New Directions Program

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INFORMATION DATE 19890617

DESCRIPTION USDOL Program Highlights, New Directions

SUBJECT New Directions

ABSTRACT New Directions is a national training program, funded by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which has been awarding grants to nonprofit organizations since 1978. These grants provide 'seed money' to assist recipient organizations in developing programs to educate employees and employers about workplace hazards and their abatement.

U.S. Department of Labor

Program Highlights

Fact Sheet No. OSHA 89-21

NEW DIRECTIONS PROGRAM

New Directions is a national training program, funded by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which has been awarding grants to nonprofit organizations since 1978. These grants provide 'seed money' to assist recipient organizations in developing programs to educate employees and employers about workplace hazards and their abatement.

The goals of the New Directions program are:

  • Institutional Competency. To develop the recipient organization's capability to provide training, education, and related services in hazard recognition and abatement.
  • Self-sufficiency. To develop the ability of the recipient organization to continue providing a range of workplace safety and health educational services once the OSHA grants are over.
  • Abatement of hazards. To promote, through training and education, organizational, and operational changes in the workplace to achieve improved safety and health conditions.

New Directions grants have been awarded to labor organizations, educational institutions and other nonprofit organizations. The most recent awards to new grantees limited eligibility to the first two groups.

Organizations awarded grants use funds to hire staff, develop the professional expertise of staff, develop educational programs, conduct training, and provide individual assistance to firms and employees to help them understand safety and health hazards, and steps to eliminate or control these hazards.

Grants are awarded annually with renewal possible for up to five years. Annual grants are generally modest, with the grant recipients being expected to contribute some of their own funds to projects. Each year, the recipient is expected to increase its share of funding as OSHA decreases its awards.

Results stemming from New Directions grants so far include:

  • More than 650,000 people trained in workplace hazard recognition and control.
  • Development of occupational safety and health educational materials specifically directed towards the needs of employees and employers.
  • Increased cooperation by labor unions and their locals with management to establish joint labor-management safety and health committees.
  • Inclusion by employer associations of safety and health as part of their regular program offerings for member firms.
  • An increased awareness by rank-and-file union members of safety and health issues to the point where they are willing to pay additional dues to support full-time safety and health staff within their union.
  • Provisions by the insurance industry of financial support for programs in recognition of their effectiveness in reducing workplace injuries and illnesses.
  • Development at universities of core occupational safety and health curricula and expertise where none existed before.
  • Organizations with nationally recognized areas of expertise which can be called upon for assistance in these areas by OSHA, the National Safety Council, and professional organizations.

New Directions grant programs can provide services to other interested organizations and individuals. Grantee organizations have:

  • Access to persons who can conduct training in specific safety and health topics.
  • Strategies for educational approaches which are successful with specific populations and/or in the abatement of specific hazards.
  • Course outlines and educational materials, including audiovisuals and student handouts, on a wide range of occupational safety and health subjects.
  • Information and educational programs addressing occupational hazards, such as heat stress, which are not specifically covered by the OSHA standards.

For more information, call the nearest OSHA regional office listed under 'U.S. Labor Department' in the government section of the telephone directory for Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle; or ask OSHA for their regional Office of Training and Education at (202) 523-1452.

This is one of a series of fact sheets highlighting U.S. Department of Labor programs. It is intended as a general description only and does not carry the force of legal opinion.

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