Safety and Workers' Compensation Management

Brush Up on Your Forklift Safety

June 14 is National Forklift Safety Day, according to OSHA. The agency is promoting a virtual event to help educate employers on steps they can take to improve their forklift safety efforts. (Register here.) Brian Duffy, director of corporate environmental and manufacturing safety for OMA member Crown Equipment Corp., will be a keynote speaker.

The OMA recently hosted a webinar on safely operating material-handling equipment. OMA members can watch it on demand. 6/7/2022

June is National Safety Month

To usher in National Safety Month, the National Safety Council has made available four episodes of its “On the Safe Side” podcasts. Each highlights a different theme throughout the month: musculoskeletal disorders; workplace impairment; injury prevention; and slips, trips, and falls. Check out all four episodes. 6/1/2022

Safety Roundup: Spotlighting BWC’s Safety Services

• The BWC’s Division of Safety and Hygiene has created this brief video highlighting its safety programs, services, and resources to help employers create a safe and healthy workplace at no additional cost.
• The BWC’s Drug-Free Safety Program still requires testing for marijuana — and OMA Connections Partner Frantz Ward offers this insight for employers.
• In case you missed it, the CDC offers these printable infographics with recommendations for those who have just contracted COVID-19, as well as those who’ve been in close contact with infected individuals.
• May is National Electrical Safety Month and the BWC has published this article for workers and employers.

Also, in case you missed it, here is the BWC’s latest “Safety Update” newsletter. 5/25/2022

Guidance for OSHA’s Heat Stress Program

As reported last month, OSHA has launched a national emphasis program (NEP) aimed at protecting workers from heat illness and injuries. OMA Connections Partner Safex offers this online publication to help employers stay in compliance as OSHA intends to double the number of heat-related inspections, according to reports. 5/18/2022

More Than 800 OSHA Inspections YTD Across Ohio

Year to date, there have been more than 800 OSHA inspections at Ohio workplaces, according to the OSHA Inspections Tracker published by OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips. The tracker shows that more than 250 of OSHA’s visits have been to employers with fewer than 10 employees. 5/17/2022

BWC Updates Reimbursement Rates for SURWSP

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) has updated the maximum reimbursement rates for its Substance Use Recovery and Workplace Safety Program (SURWSP), which reimburses employers for their drug-free workplace expenses.

OMA Connections Partner Working Partners^® has created this infographic to illustrate the new reimbursement rates and how SURWSP complements the BWC’s Drug-Free Safety Program. 5/16/2022

Initiative to Legalize Marijuana Is on Hold

An agreement forged by legislative leaders and the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol means the initiative to legalize marijuana in the Buckeye State won’t be decided until at least 2023. Secretary of State Frank LaRose will resubmit the initiated statute to the General Assembly in January 2023. If lawmakers fail to act by early May 2023, the group can collect additional petition signatures to get the proposal on the ballot. 5/16/2022

Safety Council’s In-Person Meetings Resume

Thousands of Ohio employers benefit from the education, resource sharing, and premium savings that come from actively participating in their local Safety Council monthly meetings. Starting in July, in-person meetings will resume, providing employers a chance to earn a 2% rebate on their workers’ compensation premium. Locate your local Safety Council to start saving. 5/17/2022

Get Ready for BWC Policy Year 2022/23

The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) closes its current policy year on June 30. The 2022/23 policy year begins July 1. Juliet Walker, managing director of OMA Workers’ Compensation Services, advises state-fund employers as follows:

• The first installment for the new policy year will be billed on May 27, and payment is due by June 21.
  • Employers can earn a 2% early payment discount by paying their full estimated premium by July 1. Employers cannot deduct the discount when they submit their payment. (Also, don’t submit payment for the first installment until receiving an invoice.)
• Employers that have not already received their 2022/23 BWC certificate of coverage and installment schedule should contact the BWC.
• Employers should verify that the estimated payroll used to establish their 2022/23 premium is accurate. (The BWC uses an estimate of payroll; if it’s too low, the additional amount needed to true-up the policy at year-end could be sizeable.)

If you have questions, email Juliet. 5/6/2022

Responding to Positive Drug Tests: Employer Considerations

Here’s a video overview of the considerations, options, and cautions employers might consider when confronted with a positive workplace drug test. The brief video was created by the workforce development board of Adams, Brown, Pike, and Scioto counties, and developed by OMA Connections Partner Working Partners®. 5/12/2022