[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16761-16763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8112]


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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 in 
construction; in health services; and for preventing amputations in 
manufacturing. 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.
    Section 21(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 
U.S.C. 670) authorizes this program.

DATES: Applications must be received by May 28, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit grant applications 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 Cynthia Bencheck, Program 
Analyst, 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?
    OSHA's strategic plan contains strategic goals to improve workplace 
safety and health for all workers, change the workplace culture to 
increase employer and worker awareness of, commitment to, and 
involvement in safety and health, and to secure public confidence 
through excellence in the development and delivery of OSHA's programs 
and services. OSHA's intent is to reduce the number of worker injuries, 
illnesses and fatalities by focusing nationwide attention and Agency 
resources on the most prevalent types of workplace injuries and 
illnesses, the most hazardous industries and the most hazardous 
workplaces. The Susan Harwood Training Grants Program is one of the 
mechanisms OSHA is using to achieve its strategic goals.
    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 its strategic plan, or as part of 
an OSHA special emphasis program.
    Grantees are expected to develop training and/or educational 
programs that address topics named by OSHA, 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 by 
their program 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. The three training topics were chosen based on injuries and 
illnesses in selected industries identified in OSHA's strategic plan. 
Each grant application must address one of the following areas.
    1. Preventing Amputations in Manufacturing. Programs that train 
workers, operators and maintenance personnel in the recognition and 
avoidance of amputation hazards with industrial machinery in 
manufacturing industries: shears, slitters, saws, slicers, and/or power 
presses. (Standard Industrial Classifications (SIC) beginning with the 
number 2 or 3).
    2. Health Services. Programs that train workers in the recognition 
and prevention of safety and health hazards in health services 
facilities, including medical and dental offices, hospitals, nursing 
homes, medical laboratories, and home health care services. (Standard 
Industrial Classification (SIC) 80).

[[Page 16762]]

    While OSHA is interested in providing health services workers with 
training encompassing all safety and health hazards, we are primarily 
concerned with ergonomic hazards and biohazards. Your proposal may 
cover other safety and health topics, but your program should emphasize 
the topics of primary concern.
    3. Construction. Programs that train workers on non-residential 
construction sites in the recognition and avoidance of hazards relating 
to falls.
    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. OSHA will review all 
educational materials produced by the grantee for technical accuracy 
during development and before final publication. OSHA will also review 
training 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. Audiovisual materials produced by the grantee as 
a part of their grant program 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 of funds. Grant recipients are to provide a minimum of 
20% of the total grant budget. This matching share may be in-kind, 
rather than a cash contribution, or a combination of cash and in-kind. 
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?
    OSHA staff will review grant applications and present the results 
to the Assistant Secretary who will make the selection of organizations 
to be awarded grants.
    OSHA will give preference to applications which:
     Address multiple safety and health subjects. For example, 
an application for the target preventing amputations in manufacturing 
which addresses machine guarding, ergonomic, and lockout/tagout hazards 
would be preferred over one that only addresses machine guarding.
     Plan to conduct train-the-trainer programs and gather data 
concerning the courses and the number of students trained by the new 
trainers as a part of their grant.
     Train managers and/or supervisors in addition to workers.
     Serve multiple employers. OSHA is interested in reaching 
more than one employer 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. Preventing amputations in manufacturing.
    ii. Safety and health hazards at health services facilities.
    iii. Fall protection in non-residential construction.
    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 
number of students to be trained by these new trainers are clearly 
estimated.
    d. The planned activities are appropriate for the workers and/or 
employers to be trained.
    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.

[[Page 16763]]

    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.
    i. There is a description of the target population, the hazards 
that will be addressed, the barriers which have prevented adequate 
training for the target population, why the program cannot be completed 
without Federal funds, and why funding sources currently available 
cannot be used for this purpose.
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 matching 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 $1.8 million available for this program. The 
average Federal award will be $125,000.
    How long are grants awarded for?
    Grants are awarded for a twelve-month period. If first year 
performance is satisfactory and funds are available, grants will be 
renewed for an additional twelve-month period.
    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, Friday, May 28, 
1999.
    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 may be sent by fax to (847) 
297-4874.
    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 26 day of March 1999.
Charles N. Jeffress,
Assistant Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 99-8112 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P