Northwest Wisconsin Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (CEP, Inc.) has received a grant for $112,970 from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program.
CEP, Inc. will use this grant to further expand their Center for Combustible Dust Safety and Health to provide safety training, education, and assistance for rural workers and employers in wood product and other manufacturing industries.
CEP, Inc.’s Center for Combustible Dust Safety and Health is located in Ashland and will serve 77 rural counties through northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. With more than 300 miles separating many of the small businesses and the major urban centers, transportation and access to training is an issue for businesses. The Center will combat the dangers of combustible dust with onsite education and safety training to employers and workers in high-hazard manufacturing industries throughout the region. Every year, workplace fires and explosions from combustible dust cause an average of 7 fatalities and 35 injuries. This combustible dust explosion hazard exists in a variety of industries, including wood, furniture, textiles, and fossil fuel power generation to name a few.
This grant will build upon the collaborative success of the pilot Susan Harwood Training Grant and previous Capacity Building Grants that CEP, Inc. has received since 2010. The pilot grant provided funds for CEP, Inc. to explore and assess the safety training needs and barriers within the manufacturing industry. The Susan Harwood Capacity Building Grant provided the funds to establish a safety-training center to provide quality safety training outreach.
The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program focuses on providing training and education funding for workers and employers on the recognition, avoidance, and prevention of safety and health hazards in their workplaces, as well as to inform workers of their rights and employers of their responsibilities under the OSH Act. Target audiences for Susan Harwood grants include small business employers and under-served, low-literacy workers in high-hazard industries.
Since 1978, over 1.8 million workers have been trained through this program. A total of 78 nonprofit organizations, community/faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, and colleges and universities received funding for various projects.
Original Article From Ashland Daily Press: CEP Obtains Safety Training Grant