Nonprofits Receive Grants from Michigan OSHA for Safety Training
The state of Michigan is setting a high bar for ensuring safety training—a recent award of $870,000 supporting worker safety and health is going to over 20 nonprofit organizations.
Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is giving thousands to support worker safety in nonprofits across the state. The grant one of many Consultation Education and Training grants, awarded annually for the development and implementation of safety and health training and services, specifically for small and medium-sized business.
“Bold solutions are needed to ensure Michigan’s working men and women are safe on the job as they build and strengthen our communities,” Gov. Whitmer said. “I am committed to protecting Michigan workers, improving workplace safety and health is a wise investment that benefits business and ensures workers return home.”
These grants have proven quite effective in the past, and they align with MIOSHA’s goal of enhancing safety and health training and work practices that result in fewer injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on the job.
In this year alone, during the FY 2019 grant period, over 20,000 employees attended training programs funded by MIOSH training grants, according to one local news article.
Yet, the options don’t stop at traditional training services. The MIOSHA Consultation Education and Training Grant Program provides other options for safety and health education for employers and employees alike. Most of the programs are geared toward goals and initiatives identified in the MIOSH Strategic Plan, specifically for high hazard industries.
Its programs have been particularly helpful to teen and young workers, too.
“Our partnership with Consultation Education and Training has increased MIOSHA’s safety training reach to teens before they enter the workforce,” said Parents for Student Safety Employment Standards (PASSES) President Donna Weaver. “Young workers statistically are the most vulnerable to workplace accidents and MIOSHA’s commitment to their safety is making a difference.”
The goal of the Consultation Education and Training Grant Program is designed to:
- Increase the number of employers and employees receiving occupational safety and health education, training and prevention services, especially employers with fewer than 100 employees.
- Encourage the development of new strategies for providing occupational safety and health education, training and prevention services.
- Encourage new providers of occupational safety and health education, training and prevention services for Michigan businesses.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of those alternative strategies and providers.
Awarded projects cover a wide array of industries and activities including healthcare, manufacturing, construction, workplace violence prevention, safe chemical handling, and personal protective equipment. You can view the full list of the FY 2020 CET grant projects and descriptions
here.