Downing And Bosley Announce Safety Training Grants
$35K Awarded to Berkshire Healthcare Systems and Mass. College of Liberal ArtsBOSTON – State Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D – Pittsfield) and State Representative Daniel E. Bosley (D – North Adams) announced today that the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents’ (DIA) Office of Safety has awarded Occupational Health and Safety Grants to two employers in Berkshire County, totaling $35,280.
Pittsfield’s Berkshire Healthcare Systems, Inc. has been granted $15,855 and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams will receive $19,425. Both grants will provide safety training to employees.
“Safety Training Grants help employers provide healthy and safe work environments for their employees,” said Downing. “This funding should provide valuable safety training, promote best practices at BHS and MCLA and ultimately save taxpayer money by reducing future incidents of workplace injury.”
Each year the DIA Office of Safety awards $1 Million for safety training to employers throughout the Commonwealth. The Safety Training Grant program, established in 1991, has helped reduce employer costs by lowering workers’ compensation premiums. It has also increased profitability by providing employees with healthier, more productive work environments.
"A safe workplace is in everyone’s best interest. When a worker is injured on the job, it is a loss to their family, to the community and to the economy,” noted Bosley. “I am pleased that these grants are in place at MCLA and the Berkshire Healthcare Systems, and believe that they will lead to strong preventative measures to keep our constituents safe while at work."
Each grant is designed to fit specific workplace needs. Safety Training Grants are available to any employer who pays into the Workers Compensation Trust Fund. Eligible employers include all sectors of industry, professional service companies, manufacturers, health care providers, labor unions, trade organizations, educational institutions and public institutions and municipalities.
