Keeping workers safer in Ohio is proving more action than just talk.
The Marion Industrial Center recently hosted Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) Administrator/CEO Steve Buehrer to demonstrate the steps it is taking to maintain a safe workplace and keep its workers injury-free.
Owner Ted Graham and Operations Manager Terry Roberts hosted Buehrer to demonstrate its locking system that prevents trucks from pulling away from dock doors before forklift operators are finished loading them. The locking system purchase was made possible with the assistance of a $40,000 BWC Safety Intervention Grant following an injury to a worker, and several near-misses that could have hurt others.
“A Modest Investment in Workplace Safety Can Be One of the Smartest Decisions Employers Can Make”
“A modest investment in workplace safety can be one of the smartest decisions employers can make, most importantly by preventing accidents, but also by lowering workers’ compensation costs and increasing productivity,” said Buehrer.”I’m pleased the Center is prioritizing workplace safety, and I encourage other area employers to follow their lead by learning more about how partnering with BWC can keep their employees safe and premiums in check.”
The Marion Industrial Center is a public warehouse with nearly two million square feet and more than 100 dock doors. The facility is a World War II ammunition depot that was privately purchased and over the last 20 years has been upgraded to accommodate warehouse tenants.
The Center received the grant from BWC to purchase the Dok-Lok system, which prevent drivers from leaving a dock before forklift operators’ finish loading, and trailers from tipping or creeping away from the dock. The system works by holding the trailer’s rear impact guard in two places, securing it in place. The need for the system became clear following several near-misses, in which forklift operators could have been severely injured when trucks attempted to leave the dock too soon. One worker was also injured. The purchase of the locks is expected to greatly reduce the risk of injuries associated with loading trucks.
“Marion Industrial Center wants to give the Bureau sincere thanks in helping us improve our safety program,” said Graham. “Preventing a trailer’s unintended separation from the truck dock with the addition of dock locks helps us eliminate one of the most typical and deadliest accidents at a distribution facility. With this financial support we have been able to take a giant step toward our completion of this project.”
BWC Program Looks to Reduce Illnesses and Injuries
BWC’s Safety Intervention Grant Program assists Ohio employers in reducing illnesses and injuries and to create a partnership with them to establish best practices for accident and injury prevention.
Ohio private and public employers are eligible for safety intervention 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. The total amount of available money was recently tripled to $15 million as part of the bureau’s Billion Back plan, which also included $1 billion in rebates and steps to modernize BWC’s billing processes.
The Marion Industrial Center used its rebate last fall to pour concrete in front of some of the heavily used dock areas to allow for better truck access and make backing into docks safer.
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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