Salem - August 15 is the deadline by which Oregon OSHA must receive grant applications for the development of programs addressing workplace safety and health.

The Safety and Health Education Grant Program offers grants of up to $40,000 to employer and employee groups and other nonprofits that want to develop safety and health training programs that would be useful for entire industries or for specific work processes. Matching funds are not required.

Tomás Schwabe, an Oregon OSHA training specialist, said that the division particularly wants to see proposals for programs in English and Spanish that focus on health-care workplaces, ergonomics, silica, logging, fall protection, and noise.

The grants are intended to help nonprofits use their industry-specific safety and health expertise to develop unique training programs that can be shared with those who have similar workplaces or work processes. OR-OSHA makes the training programs available at no cost to all Oregonians through its OR-OSHA Resource Center.

Since 1989, OR-OSHA has granted more than $1.6 million to develop safety and health training programs; funds from penalties levied by OR-OSHA on non-compliant employers. Previously funded training programs have covered such topics as hearing protection, tractor safety, noise reduction, preventing animal attacks, and training mentally challenged individuals about hazards in workplaces.

Applications for grant proposals must be received by OR-OSHA by 5 p.m. on or before Aug. 15. For more information about grants, call Schwabe, (503) 947-7436. For a grant application packet, call Kathy Mossbrucker, (503) 947-7437 or (800) 922-2689, toll-free. Application packets are also available under "Services" on OR-OSHA Web site, http://www.orosha.org.