US Department of Labors OSHA seeks applications from organizations interested in becoming OSHA Training Institute Education Centers

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced that it is seeking applications from nonprofit organizations for authorization to provide standard classroom instruction on occupational safety and health as part of the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers Program. The national program serves private sector workers, supervisors and employers within OSHA's jurisdiction.

OSHA does not predetermine the number of organizations to be selected to act as OTI Education Centers but selects organizations according to applicants' qualifications and ability to serve regional populations.

The program was initiated in 1992 to meet a growing demand for private sector training similar to that provided for the agency's compliance assistance specialists at the OSHA Training Institute in Arlington Heights, Ill. In the past 10 years, OTI Education Centers have trained more than a quarter million students, and more than 38,000 individuals received training in fiscal year 2011 alone.

"The number of requests for occupational safety and health training from private sector and federal agency personnel continues to grow," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "In 2012, OSHA hopes to increase the number of OTI Education Centers capable of offering quality occupational safety and health training."

Further information, including how to apply, will be available in a notice to be published in the April 13 issue of the Federal Register and can be viewed immediately at http://s.dol.gov/PH. Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, June 15, 2012, and should be submitted by regular mail to Kimberly Newell, U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Directorate of Training and Education, 2020 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Ill. 60005-4102.

A proposal conference will be held at the same Arlington Heights location on May 2 to provide potential applicants with information about the training program, expectations for OTI Education Centers, and administrative and program requirements.

Prospective applicants with questions should contact Kimberly Newell, manager of the OTI Education Centers Program, at newell.kimberly@dol.gov, or Jim Barnes, director of OSHA's Office of Training and Educational Programs, at barnes.jim@dol.gov. Both can be reached by telephone at 847-759-7700.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information about the agency, visit http://www.osha.gov.