The York, Pennsylvania-based Manufacturers’ Association announced Monday it had been awarded a grant for more than $150,000 to support electrical safety training in central and southcentral Pennsylvania.
The award, the Federal Susan Harwood Occupational Safety and Health Administration grant, is a targeted topic training grant for $156,415, primarily for manufacturing, which will help workers and employers recognize workplace hazards. The training, focused on small businesses and temporarily unemployed workers seeking to enter manufacturing, will educate on injury prevention measures and understanding of rights and responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
“We at The Manufacturers’ Association applaud this investment by the federal government and OSHA – it demonstrates their recognition of the high caliber of training programs which the Association delivers each year to thousands of manufacturing employees in central and southcentral Pennsylvania,” Tom Palisin, the Association’s Executive Director, said. “Safety of employees is a priority for the regional industrial base, and these training funds will transfer the best practices and procedures to the workforce – reducing lost work hours or possible injuries and helping with retention of the skilled workforce,” he added.
The initiative covers as electrical safety, lockout tagout, arc flash, and NAFPA 70e. Taught in both English and Spanish, the courses will be provided at no cost, and employers will be able to host training sessions at their locations in conjunction with the Association.
OSHA said a national increase in electrical fatalities and injuries in 2021 spurred the grant. Since 2018, the agency has seen a nearly 4 percent increase in deaths. In 2020 alone, electrical injuries were responsible for more than 2,200 lost work hours.
This marks the third time the Association has been awarded a Susan Harwood Program grant. A previous award was provided in 2020 for a warehouse safety program, which is still available to employers. This year’s grant is expected to train 500 employees and individuals in Central and Southcentral Pennsylvania.