MIOSHA Offers $250,000 in Grants to Keep Workers Safe

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Small Employers Urged to Apply for Matching MIWISH Grants of Up to $5,000

Employers with up to 250 employees can now apply for a matching grant of up to $5,000 to make improvements in their workplace safety and health, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) announced today. The goal of the MIOSHA Workplace Improvement to Safety and Health (MIWISH) grant program is to create a safer and healthier work environment and reduce the risk of injury and illness to workers in Michigan.

“We are encouraging employers to step up workplace safety and health,” said MIOSHA Director Bart Pickelman. “With a total of $250,000 available from MIOSHA, we’re pleased to partner with employers who want to expand their safety and health programs.”

The MIWISH grants will be offered to employers to purchase safety and health-related equipment and equipment-related training that will provide a safer and healthier work environment. Preference will be given to employers in high hazard industries identified in MIOSHA’s 2019-2023 Strategic Plan. All projects will be evaluated based on the specific hazards addressed. The grant period begins October 1, 2018, the start of MIOSHA’s 2019 fiscal year, and continues on an ongoing basis until grant funding is expended.

To qualify for the MIWISH grant program, an employer must meet the following conditions:

  • Have 250 employees or less, company-wide.
  • Come under the jurisdiction of MIOSHA.
  • A qualified safety professional or safety committee must have conducted a site-specific evaluation justifying the equipment purchase.
  • The grant project must be consistent with the recommendations of the safety and/or health evaluation and must directly relate to improvements that will lead to a reduction in the risk of injury or disease to employees.
  • The employer must have the knowledge and experience to complete the project and must be committed to its implementation.
  • The employer must be able to match the grant money awarded and all estimated project costs must be covered.

Recommended actions must be in the form of equipment or work area modifications to be used to reduce workplace hazards. Only items referenced in the application can be considered eligible, within the proposed project.

Some equipment examples include:

  • Residential Fall Protection Systems
  • Lifting Equipment or Portable Lifting Equipment for In-home Care or Small Nursing/Residential Care Facilities
  • Monitoring Equipment for Confined Space Entry
  • Noise Reduction Engineering Controls
  • Lock Out/Tag Out Systems
  • Cooling Systems for Agriculture-based Worksites
  • Eyewash Stations for the Accommodations Industry

A limited number of MIWISH grants will be available to training organizations. To be eligible, the training organization must make the equipment available to its members for use.

For more information about the MIWISH grant program and how to apply, please visit www.michigan.gov/mioshagrants/, or contact MIOSHA’s Consultation Education and Training grant administrator at (517) 284-7811.

The MIWISH grant program follows the success of the MIOSHA Safety and Health Improvement Program (MiSHIP) grants that were offered in 2015 in conjunction with MIOSHA’s 40th anniversary.