South Point Village adds new safety equipment for first responders, takes great strides improving safety program

By Roger Hoback, BWC Industrial Safety Consultant Specialist When posed with the question of how to use their portion of the $5 billion dividend that BWC sent to private and public employers in late 2020, South Point Village decided to put safety first. South Point Mayor Jeff Gaskin told BWC that the village’s portion of …

Prevent COVID-19 spread through HVAC improvements

Indoor Air Quality focus of March 3 webinar By Jeff Hutchins, MS, CIH, Regional Loss Prevention Manager We all know a mask, social distancing, frequent handwashing, and cleaning can weaken the spread of COVID-19. So can improvements to your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. How to do that in a smart, step-wise fashion …

A look back at our most-popular posts of 2020

By Danielle Alley, Social Media Coordinator While we all might be ready to close the book on 2020, we think some pages are worth reading again, or perhaps for the first time if you missed them earlier. Our most popular blog posts from the past 12 months focused primarily on the COVID-19 pandemic and how …

BWC safety grants protect worker health, save employers time, money

NIOSH-BWC study published in industry journal By Steve Naber, Ph.D., BWC Business Intelligence and Analytics Manager For more than 10 years, our Division of Safety & Hygiene has enjoyed the benefits of being in a cooperative research program with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Through the program, we share claims with …

BWC honors five Ohio employers for workplace safety innovations

By Jeff Hutchins, Manager, BWC Quality Assurance & Technical Safety Support We recently awarded cash prizes to five Ohio employers as part of our annual Safety Innovation Awards. We typically announce the winners at our annual Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, which did not take place as planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.     The …

Customers show us the love during COVID-19

BWC’s economic, health and safety initiatives draw high praise By Winnie Warren, BWC Interim Chief of Employer Services Working for the state of Ohio, we all know our job is to serve our fellow Ohioans and hopefully make a positive difference in their lives, so it’s gratifying when our colleagues and leaders take note — …

BWC nurse battles COVID-19 on front lines

May is National Nurses Month. BWC nurse tells her story. By Jennifer Wolford RN, Medical Service Specialist, Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation Away from my BWC job as a medical service specialist, I work as an intermittent nurse in an emergency department (ED) at an Akron-area hospital on weekends. Since the community spread of COVID-19 …

In challenging times, BWC delivers

Up to $1.6 billion for employers among several measures aimed at weakening COVID-19’s impact #InThisTogetherOhio By Stephanie McCloud, BWC Administrator/CEO One of our core values at the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation is Relentless Excellence — we are unyielding in our delivery of outstanding service to our customers. Not just sometimes or in ordinary times, …

BWC cancels Ohio Safety Congress & Expo due to Coronavirus concerns

ONLINE OPTION STILL ON By Tony Gottschlich, Public Relations Manager At the direction of Governor Mike DeWine, BWC Administrator/CEO Stephanie McCloud cancelled this week’s Ohio Safety Congress 2020 in-person event due to concerns surrounding the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). “The health and safety of Ohioans remain our top concern, and we must take every precaution to …

Why the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo is the best value around

By Bernie Silkowski, Superintendent, BWC Division of Safety & Hygiene In my role with our Division of Safety & Hygiene, I realize the importance of keeping our staff current on the latest updates and trends in workplace safety. I also understand the constraints tight budgets can have on getting this important training and education to …