By Bob Katzen

Gov. Healey announced the awarding of $800,000 in grants to help nearly 7,000 workers across Massachusetts stay safe on the job. The grants, administered by the Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA), support workplace safety training and education to help prevent injuries and reduce risks for workers.

Grant recipients include 176 entities including cities and towns, small businesses, minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses, and employers in industries such as manufacturing and construction. DIA says it has awarded an estimated $25 million since 1988 in workplace safety grants, supporting approximately 340,000 workers and 1,880 employers across the Bay State.

“Whether you’re working for a small business, on a construction site or for your local community, everyone deserves a safe workplace,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “These grants will help cities, towns and businesses provide important training, prevent injuries and make sure their employees have the tools they need to do their jobs safely.”

“The ideal workplace injury is the one that never happens,” said Maryann Falvey, Director of the DIA Office of Safety. “Behind every grant is an opportunity to turn safety training into real-world action, giving workers the confidence to recognize hazards, speak up about risks and protect themselves and their coworkers. Our goal is to make workplace safety more than a requirement. We want it to become second nature, embedded in how work gets done every day across Massachusetts.”

See a list of all the grant recipients at https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-awards-800000-to-improve-workplace-safety-for-nearly-7000-workers

Last year, the Healey-Driscoll Administration launched the SafetyWorks Initiative, a one-stop menu featuring free technical consultation and state occupational and industrial safety resources to make it easier for businesses to access guidance, training and tools to strengthen workplace safety. Public- and private-sector employers interested in these resources can visit https://www.mass.gov/safetyworks to schedule a confidential consultation and/or apply for training grants of up to $25,000.