Making Ohio a safer place to work

An article by Michelle Francisco, Safety Council Manager, Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

We rely on the outstanding support of many Ohio organizations to assist in our mission to create a culture of workplace safety around the state.

Through sponsorship of more than 80 Ohio Safety Councils, educational institutions, industry associations, training providers and consulting businesses promote the importance of safe workplaces and rally businesses large and small to embrace safety as a core value within their organizations.

Ohio employers clearly value safety. Their success shows in the numbers.

Claims have fallen steadily — approximately 86,000 new claims were allowed in fiscal year 2017, down from 104,000 in 2010. The number of employers using BWC safety services grew by 70 percent since 2010. Since 2011, Ohio employers have taken advantage of BWC’s Safety Intervention Grant Program to purchase more than $77 million in tools and equipment that make their workplaces safer.

Those numbers are impressive, and so are many others:

• A $1.5 billion employer rebate this summer followed rebates of $1 billion in 2013, 2014 and 2017.
• The cost to purchase coverage is at its lowest point in 40 years.
• All told, private and public employers have saved $8 billion in workers’ comp costs since 2011 through rebates, rate cuts and credits.

Those are dollars local employers are investing in their businesses and communities, all while keeping Ohio’s workforce safe and healthy.

Thank you to these organizations and every employer that participates in a safety council. We value your partnership and are pleased you have joined our effort to bring every Ohio workers home safe and healthy at the end of the day.

Ohio needs every employer to follow your lead and embrace the important role they play in keeping workers safe.

Together, we’re making Ohio a safer place to work.

Michelle Francisco

Safety Council Manager

Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation