The Safety Grant Program awards funds up to $10,000 to qualifying employers for projects designed to reduce the risk of injury and illness to their workers. To qualify, an employer must meet the following conditions:
the employer must have workers' compensation insurance;
the employer must come under the jurisdiction of Minnesota OSHA;
a qualified safety professional must have conducted an on-site inspection and there must be a written report with recommendations based on the inspection;
the project must be consistent with the recommendations of the safety inspection and must reduce the risk of injury or disease to employees;
the employer must have the knowledge and experience to complete the project, and must be committed to its implementation;
the employer must be able to match the grant money awarded and all estimated project costs must be covered;
the project must be supported by all public entities involved and comply with federal, state and local regulations where applicable.
If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the availability of funds, priority will be given to:
sites providing goods-producing (mining, construction, manufacturing) or service-producing (transportation, communication, utilities, trade, finance, insurance, real estate services, government) jobs for a large proportion of workers in the area;
projects at sites where jobs have been lost or are jeopardized because of problems related to safety shortcomings; and
other projects.
If your grant is approved, you will be notified in writing of the specific approval. Whether we approve your grant application or not, in no way diminishes, delays or absolves you of any obligation to abate hazards as required by law. No state funds will be distributed until all grant documents are signed by all parties; funds expended before that must not rely on grant approval.
Invoices dated prior to the fully executed contract date are not eligible for this program. Each grant project must be completed within 120 days of the final date of the grant agreement document.
Note: Grants do not cover computers or programs, vehicles, weapons or your employee labor costs, equipment time or materials.
Grant applications are accepted on a continuous basis and are awarded monthly.
An employer that has received a grant for a particular worksite will not be eligible to receive another grant for that worksite during the two years after the date of the award.
For more information, contact Workplace Safety Consultation at
dli.grants@state.mn.us or
(651) 284-5060 (toll-free at 1-800-731-7232).