BWC News & Notes

Division of Safety & Hygiene’s August webinars

BWC’s Division of Safety & Hygiene (DSH) continues our series of free webinars covering a variety of

workplace safety topics. Below is a list of dates and topics, including a link to register for the August webinars.

• Aug. 4 – Winning Management Commitment

• Aug. 11 – Help, My Confined Space Program Needs Work!

• Aug. 18 – [Replay] Precision OSHA Recordkeeping

• Aug. 25 – Who, When, and How to Inspect Personal Fall Protection Equipment

DSH safety experts conduct the webinars, and each of them lasts about one hour.

Learn more and register for any of the August webinars here.

Latest rate cut for private employers

A 13% rate reduction for private employers went into effect July 1, saving private employers $131.6 million over fiscal year 2020’s premiums. The reduction marks the third rate cut in three years for private employers and the 11th since 2008. It is also the third largest cut in 60 years, following the largest (20%) last year.

The cut represents an average statewide change and does not include the costs related to the administrative cost fund or other funds BWC administers. The actual premium paid by individual private employers depends on several factors, including the expected future claims costs in their industry, their company’s recent claims history, and their participation in various BWC programs.

BWC responds to COVID-19 challenges

We always believe Protecting Ohio’s Workforce is central to our mission, more so than ever during COVID-19. Here’s just some of what we’ve initiated since the pandemic emerged in March:

• Heather Baines is founder and president of HR Construction Services LLC in Cleveland. She shared her story of how BWC’s $1.6 billion April dividend and delivery of cloth face coverings as part of our Protecting Ohio’s Workforce – We’ve Got You Covered initiative came at a critical time for her company. As of July 31, we have shipped 13.4 million face coverings to 184,000 employers.

We deferred employers’ June, July, and August monthly premium installments until Sept. 1. It was the second extension requested by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and kept up to $579 million in the Ohio economy to help businesses restart and do so safely.

• WE relaxed or revised payroll reporting requirements that will eventually result in premium savings for employers. For example, we are not requiring employers to report payroll paid to idle staff, and we are allowing operational staff to be reported under teleworking class codes.

For more on BWC as it relates to COVID-19, please visit bwc.ohio.gov or email us at BWCCOVID19@bwc.state.oh.us. 

For more on COVID-19, including prevention guidelines and its impact on Ohio, visit the Ohio Department of Health website coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Kids’ Chance helps injured workers’ families

Kids’ Chance of Ohio changes lives by offering scholarships to children of workers who have been totally disabled or fatally injured on the job. Every story is one of turning tragedy into triumph. In this video, Malerie Mysza shares how Kids’ Chance helped her realize her dream of becoming an occupational therapist so she could help people like her father, who suffered brain injuries and blindness after a work accident.

If you would like to support Kids’ Chance of Ohio or know someone who is eligible for its scholarships, visit https://kidschanceohio.org.

The Rise of Telemedicine in Workers’ Comp

There has been an increase in telemedicine in recent years, along with its use in workers’ compensation treatment plans. An article published by NU PropertyCasualty discusses the strengths, weaknesses, and considerations to take when using telemedicine in workers’ compensation.

Camping Safety

Many of us are camping for our vacations or doing outdoor activities like hiking while staycationing this year! This post from Rider University supplies information on disaster preparedness while camping and hiking. Make sure you are prepared and know what to do in case of a weather emergency or other disaster.

Ergonomics Webinar

VelocityEHS is offering a free webinar beginning at 2 p.m. Aug. 11. The webinar will cover common misconceptions about workplace ergonomics, and will showcase current research on industrial exoskeletons, lifting techniques, and job rotation programs. There will also be a question-and-answer session at the end to answer questions submitted by the audience during the session. To sign up for the webinar, visit the Ergonomics Truths and Myths: What You Need to Know webinar page.

Hazard Communication in 2020 Webinar

Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) is offering a free webinar beginning at 2 p.m. Aug. 20. The webinar will cover the development of the hazard communication standard over the years and how to stay compliant in 2020. To sign up for the webinar, visit the Understanding the Role of Hazard Communication in 2020 webinar page.

NFPA Fact Sheet for Grounding and Bonding

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released a new fact sheet on how to properly apply the tables found in the 2020 National Electric Code, Article 250 – Grounding and Bonding. Engineers, electricians, and inspectors can download this free resource to learn how to use the tables to correctly size grounding electrode conductors, bonding jumpers, and equipment grounding conductors.

NFPA Guidance on Tents

Many restaurants and other businesses are using tents for outdoor dining and retail events. NFPA recently released a new fact sheet, Building and Life Safety for Tents, providing guidance to ensure tents are used properly and safely.

Firefighter Fatality Report – 2019

The NFPA report on 2019 firefighter fatalities in the U.S. found there were 48 firefighter fatalities, 25 volunteer firefighter fatalities, 22 sudden cardiac deaths, and three road crash fatalities. All these numbers are the lowest since data collection began in 1977. Read the entire report on the NFPA website.

Please contact the library@bwc.state.oh.us or 614-466-7388 for more information on any of these items.

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