[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 104 (Friday, May 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29373-29376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14169]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration


Directorate of Construction

AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds and Solicitation for Grant 
Applications (SGA).

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SUMMARY: All information required to submit a grant application by 
eligible applicants is contained in this announcement. The U. S. 
Department of Labor (DOL), Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration (OSHA), announces the availability of $2.0 million in 
funds for a three-pronged training effort on the standards applicable 
to the residential construction industry.

DATES: The closing date for receipt of proposals is August 1, 1997, at 
4:30 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time).

ADDRESSES: Applications shall be mailed to: Directorate of 
Construction, Attention: H. Berrien Zettler, Deputy Director, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U. S. Department of 
Labor, Room N-3603, 200 Constitution Avenue, N. W., Washington, DC 
20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: H. Berrien Zettler, Directorate of 
Construction, Telephone: (202) 219-8071, Extension 122. (This is not a 
toll free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational 
Safety and Health Administration, is soliciting proposals on a 
competitive basis to conduct a series of training seminars directed to 
three separate target groups; viz., (1) non-union residential 
contractors/subcontractors, including their supervisors and their 
workers; (2) union residential contractors/subcontractors, their 
supervisors and their workers; and (3) OSHA (Federal and State Plan) 
compliance safety and health officers. Conduct of the training series 
will include developing a course syllabus, recruiting employers and 
workers for the training, delivering the training, and performing 
appropriate follow-up. Multiple training sessions, lasting from eight 
(8) to ten (10) hours each for target groups (1) and (2) above and ten 
(10) to sixteen (16) hours each for target group (3) above, will be 
held in different locations around the country. This does not prohibit 
a bidder from designing and submitting a program for a specific portion 
of the training, or for a specific geographical location or for a 
subgroup of trainees. Indeed, OSHA anticipates awarding multiple grants 
under this Federal Register notice. Such grants might address all or 
any of the different training series or even subordinate parts of one 
training series (such as training of non-union contractors in a 
particular Federal or State plan State or a particular region of the 
country). Selection of multiple grantees will not compromise the 
Agency's desire for nationwide coverage. Applicants for training of 
target groups (1) or (2) are expected to specify the approximate number 
of students they plan to train, e.g., 500-1000 organized contractor/
subcontractor employees in the Southwest, or 400-800 non-union 
residential contractors in the six (6) Midwestern states listed 
herewith.

Part I. Application Process

A. Eligibility

    Applicants eligible to apply for grants under this announcement are 
non-profit organizations which are currently administering or who have 
had experience in administering training programs involving a wide 
variety of OSHA's construction standards. Institutions of higher 
education which are supported by State or local governments are 
eligible to apply. Applicants other than State or local government-
supported institutions of higher education will be required to submit 
evidence of their non-profit status, preferably from the Internal 
Revenue Service. (Applicants shall indicate their IRS status on the 
Standard Form 424) which is included in the application package. A 
consortium of two or more eligible applicants is also eligible to 
apply. Each consortium must have a written agreement spelling out the 
roles and responsibilities for each consortium member and naming one 
member as the lead agency. The lead agency will receive the grant and 
will be responsible for grant administration and primary contact with 
the Department of Labor Representative.

B. Period of Performance

    The performance period for these grants will be twenty-four (24) 
months from the date of execution.

[[Page 29374]]

C. Submission of Proposal

    Applicants may apply for all aspects of this solicitation or for 
any subpart. They may design a program that is nationwide or that 
limits consideration to one geographical region. Grant application 
packages may be obtained from the OSHA Office of Program Budgeting and 
Financial Management, Division of Grants Management, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, Room N-3419, Washington, D.C. 20210. All of the forms necessary 
for a complete application are included with the grant application 
package. A proposal shall consist of two (2) separate and distinct 
parts: Part I, the Financial Proposal and Part II, the Technical 
Proposal. Part I, the Financial Proposal, shall contain the Application 
for Financial Assistance (SF-424); the Budget Information Sheet (SF-
424b); and the OSHA Grant Agreement (OSHA Form 110). The budget shall 
include (on separate pages) detailed breakouts of each proposed budget 
line item, including detailed administrative costs and program costs. 
Grant funds cannot be used to (1) support lobbying activities, (2) 
provide training that would be provided in the absence of the requested 
grant, (3) provide salaries for program participants or (4) acquire 
production equipment. Part II shall contain the Technical Proposal that 
demonstrates the applicant's capabilities in accordance with the 
Statement of Work in Part II of this solicitation. No cost data or 
reference to costs shall be included in the Technical Proposal.

D. Hand Delivered Proposals

    Proposals may be mailed or delivered by hand. A mailed proposal 
should be mailed no later than five (5) calendar days prior to the 
closing date for the receipt of applications. Hand-delivered grant 
applications must be received at the designated place by 4:30 p.m. 
(Eastern Time) by August 1, 1997. Overnight mail shall be considered to 
be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by the 
specified time on the closing date. Grant applications transmitted by 
electronic mail, telegraph, or fax will not be considered.

E. Late Proposals

    A proposal received at the office designated in the solicitation 
after the exact time specified for receipt will not be considered.

F. Withdrawal of Proposals

    A grant application may be with-drawn by written notice or telegram 
(including mailgram) received at any time before the awarding of a 
grant based on that application. An application may be withdrawn in 
person by the grant applicant or by an authorized representative of the 
grant applicant if the representative's identity is documented and the 
representative signs a receipt acknowledging withdrawal of the 
proposal.

Part II. Government Requirement/Statement of Work

A. Purpose

    The purpose of this solicitation is to announce that funds are 
available for grants. Grant applications must address one or more of 
the target groups:
    1. Training of non-union residential construction contractors and 
subcontractors, their supervisors and their workers;
    2. Training of union residential contractors and subcontractors, 
their supervisors and their workers;
    3. Training for OSHA (Federal and State Plan) compliance officers 
(CSHO) who conduct or may conduct residential inspections.
    The subject of all phases of the training will be effective safety 
and health practices in construction with particular reference to the 
OSHA construction standards applicable to home building. OSHA will 
develop and provide to grantees a publication containing those 
construction safety and health standards most commonly applicable to 
residential construction. Appendices may be developed, as appropriate, 
for State Plan State standards when different from Federal standards. 
This publication will serve as the basis for development of the 
training seminars. Training that is directed toward contractors, 
subcontractors, supervisors, and workers in States that operate OSHA-
approved State plans must be coordinated with and have the concurrence 
of the responsible State plan official. The training must also include 
appropriate reference to State plan standards and requirements where 
they differ from the Federal standards. Separate training will be 
designed for each target group and will be carried out in a series of 
seminars conducted at multiple locations throughout the country to 
ensure nationwide availability. A minimum of forty (40) seminars for 
employers and employees will be conducted. Each seminar will last from 
eight (8) to ten (10) hours and will be provided at no cost to the 
participants. Training for Federal and State CSHOs may be given to as 
many as seven hundred (700) persons and may be located in Regional 
Office cities, other centrally located cities or at the OSHA Training 
Institute in Des Plaines, IL. OSHA's Office of Training and Education 
will: (a) supervise the development of training materials by grantees 
selected for training of CSHOs, (b) provide guidance on policy and 
procedural matters applicable to the identified standards, (c) 
coordinate the program planning for that target group and (d) 
participate in the delivery of training. These latter training sessions 
(for CSHOs) may last as long as sixteen (16) hours.

B. Project Summary

    Each grant application shall follow the format outlined below:
1. Target Population
    As indicated in the purpose section there are three target groups 
for training: non-union contractors/sub contractors and their 
employees; union contractors/subcontractors and their employees; and 
OSHA compliance personnel.
2. Project Design
    (a) Outreach and recruitment. The grantee(s) will develop and 
deliver a series of training courses addressing hazards regularly found 
on residential construction sites, based on the OSHA construction 
standards identified as commonly applicable to residential construction 
sites in a publication to be provided to the grantee(s) by OSHA at the 
time the grant is awarded or as soon thereafter as it is available. 
Each session for the first two training target groups will last a 
minimum of eight and a maximum of ten hours to be given in one to one 
and one-half days and will focus on effective safety and health 
practices to ensure employee safety. Separate training seminars will be 
set up for each of the target groups at multiple locations throughout 
the country to ensure nationwide availability. OSHA anticipates that a 
minimum of forty (40) such sessions will be conducted. The training 
sessions for CSHOs will also focus on hazards regularly found on 
residential construction sites and will be based on the OSHA 
construction standards identified as commonly applicable to residential 
construction sites in a publication to be provided to the grantee(s) by 
OSHA as soon as it is available but not later than prior to the start 
of the training. CSHO training will also address compliance-related 
policies and procedures applicable to these standards. The sessions for 
target group (3) may last as long as sixteen hours, may include as many 
as seven hundred (700) trainees and may be located in Regional Office 
cities, other centrally located cities or at the OSHA Training 
Institute in Des Plaines, IL. Grant

[[Page 29375]]

applications may target training courses for one or all of the 
identified target groups or any subpart(s) thereof. The grantee(s) will 
be expected to: (a) develop and conduct training outreach or publicity 
programs; (b) arrange for and obtain an adequate meeting site for each 
seminar; (c) determine the number of attendees; (d) develop course 
content appropriate to the audience, including printed handouts and 
audio-visual materials; and with appropriate reference to the 
applicable OSHA-approved State plan requirements; (e) deliver the 
training; (f) obtain feedback from participants on the success of the 
seminar; (g) cycle improvements into the training course content as 
appropriate; and (h) develop a report at the end of the series of 
seminars evaluating its effectiveness.
    Training directed at audiences from any target group in States that 
operate OSHA-approved State plans must be coordinated with and have the 
concurrence of the responsible State plan official. The training must 
also include appropriate reference to State plan standards and 
requirements where they differ from the Federal standards. Course 
evaluations by students will be collected at the end of each session 
and forwarded to OSHA's Directorate of Construction, Attention: H. 
Berrien Zettler, Deputy Director.
    (b) Eligibility and selection criteria. The grantee(s) must:
    (1) Demonstrate a working knowledge of the residential construction 
industry;
    (2) Demonstrate a working knowledge of OSHA's construction 
standards (29 CFR 1926) and interpretations and, where appropriate, of 
State plan State construction standards;
    (3) Demonstrate expertise in developing safety and health training 
programs and outreach materials, both computer-based and audio-visual, 
as well as familiarity with OSHA's Computerized Information System 
(OCIS).
    (4) Demonstrate expertise in the development and evaluation of the 
effectiveness of safety and health programs and plans for employers, 
especially small business construction employers, and employees engaged 
in residential construction.
    (c) Program experience. The grantee(s) will demonstrate experience 
with occupational safety and health programs in construction; with 
setting up training seminars and recruiting appropriate attendees, with 
training adults in work-related subjects; with developing computer-
based, audio-visual and written materials to be used in training and 
with evaluating the success and effectiveness of training sessions.
3. Evaluation
    Applicants may apply for any or all aspects of this solicitation or 
for any subpart. In either case the contents of the technical proposal 
must address each of the categories outlined in Part III in the order 
presented there. Each technical proposal will be scored on the basis of 
possible points. The parenthetical points shown below beside each of 
the evaluation factors indicate the relative importance of those 
factors. Applicants for the entire project will be evaluated against 
all factors. Those submitting proposals only for parts of the project 
will be evaluated against only those factors applying to the part(s) 
applied for. The parenthetical points shown below beside each 
evaluation subfactor indicate the rela-tive importance of the 
subfactors.
4. Innovation
    Describe any innovation in proposed training methods.
5. Project Management
    (a) Structure. Describe the management structure proposed for the 
project, including a staffing plan that describes each position and the 
percentage of its time to be assigned to this project. Provide an 
organizational chart showing the relationship among project management 
and operational components, including those at multiple sites of the 
project.
    (b) Program integrity. Describe the mechanisms to ensure financial 
accountability for grant funds and performance accountability relative 
to training. Explain the basis for the applicant's administrative 
authority over the management and operational components.
    (c) Previous project management experience. Provide an objective 
demonstration of the grant applicant's ability to manage the project 
based on the applicant's past experience in the design and delivery of 
training.

C. Financial Reporting Requirements

    Grantees will be required to submit quarterly and final financial 
and program reports. Detailed requirements for submitting these reports 
will be included in the grant award package. There are restrictions on 
the use of grant funds. OSHA will not provide funding for the following 
activities:
     Any activity inconsistent with the goals and objectives of 
the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
     Training of employers or employees not covered by the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act. Examples include State and local 
government workers in non-State Plan States and workers excluded from 
coverage under Section 4(b)(1) of the Act.
     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.
     Activities that address issues other than recognition, 
avoidance, and prevention of unsafe or unhealthful working conditions. 
Examples include workers' compensation and materials prejudicial to 
labor or management.
     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.
     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.
     Activities intended to generate membership in the 
grantee's organization, including activities to acquaint nonmembers 
with the benefits of membership, inclusion of membership appeals in 
materials produced with grant funds and member-ship drives.

D. Additional Grant Requirements

    Educational materials produced by the grantee will be reviewed by 
OSHA for technical accuracy during development and before delivery or 
final publication. OSHA will also review curriculums and purchased 
training materials for accuracy before they are used. When grant 
recipients produce training materials, they shall provide copies of 
completed materials to OSHA before the end of the grant period. OSHA 
has a lending library program that circulates grant-produced 
audiovisual and written materials. Grant recipients' audiovisual and 
written materials will be included in this program.

E. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Regulatory Requirements

    Grantees will be required to comply with the following regulatory 
requirements:
     29 CFR Part 95, which covers grant requirements for non-
profit 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.

[[Page 29376]]

     OMB Circular A-122, which describes allowable and 
unallowable costs for other non-profit organizations.
     29 CFR Part 96 and OMB Circular A-133, which provide 
information about audit requirements.
     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.

Part III. Selection/Evaluation Criteria

    Selection of the grantee(s) for award will be made after careful 
evaluation of grant applicants by a panel selected for that purpose by 
DOL. Panel results shall be advisory in nature and not binding on the 
Assistant Secretary. Panelists shall evaluate applications for 
acceptability based upon overall responsiveness to the Statement of 
Work, with emphasis on the factors enumerated below.

Section A: Technical Approach to Fulfilling the Statement of Work: 
Maximum (425 Points)

    (a) Demonstrate expert working knowledge of the residential 
construction industry. (100 points)
    (b) Demonstrate expert working knowledge of OSHA's construction 
standards and interpretations and, where appropriate, of State plan 
State construction standards. (100 points)
    (c) Demonstrate expertise in developing training and outreach 
materials, both computer-based and audio-visual, as well as familiarity 
with OSHA's Computerized Information System (OCIS). (75 points)
    (d) Demonstrate expertise in implementing training seminars or 
workshops to be attended by employers or employees of the residential 
construction industry or others as appropriate. (75 points)
    (e) Demonstrate expertise in the development and evaluation of 
safety and health programs, including construction safety and health 
programs and plans, for employers, especially small business 
construction employers and employees engaged in residential 
construction. (75 points)

Section B: Offeror's Experience and Qualifications: Maximum (300 
Points)

    (a) Identification of clients for whom similar work has been 
performed, for example, EPA, DOE, NIOSH, etc. (75 points)
    (b) Technical synopses of past, similar or related work experience. 
(75 points)
    (c) Experience in the management of subcontractors and consultants. 
(75 points)
    (d) Personnel qualifications. (75 points)

Section C: Project Management: Maximum (125 Points)

    (a) Project plans. (50 points)
    (b) Methods of operation. (30 points)
    (c) Methods of control, including financial. (45 points)
    Maximum Score: The maximum possible score is 850 points.
    Applicants are advised that, if any inconsistencies are found in an 
application, OSHA will make every effort to resolve them without 
contacting the applicant. Applications should be carefully screened to 
ensure that the proposal is clear and all elements are consistent. The 
final decision on awards will be based on what is most advantageous to 
the Federal Government as determined by the Assistant Secretary. The 
Government may elect to award grant(s) without discussion with the 
applicant(s). Such awards would be based on the applicant's proposal 
without alteration. The applicant's signature on the Application for 
Financial Assistance constitutes a binding offer.

Award Announcements

    Winners under this competition will be announced on or before 
September 15, 1997.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 27th day of May, 1997.
Gregory Watchman,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 97-14169 Filed 5-29-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P