OSU Safety Purchase Assistance Program Overview
The purpose of the Safety Purchase Assistance Program (SPAP) is to provide reimbursement funds for safety related purchases. The SPAP is funded by use of wage reimbursement funds generated through the Employer-at-Injury Program (EAIP) at Oregon State University. EAIP is administered by SAIF Corporation which provides financial incentives for employers to bring workers with restrictions due to work-related injuries or illnesses back to work in a temporary modified job or transitional work capacity.
Departments may request SPAP funding for purchases of items which are intended to minimize common employee work injuries and illnesses and, is not intended for maintenance issues..
The SPAP program is intended to assist with purchases of equipment items intended to reduce injuries such as those due to heavy lifting, repetitive motion, or other specific work injury hazards, or for training resources that could be widely utilized within a department or the whole University (such as training videos on specific hazards), or other safety related items aimed at a reduction of work-related injuries, illnesses and workers’ compensation claims. SPAP funds are not expected to be used for compliance with already mandated governing laws (i.e. Personal Protective Equipment, reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, etc.) - or - University rules and/or programs intended to comply with regulations (safety shoe program, safety eyewear program, etc.).
Departments may request funding for up to $7,500 for 90% of their approved safety related purchases (departments are required to fund at least 10% of any purchase request) and 50% of their approved safety training purchases. The review team also has discretion to approve PPE that is above PPE requirements. The maximum reimbursement of any one request is $7,500. Multiple requests intended to be combined to address a single project are not allowed.
SPAP Review Process
Safety Purchase Assistance Program requests will be reviewed in coordination with Insurance and Risk Management Services and Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S). A designated representative from EH&S may follow up with requestors to determine if the proposed item is the optimum means for reducing potential work-related injury/illness. It is recommended that you first receive approval prior to making any purchases.
***NEW*** We will now be reviewing requests on a quarterly basis. There are four quarterly submission periods (January 1-March 31, April 1-June 30, July 1-September 30 and October 1-December 31) where all submissions during the quarterly period will be considered. Submissions will be reviewed and approved based on the review teams’ discretion. The review team will then meet, confirm information as necessary, and grant requests where appropriate. The applicant will be notified of approval and denial of a submission request roughly one month after the submission period ends.
Once you receive approval, reimbursement will be made based on proof of purchase (payment invoice). Purchase of the approved submission will need to be done within 3 months after approval for reimbursement to qualify. If the purchase is not made within the 3 months, then the request will be closed; this does not preclude one from reapplying for funding in a future submission period.
Requests will generally be assessed using the following criteria:
- Does the request prevent, or reduce the severity or probability of, an occupational (work-related) injury or illness? If not, the request would be ‘Ineligible’.
- Is it primarily for the use of employees?
- Is there an existing legal requirement or funding mechanism that already addresses the request? If so, the request would be ‘Ineligible’.
- Does the request have the capacity to serve the larger OSU community? Potentially, in situations where multiple qualifying requests are vying for limited resources, requests that have the capacity to benefit a larger group of stakeholders may be given a weighted preference.
Some examples of purchases that have been approved through SPAP include: automated hand pruners, a ladder platform hoist, and a woodworking safety DVD set. Some examples of requests, and the reason why they were not eligible expenses, include: adjustable desks or chairs (handled through ADA process), safety eyewear (PPE required by OSHA), or storage for hazardous chemicals or eyewash stations (required by code). This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but provides a few examples of the types of purchases that may be eligible for the Safety Purchase Assistance Program.
Please submit applications via the on-line form below:
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Complete Application |
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Please contact the OSU Occupational Safety Officer with any questions. |