Safety and Workers' Compensation Management

OSHA Accepting Electronically Submitted Injury, Illness Reports through December 31

OSHA will continue accepting 2016 OSHA Form 300A data through the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) until midnight on December 31, 2017. OSHA will not take enforcement action against those employers who submit their reports after the December 15, 2017, deadline but before December 31, 2017, final entry date. Starting January 1, 2018, the ITA will no longer accept the 2016 data.

If you need more information about this you can access an OMA recorded webinar here (use your MY OMA login.)12/18/2017

BWC Plans New Website in 2018

The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) plans to launch a new website in 2018. BWC indicates that the site will provide a better customer experience through better design, easier navigation and more relevant content.

The first phase, which is expected go live in early 2018, will focus on those areas users see prior to logging in. Content and services that exist after logging in will be the focus later in the year.

Because the design and content are completely new, users will need to familiarize themselves with the new site. Also, while the main site will remain, many individual pages will go away, replaced by new content. This means any saved bookmarks or favorites will no longer work. 12/18/2017

BWC Appoints Pharmacy Program Director

Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) Administrator/CEO Sarah Morrison announced the appointment of Dr. Nicholas D. Trego to lead the agency’s pharmacy operations.

As Pharmacy Program Director, Trego will oversee BWC’s pharmacy benefits program, which manages more than 768,000 prescriptions in the BWC system.

Morrison elevated Trego from clinical operations manager, where he managed BWC’s prior authorization process, updated and improved its formulary and consulted with private medical providers on appropriate medication plans for their patients.

Read more here. 12/19/2017

Next BWC Employer Webinar is Dec. 28

The next monthly BWC employer webinar is Thursday, Dec. 28 at 11:30 a.m. Topics will include the Enhanced Care Program, the new lumbar fusion rule, rating plans for the 2018 policy year, deadlines for public employers and the monthly safety tip. Register here to attend online, or sign up here if you prefer to attend in person at a claims office. 12/18/2017

OSHA Guidance on Protecting Workers from Weather-Related Hazards

From OSHA: “As outdoor temperatures drop and winter storms approach, employers should take measures to keep their employees safe. OSHA’s Winter Weather webpage provides information on protecting employees from hazards while working outside during severe cold and snow storms. This guidance includes information on staying safe while clearing heavy snow from walkways and rooftops.” 12/18/2017

OMA Testifies Against Workers’ Comp Self-Insurance Proposal

This week, OMA member Cathy Duhigg Gannon, Manager, Workers’ Compensation, Eaton, testified on behalf of the OMA Safety and Workers’ Compensation Committee before the House Insurance Committee against House Bill 268. The bill proposes, among other things, to create a new, higher risk Ohio Self-Insured Guarantee Fund.

In her testimony Duhigg Gannon said, “By lowering the credit threshold to Ba2, Ohio would be allowing companies with non-investment grade financials to be considered for self-insurance for the first time ever, which in turn would create a much weaker guarantee pool. This is a major risk for any company that would become part of the new “B” fund and likely as well for the state of Ohio, as in the event of cash constraints or bankruptcies during a financial downturn, these sources would be called upon to finance claims in the system as well as claims yet to be filed against these defaulting self-insured employers.” 12/14/2017 

DOT Drug Testing: Employer DOT Policies – the Part 40 Changes

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the United States Coast Guard have provided guidance to DOT-regulated employers about what their DOT policies will need to contain about the changes to 49 CFR Part 40, which are effective January 1, 2018.

See the DOT notice here.

Further, participants in the Ohio BWC’s Drug-Free Safety Program, DFSP, are required to conform, at minimum, to the federal testing model. 

For any questions whatsoever about your drug testing policies or program, contact OMA Connections Partner, Working Partners®. You can also email the BWC DFSP. 12/14/2017

New to OSHA Recordkeeping?

On January 11, OMA will offer a webinar to help people who are relatively new to OSHA recordkeeping learn what is required, including completing logs, notifying OSHA and electronic filing.

Register here. $29 for members; $39 for non-members; no charge for members who purchase OMA Workers’ Compensation Services.

Here is the 2018 OMA safety webinar schedule. 12/1/2017

Get Your Share of BWC Safety Grants

The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) award 16 Ohio employers  a total of $372,967 in grants in October to purchase equipment designed to substantially reduce or eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses.

The Safety Intervention Grant program matches an employer’s investment 3-to-1 up to a maximum of $40,000. Quarterly data reports and follow-up case studies measure the effectiveness of employers’ safety interventions and establish best practices for accident and injury prevention.

Learn more about the Safety Intervention Grant Program here. 12/4/2017

We’ll See You at OSC18!

Save the date for the 2018 Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, BWC’s annual occupational safety, health and workers’ compensation event. Safety Congress will be March 7-9, 2018, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Check it out here. 12/1/2017