Ohio employers approved for more than $3.5 million in safety grants
COLUMBUS – The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) recently approved 127 safety grants for Ohio employers totaling more than $3.5 million. BWC designed the Safety Intervention Grant Program to assist Ohio employers in reducing illnesses and injuries and to create a partnership with them to establish best practices for accident and injury prevention.
“The safety grant program has proven extremely effective in preventing workplace accidents and injuries. Employers that receive safety grants find their claims in the area of intervention go down an average of 66 percent,” said BWC Administrator/CEO Steve Buehrer. “Many employers are surprised to find a simple adjustment to a work process can make a tremendous difference in reducing the number of injuries and corresponding costs.”
Both public and private employers from 10 different industries in 47 counties were approved for the grants. A listing of approved grants with summaries of each employer’s intervention is availablehere.
Ohio private and public employers are eligible for safety grants, which include a 3-to-1 matching amount up to a maximum of $40,000. Quarterly data reports and follow-up case studies help BWC determine the effectiveness of employers’ safety interventions and establish best practices.
Learn more about the Safety Intervention Grant Program and best practices at bwc.ohio.gov and view the stories of previous grant recipients on BWC’s YouTube channel.
BWC’s microsite allows employers to compare the average rates and average cost per claim in their industry. It also links employers directly to BWC safety consultants who can survey their worksites and advise them on how to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses in their workplaces.
