MIOSHA Announces $865,000 for Worker Protection Grants; Twenty

Statewide Grants Will Provide Training Activities to Help Protect

Michigan Workers Employed In High-Hazard Work Environments
Contact: Andrea Miller 517-373-9280
Agency: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs


September 19, 2014 - Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Deputy
Director Stephanie Comai announced today 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:
1. Increase the number of employers and employees receiving occupational safety and health
education, training and prevention services;
2. Increase the number of small establishments (with less than 100 employees) receiving
occupational safety and health education, training and prevention services;
3. 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;
4. Encourage alternative providers of occupational safety and health education, training and
prevention services for employees and small establishments; and
5. 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
orbob@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 orjdougherty@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. For more information contact Sheryl Ulin at
734.763.0133 or sherylul@umich.edu.
For more information about MIOSHA, please visit www.michigan.gov/miosha
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