Free Safety Courses

Susan Harwood Training Grant Program

Northern Illinois University’s National Safety Education Center has received a $950,000 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, to provide free workplace safety and health training.

The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program supports training for workers and employers in small businesses, high-hazard industries, and underserved or hard-to-reach populations. Through this grant, NIU is offering free two and four hour safety training courses designed to provide practical information that employers and workers can use to recognize hazards, prevent injuries, and strengthen workplace safety practices.

Who Is This Training For?

Grant-funded training is focused on small businesses with 250 or fewer employees, at-risk and hard-to-reach workers and workers who may face barriers to accessing occupational safety and health training.

Training may be offered at NIU locations or at your workplace at no cost to eligible organizations. Participants may attend from any geographic region.

Free Safety Training Topics

NIU is providing training in six important workplace safety areas:

Fire Safety - Learn how workplace fires start and spread, how to identify common fire hazards, and how prevention, emergency planning, and appropriate response can help protect workers.
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) - Learn how to recognize hazardous energy and understand procedures used to control energy during equipment servicing and maintenance.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Learn how to select, properly use, inspect, care for, and store personal protective equipment to reduce workplace exposure to hazards.
Confined Space Entry - Learn to recognize confined-space hazards, understand safe entry practices and permit requirements, and identify important emergency response considerations.
Warehouse and Forklift Safety - Explore common hazards involving material handling, powered industrial trucks, pedestrian traffic, and warehouse operations, along with practical strategies for creating safer workplaces.
Machine Guarding - Learn how machine guarding protects workers from moving equipment, cutting surfaces, rotating parts, and other hazards and how to recognize common guarding deficiencies.

Attend a Scheduled Free Class

NIU offers scheduled Susan Harwood Grant training opportunities throughout the grant period. Individuals and organizations may register for available classes online.

View Upcoming Classes and Register

Request Free Training for Your Small Business

NIU can also bring the training directly to your organization. Businesses with 250 or fewer employees may request a free two or four hour training session at their workplace. This is an opportunity to provide employees with practical safety education without registration or instructor costs to the organization.

Request a Free On-site Class

Have More Than 250 Employees?

Organizations with more than 250 employees may not qualify for the grant-funded small-business training, but NIU may have other training options available. Contact Ahmed Olagunju at aolagunju1@niu.edu to discuss training opportunities for your organization.

Grant Disclaimer

This material was produced under grant number SH-000208-SH5 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.