Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Deputy Director Stephanie Comai announced the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) has awarded 20 Consultation Education and Training (CET) Grants for Fiscal Year 2015 totaling $865,000 to promote worker safety and health across the state. The MIOSHA program is a LARA agency.
“We are pleased to expand the reach of the MIOSHA program by offering this additional investment to protect the safety and health of Michigan’s working men and women,” said Comai. “Employers who create a safe and healthy working environment protect their most valuable asset – their workers.”
The MIOSHA CET Grant Program provides additional options for safety and health education and training to employers and employees. Most of the grants focus on the performance goals identified in the FY 2014-2018 MIOSHA Strategic Plan, with a particular emphasis on hazard recognition and prevention for high-hazard industries.
CET Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to nonprofit organizations such as management/employer groups, labor/employee organizations, universities, hospitals and service agencies.
- The objectives of the CET Grant Program are to:
Increase the number of employers and employees receiving occupational safety and health education, training and prevention services; - Increase the number of small establishments (with less than 100 employees) receiving occupational safety and health education, training and prevention services;
- Encourage the development of strategies different from those being provided by the CET Division for providing occupational safety and health education, training and prevention services;
- Encourage alternative providers of occupational safety and health education, training and prevention services for employees and small establishments;
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the alternative strategies and providers of occupational safety and health education, training and prevention services
The 20 statewide projects will include a wide range of training activities and proficiency levels, and many will offer interactive computer-based training modules. Training topics include: machine rescue operations; workplace violence prevention; healthcare and long-term care hazards; asbestos awareness; ergonomics; youth safety; fall protection; road construction; dairy and swine agriculture; and construction site walkthroughs.
“Protecting workers is the mission of the MIOSHA program,” said MIOSHA Director Martha Yoder. “Working collaboratively with the CET Grantees, we can provide Michigan employers and workers with creative and powerful tools to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.”
Grant recipients must detail in their proposals how their efforts will meet specific objectives. The grantees must also file quarterly activity and financial reports with MIOSHA to ensure compliance with CET Grant reporting requirements. MIOSHA representatives monitor the proposal programs and observe on-site each program’s operations.
For many years, the CET Grants have increased the awareness of safety in the workplace. The FY 2015 CET Grants continue MIOSHA’s commitment to greater training of safety practices and fewer workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Information on the CET Grant Program is available on the MIOSHA website at www.michigan.gov/mioshagrants.
FY 2015 Consultation Education and Training (CET) Grant Projects
Alpena Community College will deliver targeted safety and health training in the high-hazard industries of hospitals; nursing and residential care facilities; wood products manufacturing and fabricated metal manufacturing. This grant incorporates high-hazard industry training, primarily with smaller employers in order to support MIOSHA Strategic Plan Goals. For more information contact James Makowske at 989.358.7301 or at makowskj@alpenacc.edu.
Associated General Contractors of Michigan will provide regional public forums throughout the state to address the newly revised MIOSHA Construction Safety and Health standards in addition to providing training in crane rigging and signaling, confined space, fall protection, scaffold and steel erection safety and safety to young employees. For more information contact Paul Wrzesinski at 571.371.1550 or pwrzesinski@agcmichigan.org.
Bay De Noc Community College will develop and present training to address awareness and methods to prevent and reduce workplace injuries in the forest, landscaping and tree trimming industries, as well as provide training in nursing and residential care facilities in order to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). For more information contact Renee Lundberg at 906.217-4224 or lundberr@baycollege.edu.
Builders Education Services and Training of Michigan, Inc. will create and organize a safety education and product demonstration pavilion to be utilized during the 2-day Great Lakes Builders Trade Show at Ford Field. Presentations during the trade show will include training on such topics such as falls, scaffolds, ladders, personal protective equipment, tool guarding, and working with subcontractors-risk transfer, etc. For more information contact Bob Filka at 517.646.2555 or bob@hbaofmichigan.com
Center for Workplace Violence Prevention, Inc. will develop and deliver training for comprehensive workplace violence prevention, behavioral threat management, verbal de-escalation skills during aggressive encounter, surviving active intruder/shooter incidents and situational awareness and personal safety in community and field workplace settings. For more information, please contact Marilyn Knight at 248.974.6870 or MKnightmsw@aol.com.
Construction Association of Michigan (CAM) will develop and deliver safety and health training and consultation projects and services focusing on “The Big Four” causes of fatalities and effective Safety and Health Management Systems. The project will identify and work mainly, but not exclusively, with construction companies with fewer than 100 employees. For more information contact Tracey Alfonsi at 248.972.1000 or at Alfonsi@cam-online.com.
Eastern Michigan University Organization for Risk Reduction will provide an eight-hour comprehensive Trenching and Excavation Qualified Person program to train workers, supervisors and equipment operators whose health and safety is threatened by the possibility of serious injury or death due to incidents involving trenching and excavation work. For more information contact Elizabeth Stoner at 734.487.8285 or at estoner@emich.edu.
Grand Valley State University will address the need for occupational safety and health training in the beer and wine-making industries. The training project will be delivered in online modules created on the specific tasks that are performed in a brewery or winery. For more information contact Dave Huizen at 616.331.5596 or at huizend@gvsu.edu.
Great Lakes Safety Training Center will address the issue of confined space rescue in a rural agricultural setting by offering a seminar entitled “Confined Space Training for Emergency Responders.” This seminar will provide fire departments and other rural emergency response agencies the ability to quickly and safely respond to confined space incidents, specifically grain entrapments. For more information contact Jill Dougherty at 989.492.7036 or jdougherty@glstc.org.
MARO Employment and Training Association – This project will expand the development of health and safety projects targeted at community-based organizations and Centers for Independent Living. The project will provide services for workers with disabilities and other barriers to community inclusion, along with organizations providing transition services to youth served through the delivery of both onsite and internet-based training programs. For more information contact Gloria McMullan at 517.484.5588 extension 4 or gmcmullan@maro.org.
Michigan AFL-CIO will deliver safety and health training in the residential care industry. For more information contact Derrick Quinney at 517.372.0784 or 517.449.1514 or dquinney@miaflcio.org.
Michigan Association of Chiropractors will provide on-site training and on-site/remote technical services on back safety and ergonomics and Safety and Health Management System support in nursing and residential care facilities, hospitals and manufacturing industries. For more information contact Kathy Schaefer at 517.290.3252 or MACWorkSafe@Yahoo.com.
Michigan Green Industry Association (MGIA) – These programs teach proper techniques, instruction on appropriate equipment/gear and maintenance of such for specific job tasks, education on PPE, and overall safety in performing tree care operations. MIOSHA and industry standards that apply to tree work will also be covered. For more information contact Silvia Eichen at 248.646.4992 or silvia@landscape.org
Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA) – Will allow for greater accessibility of excavation safety information through the creation of a new “smart phone” field application that can be used to calculate the angle of repose at a jobsite, as well as access excavation rules. For more information contact Matt McClintick at 517.347.8336 or mattmcclintick@mita.org.
Michigan State University – Outreach to the swine and dairy agricultural industry will be provided that includes safety and health training such as hazard assessment, container labeling and dairy and swine confinement. Training will also be provided on the creation and implementation of a Safety and Health Management System. Onsite facility reviews will be conducted to identify and assist with safety and health hazard assessments on the farm. For information contact Debra Chester at 517.432.1008 or at Debra.Chester@hc.msu.edu.
North Central Michigan College – Ergonomic training will be provided to employers and employees in nursing and residential care facilities in seven remote counties. Five of these counties are in the Northern Lower Peninsula and two are in the Upper Peninsula. For more information contact Thomas Nathe at 231.348.6613 or tnathe@ncmich.edu.
Parents for Student Safety Employment Standards (PASSES) – This program provides focused student training in construction and industrial trade classes on topics such as: hazard recognition, ergonomics, ladder safety, the proper use of personal protective equipment, safe chemical handling, lockout/tagout and heat exhaustion and other environmental concerns in the workplace. Equipment training will also be included. For more information contact Donna Weaver at 313.910.6531 or passessedge@live.com.
Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU) will continue to provide training that addresses the wide range of safety and health issues in the Food and Beverage Processing industries. Some training topics include: Safety and Health Management Systems, powered industrial trucks, and lockout/tagout. Training programs will also be included to teach young workers with a focus on hazard awareness and safe work practices. For more information contact Fred Jimenez at 616.304.4861 or fjimenez@rwdsu.org.
United Auto Workers (UAW) will provide health and safety training and services to smaller Michigan workplaces and to public sector workers so that they can identify their most critical health and safety hazards and address them with cost-effective solutions. For more information contact Steve Shepard at 313.962.5563 or at stshepard@uaw.net.
University of Michigan Center for Ergonomics has developed and will provide customized on-site introductory ergonomics training seminars, interactive teaching technology, ergonomics technical assistance, case study video clips; guidance for safety and ergonomic program development, scholarships, documentation of workplace changes and development of ergonomics programs and/or safety and health management programs.
Source: LARA
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