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OSHA Susan Harwood Training Grant Quarterly Progress Report ICR Submitted for OMB Review

NoticeLabor DepartmentJuly 27, 2026

By Christopher Smoot, Founder & Editor · Last verified against source: July 27, 2026

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Plain-English Summary

The notice announces that OSHA will require grantees of the Susan Harwood training grants to submit a quarterly progress report detailing activities funded by the grant. The report data will be used by OSHA to monitor grant performance and compliance with federal funding rules. The Department of Labor is seeking OMB approval of this information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act. Public comments on the proposed collection are being solicited.

Current Status

This is a notice announcing an information collection request that is open for public comment pending OMB approval.

What This Means

Grantees who receive Susan Harwood training grants must complete a standardized quarterly report describing the training activities they performed during the reporting period. The information will be reviewed by OSHA to confirm that grant funds are being used appropriately and to assess progress toward safety training goals. The Department of Labor is formally requesting OMB clearance, meaning the reporting requirement cannot become enforceable until OMB approves the collection. The notice invites stakeholders to comment on the burden, relevance, or any other aspect of the proposed data collection. Once approved, the quarterly report will become a regular compliance checkpoint for grant recipients. Failure to submit the report could affect future funding eligibility.

Who Is Affected

State and local occupational safety agencies that receive Susan Harwood training grants must allocate staff time to compile and submit the quarterly reports. Employers in high‑risk industries that benefit from the grant‑funded training programs may experience indirect effects if grant monitoring leads to changes in funding levels. OSHA staff will use the data to evaluate the effectiveness of the training grants and to guide future grant allocations. The broader public, as workers, could be impacted by improved safety training outcomes resulting from the oversight.

Background

The notice fulfills OSHA’s obligation under the Paperwork Reduction Act to obtain OMB clearance before collecting new information from grant recipients. It follows ongoing congressional and agency interest in ensuring that federal safety‑training grants are transparent and accountable. The Susan Harwood grant program, created to enhance workplace safety training, requires periodic performance data to justify continued funding. The current submission reflects a routine renewal of that data‑collection authority rather than a response to a new crisis.

Arguments For

Requiring quarterly reports provides OSHA with timely data to verify that grant money is spent on intended safety‑training activities, improving oversight and accountability. The information helps the agency assess program effectiveness and make evidence‑based decisions about future grant allocations, ultimately supporting worker safety.

Arguments Against

The abstract does not indicate significant controversy; however, grantees may view the additional reporting as a modest administrative burden that could divert resources from direct training activities.

Economic Considerations

No official cost estimate is provided, so any economic impact analysis is tentative. The reporting requirement will likely impose staff time costs on grant recipients, which could be modest relative to overall grant budgets. OSHA may benefit from more efficient grant oversight, potentially reducing wasteful spending. If the reporting burden is deemed excessive during the public comment period, OMB could request revisions that alter the cost profile. Overall, the net economic effect remains uncertain pending final OMB approval and any subsequent adjustments.

Sections beyond the plain-English summary are AI-synthesized analysis based on the sourced Federal Register filing, read, edited where needed, and approved by a human editor before publication. Full methodology: Editorial & Methodology.

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