Safety and Workers' Compensation Management

Safety Roundup: Recreational Marijuana Could Be on November Ballot

• Members interested in BWC safety and cost-reduction programs have until May 31 to apply for the Drug-Free Safety Program and Transitional Work Bonus Program. For questions, email Juliet Walker, the OMA’s managing director of workers’ compensation services.
• Reports say activists seeking to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Ohio are hiring paid petition circulators to gather signatures by July 5 to put the issue on this November’s ballot.
• OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips will host a May 16 workforce safety webinar for automotive industry employers titled “What to Do Before and After OSHA Arrives.” Register here.
• OSHA is hosting a May 16 webinar addressing heat as a workplace hazard.
• Since the COVID-19 public health emergency is officially over, EHS Today has published these 10 questions to help businesses prepare for the next future health emergency.
• Fisher Phillips has published this six-step plan for employers as OSHA contemplates updating its COVID-19-related requirements and guidance.

Keep in mind the BWC publishes this calendar of virtual and in-person safety webinars and training events. 5/8/2023

OMA Endorses ProMedica Medical Management

The BWC’s biennial Managed Care Organization (MCO) open-enrollment period continues through May 26.

The role of an MCO is to provide medical management of workplace injuries and illnesses. ProMedica Medical Management (formerly Health Management Solutions or HMS) is the only OMA-endorsed MCO due to its performance and superior communication regarding claims and injured worker medical status.

Choosing an MCO costs nothing and doesn’t affect relationships with a workers’ compensation third-party administrator or group discount program.

Contact an OMA Workers’ Compensation Services team member for questions about choosing ProMedica during open enrollment. (Members who have already elected ProMedica don’t need to take action during open enrollment.) 5/5/2023

OSHA Announces Effort to Reduce Workplace Falls

OSHA has announced a new national emphasis program to prevent falls, the leading cause of fatal workplace injuries. While the construction sector sees the largest number of fall-related violations, OSHA’s emphasis program will focus on reducing fall-related injuries and fatalities in all industries. Learn more. 5/2/2023

OMA Webinar On-Demand: Electrical Safety

Don’t worry if you missed the OMA’s May 4 webinar on electrical safety and NFPA 70E, presented by Brian Basbagill with OMA Connections Partner Safex. Watch the recorded webinar at any time via the OMA’s video library. 5/4/2023

White House Ends Federal COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

The White House has announced it will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors — as well as federal employees and international travelers — on Thursday, May 11, when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. Read the White House announcement. 5/1/2023

OMA’s Electrical Safety Webinar, May 4

On Thursday, May 4, the OMA will host a 10 a.m. webinar to examine National Fire Protection Association requirements that protect workers from electrical hazards, including shock, electrocution, and arc flash. Learn more and register. 4/26/2023

BWC Program Deadlines Approaching

Employers interested in Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) safety and cost-reduction programs have until May 31 to apply for the program year beginning July 1, 2023. This includes the Drug-Free Safety Program and Transitional Work Bonus Program. For questions about these programs, email Juliet Walker, managing director of the OMA’s Workers’ Compensation Services. 4/27/23

Update on BWC Symposium, Multiple Policy Payments

The latest edition of BWC eNews includes an update on the bureau’s Medical and Health Symposium, set for May 4-6. The event will offer sessions on health principles in occupational medicine, disability etiquette, mental health, BWC administrative processes and treatment programs, and more. (You can even watch a live shoulder surgery.) The issue also includes an update on multiple policy payments. 4/26/2023

BWC Publishes 2023 MCO Report Card

The open enrollment period for Ohio employers to select a managed care organization (MCO) to oversee the medical management for workers injured on the job is May 1 through May 26. See this document.

While there are no out-of-pocket costs to elect an MCO, the choice of an MCO is important; it allows employers to direct quality medical management on behalf of their workers. Check out the BWC’s new MCO Report Card — an objective source of information that summarizes each MCO’s performance. 4/20/2023

BWC Premium Installment Schedules, Rates Available

For state fund employers, 2023 premium installment schedules and rates exhibit are now available on the BWC website. This information covers the period of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.

OMA Workers’ Compensation Services encourage members to double-check the payroll used to estimate 2023 premiums, since this can directly impact how much is owed in future payroll true-ups — and can also prompt an audit if there’s a large discrepancy.

Employers can change their payment plan for premiums directly on the BWC site. If employers take advantage of the early-pay discount, there’s no need to change their payment plan to “annual” — simply pay 100% of premiums prior to July 1 and earn a 2% rebate. Contact your OMA Workers’ Comp account manager with questions. 4/20/2023