[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 21, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32351-32353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15128]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Targeted Training Grants
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and request for grant
applications.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a
grant program, Targeted Training, which awards funds to nonprofit
organizations to conduct safety and health training and education in
the workplace. This notice announces Targeted Training grant
availability for training in fall protection in the residential
construction industry, assisting small businesses to develop safety and
health programs, training hospital and nursing or medical care facility
workers in the prevention of injuries, and training small logging
employers about the requirements of OSHA's logging standard. This
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.
Authority for this program may be found in section 21(c) of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 670).
DATES: Applications must be received by August 4, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Grant applications must be submitted 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
Helen Beall, Training Specialist, OSHA Office of Training and
Education, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018, telephone
(708) 297-4810.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 21(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act provides
for the education and training of employers and workers in the
recognition, avoidance, and prevention of unsafe or unhealthful working
conditions. OSHA has used a variety of approaches over the years to
fulfill its responsibilities under this section, one of which is the
awarding of grants to nonprofit organizations to develop and provide
training and education to workers and employers. [[Page 32352]]
The Targeted Training Program is OSHA's current grant program for
the training and education of workers and employers. Its goals include
educating workers and employers in small businesses (employers with 250
or fewer workers), training in new OSHA standards, and training in
areas of special emphasis or recognized high risk activities or tasks.
Organizations awarded grants under this program will be expected to
develop training and/or educational programs that address a target
named by OSHA, reach out to workers and employers for whom the program
is appropriate, and provide them with the training and/or educational
program. Success is measured by the number of workers or employers
reached by the program and their increased ability to recognize and
abate hazards or to comply with OSHA standards.
Preference in selection will be given to proposals that will
conduct train-the-trainer programs and to proposals submitted by
consortiums that include community-based organizations or other
organizations that can reach out to workers who are minorities,
migrants, limited English-speaking, or have entry level and/or minimum
wage jobs. In addition, all grant programs will be encouraged to
include managers and/or supervisors and small businesses in their
training.
Scope
The purpose of this notice is to announce the availability of funds
for grants. Each grant awarded will be designed to develop and provide
training and education in one of the following target areas.
1. Fall protection in the residential construction industry.
Programs that teach workers and employers about the requirements of
OSHA's fall protection standard, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M, and how to
apply them in a residential construction setting.
2. Safety and health programs for small businesses. Programs that
provide orientation to OSHA and its requirements for small businesses
and that assist small businesses to establish safety and health
programs in accordance with OSHA's safety and health management
guidelines published at 54 FR 3904 on January 26, 1989.
3. Prevention of injuries in hospital and nursing or medical care
facilities. Programs that train workers in the prevention of injuries,
especially injuries from lifting.
4. Logging. Programs that train small logging employers about the
requirements of OSHA's logging standard, 29 CFR 1910.266.
Among the activities which may be supported under these grants are:
Conducting training, conducting other educational activities designed
to reach and inform workers and employers, and developing educational
materials for use in the training and/or educational activities.
Eligible Applicants
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.
A consortium of two or more eligible applicants is also eligible to
apply. Each consortium must have a written agreement that spells out
roles and responsibilities for each consortium member and designates
one member as the lead agency. The lead agency will receive the grant
and be responsible for grant administration.
Nonsupportable Activities
Statutory and regulatory limitations, as well as the objectives of
the grant program, prevent reimbursing grantees for certain activities.
These limitations include the following.
1. Any activities inconsistent with the goals and objectives of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
2. Activities involving workplaces largely precluded from
enforcement action under section 4(b)(1) of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act.
3. Activities for the benefit of State, county or municipal workers
unless those workers are covered by a State Plan funded by OSHA under
section 23(g) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
4. Production, publication, reproduction or use of training and
educational materials, including newsletters and programs of
instruction, that have not been reviewed by OSHA for technical
accuracy.
5. Training and other educational activities that primarily address
issues other than recognition, avoidance, and prevention of unsafe or
unhealthful working conditions. Examples include activities concerning
workers' compensation, first aid, and publication of materials
prejudicial to labor or management.
6. 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.
7. Activities that directly duplicate services offered by OSHA, a
State under a State Plan, or consultation programs provided by State
designated agencies under section 7(c)(1) of the Occupational Safety
and Health Act.
8. Activities directly or indirectly intended to generate
membership in the grant recipient'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.
Administrative Requirements
Educational materials will be reviewed by OSHA for technical
accuracy during development and before final publication.
Instructional curriculums and purchased training materials will
also be reviewed by OSHA for technical accuracy before they are used.
Grant recipients will be expected to share educational materials
with others in the industry to which the materials apply. Grant
recipients must also provide copies of completed educational materials
to OSHA before the end of the grant period. OSHA has a lending program,
the Resource Center, that circulates grant-produced audiovisual
materials. Grant recipients can expect their materials to be included
in OSHA's Resource Center lending program.
Grantees will comply with applicable requirements of the following
OMB Circulars.
1. A-110, which covers grant requirements for nonprofit
organizations, including universities and hospitals. The Department of
Labor regulations implementing this circular can be found at 29 CFR
part 95.
2. A-21, which gives cost principles applicable to educational
institutions.
3. A-122, which gives cost principles applicable to other nonprofit
organizations.
4. A-133, which provides audit requirements. The Department of
Labor regulations implementing this circular can be found at 29 CFR
part 96.
All applicants will be required to certify to a drug-free workplace
in accordance with 20 CFR part 98 and to comply with the New
Restrictions on Lobbying published at 29 CFR part 93.
The program has matching share requirements. Grant recipients will
provide a minimum of 20% of the total grant budget. This match may be
in- [[Page 32353]] kind, rather than a cash contribution. 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%.
Evaluation Process and Criteria
Applications for grants solicited in this notice will be evaluated
on a competitive basis by the Assistant Secretary for Occupational
Safety and Health with assistance and advice from OSHA staff.
The following factors, which are not ranked in order of importance,
will be considered in evaluating grant applications.
1. Program Design
a. The plan to develop and implement a training and education
program that addresses one of the following targets.
i. Fall protection in the residential construction industry.
ii. Safety and health programs for small businesses.
iii. Prevention of injuries in hospital and nursing or medical care
facilities.
iv. Logging.
b. The number of workers and/or the number of employers to be
trained by the program.
c. The number of workers to be trained as trainers of their fellow
workers.
d. The appropriateness of the planned activities for the target
selected.
e. The plan to recruit trainees for the program.
f. The plan for evaluating the program's effectiveness in achieving
its objectives.
g. The feasibility and soundness of the proposed work plan in
achieving the program objectives effectively.
2. Program Experience
a. The occupational safety and health experience of the applicant
organization.
b. The experience of the applicant organization in developing and
conducting training or education programs.
c. The technical and professional expertise of present or proposed
project staff in training workers and/or employers and in occupational
safety and health.
d. The applicant organization's experience in reaching the target
population and conducting occupational safety and health and/or
training and educational programs for that population.
3. Administrative Capability
a. The managerial expertise of the applicant as evidenced by the
variety and complexity of programs it has administered over the past
five years.
b. The experience of the applicant in administering Federal and/or
State grants.
c. The completeness of the application, including forms, budget
detail, narrative and workplan, and required attachments.
4. Budget
a. The reasonableness of the budget in relation to the proposed
program activities.
b. The proposed non-Federal share is at least 20% of the total
budget.
c. The compliance of the budget with Federal cost principles
contained in applicable OMB Circulars and with OSHA budget requirements
contained in the grant application instructions.
Preferential consideration will be given to applications that
include one or more of the following elements.
1. Train-the-trainer programs, especially those that train workers
to train other workers.
2. Submission by a consortium, particularly one that includes one
or more community-based organizations or other organizations that can
reach out to workers who are minorities, migrants, limited English-
speaking, or have entry level and/or minimum wage jobs.
In addition to the preceding factors, the Assistant Secretary will
consider other factors such as the overall geographical distribution
and coverage of populations at risk.
Availability of Funds
There is approximately $1,700,000 available for this program,
$500,000 each for fall protection, safety and health programs for small
businesses, and injury prevention in hospitals and nursing or medical
care facilities, and $200,000 for logging. The average Federal award
will be $100,000.
Grants will be awarded for a twelve-month period. Grants may be
renewed for additional twelve-month periods depending on the
availability of funds, the continuing need for the training, and
satisfactory performance by the grantee.
Application Procedures
Organizations that meet the eligibility requirements described
above and are interested in applying for a grant may request grant
application instructions from the OSHA Office of Training and
Education, Division of Training and Educational Programs, 1555 Times
Drive, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018.
All applications must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. Central
Time, August 4, 1995.
Notification of Selection
Following review and evaluation, organizations selected as
potential grant recipients will be notified by a representative of the
Assistant Secretary. An applicant whose proposal is not selected will
be notified in writing to that effect. Notice of selection as a
potential grant recipient will not constitute approval of the grant
application as submitted. Prior to the actual grant award,
representatives of the potential grant recipient and OSHA will enter
into negotiations concerning such items as program components, funding
levels, and administrative systems. If 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 14th day of June 1995.
Joseph A. Dear,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 95-15128 Filed 6-20-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-M