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News from CareWorks Comp - March 2020

March 2020 BWC News from CareWorks Comp

Register now for Ohio BWC Annual Safety Congress & Expo (OSC20)!

CareWorks Comp highly suggests that you, or someone from your organization, attend the BWC's Annual Safety Congress & Expo (OSC 2020) that will be held in Columbus, Ohio, on March 11-13, 2020. This 3-day event will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center where you can attend free educational sessions (over 200 to pick from), see over 300 exhibitors, earn continuing education credits, and earn credits toward BWC discount programs! Session topics range from occupational safety and health, wellness and rehabilitation, controlling workers' comp claims costs and much more. This event is the largest free work-safety event in the U.S. There will also be dynamic keynote speakers, including former Cincinnati Bengals great and NFL Hall of Famer, Anthony Muñoz. You can view complete event information, including the event schedule, hotels, directions and free online registration at 2020 Safety Congress link


Trench Safety Grant (TSG) Program available in Ohio

The Ohio BWC is offering $2million in trenching safety grants. The program is available only to Ohio employers who perform trenching and excavating to purchase shoring and shielding equipment.

BWC uses the Trench Safety Grant (TSG) Program to partner with Ohio employers to substantially reduce or eliminate injuries associated with trenching operations. This grant is only available for a short time, and applications must be received by Dec. 1, 2020. The TSG does not fund equipment purchases for technical rescue operations. The program is available to eligible Ohio employers who wish to purchase the following qualified/allowed items: 

  • Shoring: Aluminum, hydraulic, or other types of supports to prevent soil movement and cave-ins.
  • Shielding: trench boxes or other types of supports to protect against soil cave-ins.

As part of the Safety Grant programming, the TSG Program is available only to Ohio employers that perform trench and excavating. Review the complete program policy at http://ow.ly/fLtS30qfBvQ. Eligible employers may receive up to $12,000 for the duration of the TSG Program. To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria at the time of application.

  1. The employer must be a company that performs work in trenches. The employer must provide information on the application clearly describing their trench work. This grant will not fund equipment purchased for technical rescue operations.
  2. Be a state-fund private or public employer taxing district.
  3. Have active Ohio workers' compensation coverage and maintain continuous active coverage while participating in the program.
  4. Not have more than 40 days of cumulative lapses in workers' compensation coverage within the prior 12 months.
  5. Be current with respect to all payments due BWC as defined in Ohio Administrative Code 4123-17-14.
  6. Have been in existence for at least two years.
  7. Have reported payroll for at least one full policy year.
  8. Timely report actual payroll for the preceding policy year and pay any premium due upon reconciliation of estimated premium and actual premium. We'll deem an employer to have met this requirement if we receive the payroll true-up report and any associated premium before the expiration of any grace period. See the Payroll true-up page for additional information. 

Unless otherwise specified here, all application requirements, eligibility, participation criteria, reporting and procedures stated for the Safety Intervention Grants Program apply to applicants and participants of the TSG Program. To learn more about trench safety go to: Trenchsafetyohio.com  

For more information contact Jim Wirth, 614-827-0370 or jim.wirth@careworkscomp.com


Register Now: CareWorks Comp Seminars

Workers Compensation, Unemployment Cost Control and 2-Hour Safety Seminars! 

CareWorks Comp will be holding 3 different seminars all of which will be featuring 2-Hours of Safety & Risk Management, Workers Compensation Cost Control, Unemployment Cost Control, and Understanding Managed Care. This Seminar will count as 2-hours of BWC approved safety training for the 2019 policy year for private employers, and 2-hours for public employers for the 2020 policy year. For registration, please complete the attached flyer and send it to Marcia Dennis at: marcia.dennis@careworkscomp.com 

For those of you who cannot attend in person, we will be offering a web-based video link as well once our live seminar series is complete. 

Dates & Locations:

May 4th - Columbus - 9 AM to 12 PM

BMI
6165 Emerald Parkway
Dublin, OH 43016

May 5th - Cincinnati - 9 AM to 12 PM

Holiday Inn Centre Park
5800 Muhlhauser Rd.
West Chester, OH 45069

May 6th - Cleveland - 9 AM to 12 PM

Holiday Inn
15471 Royalton Rd
Strongsville, OH 44136


CareWorks Safety Library:  Now Live!

Looking for an easy way to fulfill your 2-hour Safety Training Requirement for this current 2019 Policy Year?  We’ve got the answer!

Simply go to: CareWorks Safety Training Library web link. Here you will find previously recorded webinars that you can register for to fulfill your 2-hour Safety Training Requirement. Each webinar is 2 hours and costs $25.00. Currently, there are 4 webinars to choose from:

  • Employee Engagement
  • OSHA Inspections; Prevention, Preparation, & Minimizing Fines
  • OSHA Recordkeeping
  • Preventing Slip, Trip, Fall, & Overexertion Injuries

Looking for a do-it-yourself Toolbox Talk to give to your employees? Go to: CareWorks Safety Training Library web link. Click on the orange “VIEW TOOLBOX TALKS” link and you will see 13 different Toolbox Talk programs that you can download and use to train your employees. The topics range from Emergency Evacuation Plans to Diffusing Workplace Violence and even Parking Lot Safety. Print out each of them and use one at your next employee meeting!


Important Deadlines: 

March 21, 2020: BWC premium installment due if your company is on a Monthly or Quarterly installment plan with the Ohio BWC.

March 31, 2020: DFSP participants must submit  Annual Report

March 31, 2020: OCP participants must complete education requirements

March 31, 2020: EM Cap participants must complete education requirements


Ohio BWC Free Informational Webinars

Each month, BWC hosts two monthly webinars to help educate and keep the employer community informed on several items. The same topics are covered twice a month; webinars are held on the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday. Registration links, as well as, past and current webinar information can be found at the following link:  Monthly Employer Update Webinars. The webinars last about 20-25 minutes. Any employer may attend and they are FREE!


Important Message from BWC Administrator McCloud:

Dear Customers and Stakeholders –

Following Governor Mike DeWine’s direction, we are asking our employees, employer members, injured workers, and stakeholders across the state to practice proper hygiene and other precautions to avoid potential contact with the yearly influenza as well as the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

I want to echo Gov. DeWine’s message to the public today: This is about prudent preparation. There are no confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Ohio, and we want to keep it that way. Our chief concern at BWC is always the safety and health of Ohio’s workforce. That’s why we’re reaching out to our customers and stakeholders to urge proper precautions and to ask you to share this information with your employees and customers, if any.

The governor has asked everyone to educate themselves about this disease and follow precautions advised by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ohio Department of Health. For more information on the Coronavirus, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Sincerely,

Stephanie McCloud
Administrator/CEO, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation


Deadline for Safety Grant Application Approaches

Ohio employers seeking grants from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation to invest in safety measures have until March 31 to apply for funds in this year’s fiscal budget. Employers who miss that deadline must wait until July 1, the first day to apply for fiscal 2021 funding under BWC’s popular Safety Grants program.

“We appreciate Ohio employers who take safety seriously and seek our assistance funding equipment aimed at reducing or eliminating workplace injuries and illnesses,” said BWC Administrator/CEO Stephanie McCloud.

Applications for fiscal 2020 funds via U.S. mail must be postmarked no later than March 31. The online application service will close after March 31 and not re-open until July 1, the first day of fiscal year 2021. BWC offers $20 million a year in safety grants. As of Jan. 3, BWC’s Division of Safety & Hygiene had approved 616 grant requests. Another 304 were pending.

The March 31 deadline applies to the following grants:

  • Safety Intervention
  • Employers Working with Persons with Developmental Disabilities
  • Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements
  • School Safety and Security
  • Workplace Wellness

Safety Grants are available to all Ohio state-fund, private and public taxing district employers to purchase equipment to eliminate or reduce workplace hazards. You can find more information on our Safety Grants program on the BWC's website.

 

 

Meridith Whitsel
Program Manager 
(614) 526-7172
meridith.whitsel@careworkscomp.com 

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