Environmental Health and Safety awarded grant that focuses on hazards in agriculture and farm settings
Environmental Health and Safety was recently awarded its eighth Susan Harwood Grant making it a total of over $1.2 million in funding.
Virginia Tech Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) was awarded its eighth Susan Harwood Grant by the U.S. Department of Labor/Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for $160,000, on Oct. 1.
OSHA-selected topics vary from year to year and are chosen based on accident statistics, national emphasis programs, and pending regulations. This year's grant is considered a target topic grant and focuses on recognizing and controlling the hazards associated with hazardous chemicals in agriculture and farm settings. EHS has been awarded over $1.2 million over the past eight years through the Susan Harwood Grant.
In those eight years, EHS has used the funding to deliver over 14,000 training hours to nearly 5,700 people. Training is provided to any private-sector worker or employer involved in farming and agriculture. The program targets hard to reach workers in high hazard industries. EHS teaches in conjunction with events held by the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, the Virginia Farm Bureau, as well as in support of high school agricultural programs.
Susan Harwood Grants are awarded to provide training and education programs for employers and workers on the recognition, avoidance, and prevention of safety and health hazards in their workplaces. EHS staff provides bilingual safety training in the forms of Spanish and English.
“EHS is honored for the opportunity to provide bilingual safety training to agricultural workers throughout the commonwealth," said Dennis Nolan, executive director of Environmental Health and Safety. "Farmworkers are at high risk for fatalities and injuries, work-related diseases, hearing loss and certain cancers. We want to make farms safer by educating workers on what protections should be in place.”
EHS plays a critical role in supporting and enhancing teaching, learning, and research activities by ensuring regulatory compliance and promoting a safe and healthy environment across all university locations. EHS supports Virginia Tech’s Global Distinction efforts through its commitment to institutional excellence through research.
To register for upcoming training, visit the EHS website.
For more information on trainings contact Lee Watson.
