The Waldo County Commissioners has been awarded a Safety Enhancement Grant by the Maine Municipal Association Workers Compensation Fund in the amount of $1,368.02.

The Ed MacDonald Safety Enhancement Grants and Scholarship Grants provide financial assistance to members of the MMA Workers Compensation Fund to purchase safety equipment or services to assist in reducing the frequency and severity of workplace injuries. The grant programs are designed to prevent injuries and improve workplace safety for Maine employees. The reduction in employee injuries also benefits the taxpayers by reducing lost hours at work, cost of claims, and potential overtime expenses for employees who might have to fill in for injured co-workers, according to the Commissioners, in a news release.

The Maine Municipal Association has been awarding Safety Grants to members of the Workers’ Compensation fund since 1999.

“The Ed MacDonald Safety Enhancement Grants and Scholarships are an example of a successful partnership that has been preventing workplace injuries by bestowing more than $5 million in the funding of 3,938 Safety Enhancement Grants and 489 Scholarship Grants. Together we are building safe communities,” said the grant program, in the release.

For more information about Maine Municipal Association Risk Management Service programs, including Safety Enhancement Grant eligibility and applications, visit www.memun.org and click on the Risk Management Services link, or call 1-800-590-5583.