PRESS CONTACT: Katie Mounts, Director of Communications, katie.mounts@mail.house.gov

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Pete Visclosky today announced a grant for the Construction Advancement Foundation of Northwest Indiana for a program on construction safety.

 “For the sake of Northwest Indiana workers and their families, ensuring worker security must be a two-fold process,” Visclosky said. “We must fight to keep and create jobs so our workers can maintain steady employment, and we must work to ensure their safety and well-being while they are on the job. As we continue to work to revitalize the economy in Indiana’s First District, I am pleased to see federal resources come to our region to help keep our employees safe.”

The award comes from the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. Its purpose is to enable the Construction Advancement Foundation to provide a program on process safety management hazards in construction, specifically refinery operations.

“Area contractors are placing greater emphasis on job site safety, and these funds will allow the Construction Advancement Foundation to assist them in their safety training needs,” said the Construction Advancement Foundation’s Executive Director Dewey Pearman. “It is well known in the industry that a key component of a comprehensive safety program is safety training. We are certain the training offered under this grant will prevent injuries and save lives,” Pearman said.

OSHA’s competitive grant program aims to provide employers and workers with training and educational programs on safety and health hazards in their workplaces. After selecting topics, OSHA opens up a national competition to determine grant recipients.

The capacity-building grant totals $131,411.