The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) Office of Safety offers an annual SafetyWorks Training Grant Program (formerly Workplace Safety Grant Program) to fund safety training and education initiatives. According to the DIA, the goal of the program is to help promote worker health and safety and to reduce workplace accidents, injuries, and illnesses through training, education, and other preventative measures. Your company may be eligible for funding!
The SafetyWorks Training Grant Program has a budget of $800,000 per fiscal year. Massachusetts-based employers of any size may request up to $25,000 to provide workplace safety training. Applications will be accepted via the DIA grant portal from June 1 through June 30, 2026 for training planned for fiscal year 2027. If you haven’t done so already, now’s the time to collect information and contractual documents needed for the application, and we can help with the training details!
The DIA’s SafetyWorks Training Grant Program web page has helpful information for completing and submitting the application including the links listed below:
- DIA Safety Grant User Guide
- Contractual Documents Checklist and Complete Package
- Training Providers
- Training Topics
Training must relate to the work performed by employees and address the prevention of injury or unhealthy working conditions and practices. The courses listed in the grant application must have a fixed per person or per class cost. The number of participants per class, as well as the name of the training provider, need to be included. Sessions must be live and be facilitated by Massachusetts-based instructors. They may not be held virtually or be a recorded web-based session. It should be noted that the grant doesn’t cover previously funded training topics, unless they are being taken by different employees, such as new hires.
Many of the recommended DIA courses are offered by Safety Partners, including but not limited to, those listed below. We can provide in-person training with hands-on activities at your location. Visit the DIA list of Training Providers and our Training and Professional Development page for our most popular courses, all of which can be customized and delivered on-site.
- Emergency Response, such as HAZWOPER First Responder Awareness Level (FRAL) and First Responder Operations Level (FROL)
- Hazardous Waste Management/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- Hazard Communication
- Biosafety/Bloodborne Pathogens
It’s expected that applicants, if approved, will be notified of the grant funding they received by the end of December 2026. All funded training(s) must be completed by June 30, 2027. This is a reimbursement-based program, so companies get refunded for the training after it has taken place by providing invoices, along with training documentation, to the DIA (due by July 15, 2027).
Organizations are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible to have the maximum opportunity for funding, but all that are received by June 30, 2026 will be eligible. Generally, some amount of money is awarded to all qualified applicants. Per the DIA, applications will be considered “based on their compellingness to meet grant objectives.”
For additional information, or for assistance completing your application and/or identifying your fiscal year 2027 training needs, we invite you to watch our SafetyWorks Training Grant Program Webinar or contact us!
This blog was written by Beth Graham, Safety Partners’ Director of Quality, Research, and Training.
