It turned out to be some busy days recently for The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC).
First, the BWC 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.
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.
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.
Ohio Man Must Repay More than $31K
Meantime, a Bethel (Brown County) man was ordered to pay more than $31,000 in restitution to the BWC.
Shannon Watson was sentenced in September in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas on one count of workers comp fraud, a fifth-degree felony. He pleaded guilty to the charge in July.
Investigators found that Watson was working for a heating and cooling company in Brown County while collecting temporary total disability, and collected $31,100.28 in benefits between November 2007 and July 2009.
Watson was placed on community control for five years with basic supervision, must obtain and maintain employment, undergo urine screenings and pay court costs as well as $31,100.28 in restitution.
If he violates conditions of his community control, Watson will serve 11 months at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: kstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
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