Lansing, MI – Employers across Michigan are better prepared to protect employees with more than $8 million in grant funds are being awarded from the COVID-19 Safety Grant Program.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) launched the program earlier this year as employers worked to implement new safety protocols and procedures amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. All eligible and complete applications received grant awards leading to about 1,500 businesses who will begin receiving allocations.
“Employers need access to many different resources to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and keep the economy operating,” said MIOSHA Director Bart Pickelman. “These funds will help businesses invest in exactly what they need to create safe workplaces for their specific situation, from a dental office to a bar.”
The Michigan COVID-19 Safety Grant Program was made available to all businesses with 250 or fewer employees to create a safer and healthier work environment. Grants were awarded for up to $10,000 in matching funds to recipients across industries, including restaurants and bars, retail facilities, healthcare, education, community ventures, and more. Employers from all 10 of Michigan’s prosperity regions were selected and including the match from MIOSHA will spend $16.3 million on safety equipment and material purchases. View the complete list (.xlsx) of grantees by region.
The grants support safety and health-related equipment purchased in response to COVID-19. Businesses across the state, such as salons, dentist offices, restaurants and others, will utilize funds to secure necessary items, including a:
- Restaurant that will purchase garden igloos for use in the winter months.
- Winery that will purchase an air purification system for on-site buildings.
- Salon that will install safety dividers for individual stations and the front desk.
- Dentist’s office that will upgrade its HVAC system to better exchange air in the office.
- Other businesses will rely on the funds to secure essential safety supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE), sanitizing stations, signage, thermometers and additional cleaning supplies.
“The challenges from COVID-19 to our small businesses are not going away,” said Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber. “Unfortunately, the pandemic has already forced many Michigan businesses to close and more could still follow. Programs like this are critical to get employers the resources they need to keep their doors open safely.”
The COVID-19 safety grants are a reimbursement program. It was made possible with recent passage of SB 690 appropriation of Federal CARES Act funding.
Source: MIOSHA