Safety and Workers' Compensation Management

OMA Leaders Go to Bat Against Issue 2

Early voting has begun for Ohio’s Nov. 7 general election. This voter toolkit provides helpful resources, including an absentee ballot application.

The OMA is encouraging Ohioans to vote “no” on State Issue 2, which would legalize recreational marijuana use. Read the ballot language and official arguments against the measure.

This Columbus Dispatch article quotes two OMA board members — Angela Phillips, CEO of Phillips Tube Group in Middletown, and Dave Johnson, CEO of Summitville Tile in Columbiana County. Both directors highlight key concerns tied to increased use of marijuana.

Also, read this editorial by The Blade (Toledo), which provides additional reasons to oppose Issue 2. 10/12/2023

OMA’s Safety and Workers’ Comp Meeting Is Oct. 18

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, the OMA will host its final Safety and Workers’ Compensation Committee meeting of 2023. Presenters will include:

• Cerri Hottinger, the newest member of Ohio’s Industrial Commission.
• Labor law expert Matt Austin, who will address the latest federal actions aimed at benefiting union organizing activity.
• OMA Connections Partner Safex, which will provide an update on OSHA’s latest reporting requirements.

If you haven’t already, register here. 10/11/2023

Study: Legalized Pot Would Mean 2,300 More Major Auto Crashes in Ohio

If Ohio were to legalize recreational marijuana use, Ohioans would suffer 2,298 more injury crashes, based on projections using the state’s crash statistics and research from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.

The findings, reported this week, come about one month before Ohio voters decide the fate of State Issue 2, which would legalize recreational marijuana. The OMA was one of the first organizations in Ohio to oppose the measure.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has published this legal analysis of Issue 2. It notes that under the proposal, an employer would still be able to terminate employees for using or possessing marijuana, and could still refuse to hire such individuals. 10/6/2023

Responding to Marijuana Use by Employees

Confirming whether an employee is under the influence of cannabis is tricky, as no drug test detects very recent cannabis use — and state laws vary as to what types of testing are lawful. This article published by SHRM (subscription) highlights options for employers.

The article notes the importance of clarifying workplace policies, ensuring that supervisors and managers have been trained to recognize impaired behaviors, and understanding state law on whether and when testing of employees is allowed. 10/5/2023

OMA Safety and Workers’ Comp Committee Will Meet Oct. 18

On Oct. 18, the OMA’s Safety and Workers’ Compensation Committee will host its third and final regularly scheduled meeting for 2023. Updates will be provided on key regulatory and legislative developments. Members may join via Zoom or in person at the OMA’s Columbus headquarters. Register here if you haven’t already. 10/4/2023

BWC Identifies $73.5M in Fraud-Related Savings

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and its special investigations department (SID) investigates and deters fraud to protect the state’s workers’ comp system, which is fully funded by employers. Last fiscal year, SID closed 1,362 cases, had 79 convictions, and identified $73.5 million in savings. This video spotlights a recent case. 10/3/2023

Gov. DeWine Provides COVID-19 Update

On Sept. 28, Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff provided a COVID-19 update to the press — the first such briefing in many months. Watch the recorded briefing.

Ohio reported an average of 122.2 cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks compared to 34.7 cases per 100,000 residents at the beginning of August, according to state health data.

Here’s the latest COVID-19 guidance from the Ohio Department of Health, which is encouraging Ohioans to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. During Thursday’s briefing, the governor said he does not expect state-imposed mask mandates to return. 9/28/2023

State Seeks Contracts With PPE Manufacturers

Qualified Ohio-based manufacturers of personal protective equipment can now apply for contracts with state agencies that will purchase PPE from them. PPE is defined as “equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause workplace injuries and illnesses.”

Read this flyer or email Wayne McCulty, deputy chief procurement officer at the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the OMA worked with the DeWine administration to establish the Ohio PPE Retooling and Reshoring Grant Program to reshore PPE production to Ohio. 9/26/2023

Webinar: OSHA’s National Emphasis Program on Warehousing

OSHA will hold a no-cost webinar on the agency’s National Emphasis Program to prevent workplace hazards in warehouses and distribution centers. Spanish translation will be available. Click here to join the webinar, which will take place Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 9/21/2023

COVID-19 Update: More Free Tests Available

• More Ohio counties have been elevated to the medium risk level for community spread. See this map of all 88 counties, as well as this list of cases by county and Ohio’s COVID-19 hospital admissions.
• Both Ohio’s U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Gov. Mike DeWine tested positive this week for COVID-19.
• The CDC has warned of a triple punch of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the seasonal flu hitting the U.S. this fall and winter.
• The CDC has issued guidelines regarding the new COVID-19 vaccines.

Meanwhile, the White House announced U.S. households can again receive four free COVID-19 home tests beginning Monday, Sept. 25, at CovidTests.gov. 9/21/2023