OSHA awards $10.5 million in Harwood Grants

Washington – OSHA has awarded $10.5 million in one-year federal safety and health training grants to 80 nonprofit organizations, as part of the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, the agency announced Sept. 26.

With the grant money, the 80 organizations will provide education and training to businesses and workers to help address workplace hazards and adopt best practices for avoiding workplace injuries, a press release from OSHA states.

Recipients will focus on safety and health topics designated by OSHA, including chemical, electrical, excavation and grain handling hazards; fall prevention in the construction industry; and machinery and machine guarding hazards, according to the release.

Since 1978, more than 2.1 million workers have been trained through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. However, the future of the program is uncertain. Speaking June 7 before the House Appropriations Committee’s Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee about the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2018, Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta said the Department of Labor’s plan is to provide direct training in place of awarding the Harwood Grants, to help the agency save money.