The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) recently announced that employers with up to 250 employees can apply for a matching grant of up to $5,000 to make improvements in their workplace safety and health.
The MIOSHA Workplace Improvement to Safety and Health (MIWISH) grant program aims to create a safer and healthier work environment, and reduce the risk of injury and illness to workers in Michigan. MIOSHA has dedicated a total of $250,000 to the program. The grant period began October 1, 2018 and continues on an ongoing basis until the grant funding is expended.
Grants will be offered to employers to purchase safety and health-related equipment, and equipment-related training. Preference will be given to employers in high hazard industries identified in MIOSHA’s 2019 – 2023 Strategic Plan. A limited number of MIWISH grants will also be available to training organizations. To be eligible, the training organization must make the equipment available to its members for use.
Are you qualified?
To qualify for the MIWISH program, an employer must meet the following conditions:
- Have 250 employees or less, companywide
- 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 disease or injury 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
Using your MIWISH grant
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:
- Resident 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 program or how to apply, click here.
