Health and Safety

What makes a winner?
Applications are rated on:
• How many employees will benefit?
• How severe is the health or safety risk the program would address?
• How well documented is the need for the program?
• How effectively will the program address the need?
• Will the benefits continue to grow after the project is finished?
• Would the results likely justify the cost?
• Is a SHIP grant the most appropriate way to fund the program? and
• How would the proposed program involve both labor and
management in its development, implementation and evaluation?

Apply early and often
If you have a safety or health issue at your agency or worksite, talk to your PEF chair of the joint Health and Safety Committee about the possibility of working with management to develop a program to address the issue and seeking a SHIP grant to pay for it.

Either agency staff or PEF leaders may request a SHIP application, and both are encouraged to confer with GOER and PEF staff to develop their application. Multiple applications may be submitted to SHIP by the same agency. However, a separate application is required for each project.

“We encourage multi-agency or statewide projects,” Rosen said. Projects also may include employees of other bargaining units, as long as PEF-represented employees benefit from it too.”

For an application form, call 1-800-342-4306, ext. 254.

By SHERRY HALBROOK
With the 2007-2011 PS&T contract ratified in April, programs funded through it can begin to serve members again.

Funding for joint health and safety programs will more than double over the life of this four-year contract, with annual funding going from $303,000 to $688,000.

“That’s a solid indicator of just how important both PEF and the state feel it is to ensure the safest and healthiest worksites and conditions for state employees,” said PEF President Ken Brynien. “This is an area where we can accomplish a great deal when we work together.”

PEF Health and Safety Committee Chair Kathy D’Arminio, who served on the contract team, is making sure the joint Safety and Health Initiatives Program (SHIP) is among the first programs to set sail.

“This program provides grants of up to $15,000 to develop a wide variety of safety and health training and other programs that are requested jointly by managers and PEF leaders at state agencies and worksites,” D’Arminio said.

Do it together
PEF works with the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) through the Joint Health and Safety Committee to review joint applications for the grants.

“SHIP-funded programs require the involvement of both union and management reps throughout the planning, implementation, and evaluation process,” said Jonathan Rosen, PEF’s director of occupational health and safety.
“Through SHIP, our PEF leaders can work with the managers at their state agencies to develop and present programs tailored to meet the exact needs of members at specific worksites,” he added.

Picking winners
“We will begin reviewing SHIP proposals as soon as they come in and will continue reviewing and approving new grants throughout the four years of this contract,” D’Arminio said. “Grant proposals are reviewed and approved on a first-come, first-served basis. However, we evaluate each proposal against certain criteria to decide which programs to fund.”

SHIP grants can be used to proportionally enhance, but not duplicate, other labor-management training programs. SHIP funding cannot be used to pay for equipment, travel, food, lodging, or lost work time. This program is also not intended to supplement an agency’s budget for routine training.