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01/08/2020
MIWISH Grant Program and MI OSHA Updates
Source: MIOSHA eNews, January 7, 2020
MIWISH Grant Update
The MIOSHA Workplace Improvement to Safety and Health (MIWISH) Program awards employers in the state of Michigan a dollar-for-dollar match – up to $5,000 – to qualifying employers for projects designed to reduce the risk of injury and illness to their workers, based on safety and health site-specific hazard surveys. This is a reimbursement program. Invoices dated prior to the approved contract date are not eligible for this program. Grants are awarded to employers that best satisfy the MIWISH goals. If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the available funds, applications will be evaluated based on a first-come, first-served policy. Grant awards are limited to one per company. The MIWISH Grant Program has approved 13 applications with another four under review. The approved funding roughly totals $32,500.
Previous MIWISH grantees are welcome to apply for a grant after January 1, 2020. This is to encourage new grantees to take advantage of this program.
If your grant is approved, you will be notified via e-mail, of the specific approval. Whether your grant application is approved or not in no way diminishes, delays, or absolves you of any obligation to abate hazards as required by law. No state funds will be distributed until all grant documents are signed by all parties; funds expended before that must not rely on grant approval.
Qualify
To qualify, 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 a 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.
Preference will be given to employers in high hazard industries identified in MIOSHA’s 2019-2023 Strategic Plan.
Injury and Illness Reporting Reminder
• Mar. 2, 2020, is the deadline for electronically reporting OSHA Form 300A data for calendar year 2019. Data collection will begin Jan. 2, 2020.
• The collection of CY 2019 data and beyond includes the establishments' Employer Identification Numbers (EIN).
• Not all establishments need to submit their OSHA 300A data. Visit OSHA’s website for more information on the reporting criteria.
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