[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 90 (Monday, May 11, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25871-25873]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12372]


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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 for 
construction, silica in general industry, food processing, shipyards, 
logging, and outreach to workers. 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.
    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 June 26, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Grant applications are to 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 (847) 297-4810, e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

What is the Purpose of the Program?

    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 the priority planning process or 
otherwise, or as part of an OSHA special emphasis program.
    Grantees are expected to develop training and/or educational 
programs that address one of the topics named by OSHA (see below), 
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 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. Each grant application must address one of the following 
topic areas.
    1. Construction. Applicants may address one of the following 
topics.
     Recognition and avoidance of lead and silica hazards in 
bridge repair and renovation.
     Safety and health hazards in highway construction with 
emphasis on preventing fatalities, particularly those caused by being 
struck by vehicles and equipment.
     Recognition and avoidance of electrical hazards in 
construction, particularly contact with overhead power lines. Projects 
will emphasize developing systems and procedures that will provide 
ongoing training programs for new employees after the grant has ended.
    2. Silica in general industry. Recognition and avoidance of silica 
hazards in industries where sandblasting is a process, such as metal 
finishing, or where silica is part of the manufacturing process, such 
as cement.
    3. Food processing. Safety and health hazards in red meat and/or 
poultry processing.

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    4. Shipyards. Safety and health hazards in shipbuilding, 
shipbreaking, or ship repair.
    5. Logging. Logging safety focusing on the OSHA standard and safe 
work practices. Projects must include a statewide group involved in the 
logging industry, such as a state forestry association.
    6. Outreach to workers. Training workers about their rights under 
the OSH Act, how these rights can be exercised and what protections 
workers have. Training is to include sections 8(f) and 11(c) of the OSH 
Act, employee discrimination complaints under 29 CFR Part 24 
(environmental laws), and complaints under the Surface Transportation 
Assistance Act of 1982 (29 CFR 1978). Projects will reach out to 
workers to inform them of their rights. Preference will be given to 
those that develop programs which will continue disseminating 
information after the grant ends.

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. Educational materials 
produced by the grantee will be reviewed by OSHA for technical accuracy 
during development and before final publication. OSHA will also review 
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. Grant recipients' audiovisual materials 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. Grant recipients are to provide a minimum of 20% of the 
total grant budget. This match may be in-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%.

How Are Applications Reviewed and Rated?

    Grant applications will be reviewed by OSHA staff and the review 
results presented to the Assistant Secretary who will make the 
selection of organizations to be awarded grants.
    Preference will be given to applications that plan to conduct 
train-the-trainer programs. Applicants are encouraged to include 
managers and/or supervisors in their training. In general, applications 
that propose to serve a single employer will not be selected, since 
OSHA is interested in reaching multiple employers 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. Construction.
    ii. Silica in general industry.
    iii. Food processing.
    iv. Shipyards.
    v. Logging.
    vi. Outreach to workers.
    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 
numbers to be trained by these trainers are clearly estimated.
    d. The planned activities are appropriate for the workers and/or 
employers to be trained.

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    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.

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 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 $2,000,000 available for this program. The 
average Federal award will be $100,000.

How Long Are Grants Awarded For?

    Grants are awarded for twelve-month periods. Grants may be renewed 
for additional twelve-month periods depending on whether there are 
funds available, there is still a need for the training, and the 
grantee has performed satisfactorily.

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-slc.gov/
Training/sharwood/sharwood.html.

When and Where are Applications To Be Sent?

    The application deadline is 4:30 p.m. Central Time, June 26, 1998.
    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 will not be accepted by fax.

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 5th day of May 1998.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 98-12372 Filed 5-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-U