Lt. Governor Taylor, BWC Announce $44 Million Investment in Workplace Safety & Wellness

Lt. Governor Mary Taylor and Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) Administrator/CEO Sarah Morrison last week announced a $44 million investment in workplace safety, health and wellness.

The safety initiative is part of the $1 billion rebate plan proposed by Gov. John Kasich in March and approved last week by BWC’s board of directors.

The new initiative calls for $44 million over two years to improve wellness and safety for workers across Ohio. This includes a new wellness program, funding for specific programs to help firefighters and those who work with children and adults with disabilities, and an education campaign to address common injuries at work and in the home.

The initiative is expected to launch in January and includes:

$6 million annually for a new health and wellness program for Ohioans working for small employers (50 or fewer employees) in specific high-risk industries, as well as injured workers with certain types of injuries. Services include smoking cessation programs, health coaching and chronic disease management.

An extension of the current annual funding level of $15 million for Safety Intervention Grants, setting aside $4 million a year for two high-risk occupations: firefighters and
employers that serve disabled children and adults.

A $2 million statewide safety awareness and education campaign for slips, trips and falls, overexertion and motor vehicle accidents, which are responsible for more than 60 percent of workplace injuries.