Activities that directly duplicate services offered by OSHA, a State under an OSHA-approved State Plan, or consultation programs provided by State designated agencies under section 7(c)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

7. Activities intended to generate membership in the grantee's organization. This includes activities to acquaint nonmembers with the benefits of membership, inclusion of membership appeals in materials produced with grant funds, and membership drives.

What other grant requirements are there?

1. OSHA review of educational materials. OSHA will review all educational materials produced by the grantee for technical accuracy during development and before final publication. OSHA will also review training curriculums and purchased training materials for accuracy before they are used.

When grant recipients produce training materials, they will provide copies of completed materials to OSHA before the end of the grant period. OSHA has a lending program that circulates grant-produced audiovisual materials. Audiovisual materials produced by the grantee as a part of their grant program will be included in this lending program. In addition, all materials produced by grantees may be placed on the Internet by OSHA.

2. OMB and regulatory requirements. Grantees will be required to comply with the following documents.

• 29 CFR part 95, which covers grant requirements for nonprofit organizations, including universities and hospitals. These are the Department of Labor regulations implementing OMB Circular A-110.
• OMB Circular A-21, which describes allowable and unallowable costs for educational institutions.
• OMB Circular A-122, which describes allowable and unallowable costs for other nonprofit organizations.
• OMB Circular A-133, which provides information about audit requirements.

3. Certifications. All applicants will be required to certify to a drug-free workplace in accordance with 29 CFR part 98, to comply with the New Restrictions on Lobbying published at 29 CFR part 93, to make a certification regarding the debarment rules at 29 CFR part 98, and to complete a special lobbying certification.

4. Matching share. The program requires the grantee to provide a matching share of funds. Grant recipients are to provide a minimum of 20% of the total grant budget. This matching share may be in-kind, rather than a cash contribution, or a combination of cash and in-kind. For example, if the Federal share of the grant is $80,000 (80% of the grant), then the matching share will be $20,000 (20% of the grant), for a total grant of $100,000. The matching share may exceed 20%.

How are applications reviewed and rated?

OSHA staff will review grant applications and present the results to the Assistant Secretary who will make the selection of organizations to be awarded grants.

OSHA will give preference to applications which:

• Address multiple safety and health subjects. For example, an application for the target preventing amputations in manufacturing which addresses machine guarding, ergonomic, and lockout/tagout hazards would be preferred over one that only addresses machine guarding.
• Plan to conduct train-the-trainer programs and gather data concerning the courses and the number of students trained by the new trainers as a part of their grant.
• Train managers and/or supervisors in addition to workers.
• Serve multiple employers. OSHA is interested in reaching more than one employer with each grant awarded.

The following factors will be considered in evaluating grant applications.

1. Program Design

a. The proposed training and education program addresses one of the following topics.

i. Preventing amputations in manufacturing.

ii. Safety and health hazards at health services facilities.

iii. Fall protection in non-residential construction.

b. The proposal plans to train workers and/or employers and clearly estimates the numbers to be trained.

c. The proposal contains a train-the-trainer program, and the number of students to be trained by these new trainers are clearly estimated.

d. The planned activities are appropriate for the workers and/or employers to be trained.

e. There is a plan to recruit trainees for the program.

f. If the proposal includes developing educational materials, there is a plan for OSHA to review the materials during development.

g. There is a plan to evaluate the program's effectiveness and this includes plans to follow-up with trainees to see if the training resulted in workplace change.

h. The planned work can be accomplished in one year.

i. There is a description of the target population, the hazards that will be addressed, the barriers which have prevented adequate training for the target population, why the program cannot be completed without Federal funds, and why funding sources currently available cannot be used for this purpose.

2. Program Experience

a. The organization applying for the grant demonstrates experience with occupational safety and health.

b. The organization applying for the grant demonstrates experience training adults in work-related subjects.

c. The staff to be assigned to the project have experience in (1) occupational safety and health, (2) the specific topic chosen, and (3) training adults.

d. The organization applying for the grant demonstrates experience in recruiting and training the population it proposes to serve under the grant.

3. Administrative Capability

a. The applicant organization demonstrates experience managing a variety of programs.

b. The applicant organization has administered, or will work with an organization that has administered, a number of different Federal and/or State grants over the past five years.

c. The application is complete, including forms, budget detail, narrative and workplan, and required attachments.

4. Budget

a. The budgeted costs are reasonable.

b. The proposed non-Federal matching share is at least 20% of the total budget.

c. The budget complies with Federal cost principles (which can be found in applicable OMB Circulars) and with OSHA budget requirements contained in the grant application instructions.

d. The cost per trainee is less than $500 and the cost per training hour is reasonable.

In addition to the factors listed above, the Assistant Secretary will take other items into consideration, such as the geographical distribution of the grant programs and the coverage of populations at risk.

How much money is available for grants?

There is approximately $1.8 million available for this program. The average Federal award will be $125,000.

How long are grants awarded for?

Grants are awarded for a twelve-month period. If first year performance is satisfactory and funds are available, grants will be renewed for an additional twelve-month period.

How do I get a grant application package?

Grant application instructions may be obtained from the OSHA Office of Training and Education, Division of Training and Educational Programs, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018. The application instructions are also available at http://www.osha.gov/dte/sharwood/index.html.

When and where are applications to be sent?

The application deadline is 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Friday, May 28, 1999.

Applications are to be mailed to the Division of Training and Educational Programs, OSHA Office of Training and Education, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, IL 60018. Applications may be sent by fax to (847) 297-4874.

How will I be told if my application was selected?

Organizations selected as grant recipients will be notified by a representative of the Assistant Secretary, usually from an OSHA Regional Office. An applicant whose proposal is not selected will be notified in writing.

Notice that an organization has been selected as a grant recipient does not constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before the actual grant award, OSHA will enter into negotiations concerning such items as program components, funding levels, and administrative systems. If the negotiations do not result in an acceptable submittal, the Assistant Secretary reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to fund the proposal.

Signed at Washington, DC, this 26 day of March 1999.

Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 99-8112 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510-26-P

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