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 …

Beyond the costs of an injury

By Mark Leung, BWC Technical Medical Specialist, Recently promoted from the BWC Safety & Hygiene Fellowship program Occupational health and safety has been a public health focus for many years. Emphasizing worker protection and well-being advances the overall goal of reducing negative health outcomes in the future. The need to address health disparities within the …

BWC firefighter grants – protecting those who protect us

By Erik Harden, BWC Public Information Officer For most of us, doing laundry is a dreaded chore we push to the bottom of our to-do list. For fire departments, it’s critical to keeping firefighters safe and healthy. Last month, BWC Administrator/CEO Sarah Morrison and Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Bill Spurgeon, visited the Genoa Township …

Are exoskeletons the future of workplace injury prevention?

By Melissa Vince, BWC Public Relations Manager We’re capping off OSC18 with an all-day session and demonstration of the latest in workplace wearable technology: exoskeletons. Delia Treaster, BWC Ergonomic Technical Advisor, organized the session just as the the technology is beginning to gain momentum as tool for preventing workplace injuries. “The expectation is that exoskeletons …

Exoskeletons gain momentum in preventing ergonomic injuries

By Delia Treaster, PhD, CPE, BWC Ergonomic Technical Advisor Exoskeletons are here! Formerly found in science fiction or action movies, exoskeletons have made the transition from fantasy to reality. Exoskeletons are wearable devices that augment the physical capability of the worker. They have been developed for military operations and medical rehabilitation, but exoskeletons are increasingly …

Investing in safety is good business

By Sarah D. Morrison, BWC Administrator/CEO Recent research published in the Journal of Accounting and Economics finds that managers of U.S. companies struggling to meet earnings expectations may risk the health and safety of workers to save on costs and please investors. We at the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation believe skimping on safety to …

Gaming technology helping researchers study injuries at nursing facilities

BWC grants are funding exciting research into a variety occupational health and safety issues at Ohio colleges and universities. Cleveland State University was one of the first recipients of the Ohio Occupational Safety and Health Research Program back in 2015. Since then, researchers have been studying how to reduce injuries in nursing homes. Check out …

Customer relationship management – an essential element in occupational injury prevention

By Michael Rienerth, BWC Ergonomics Technical Advisor One of my favorite sayings is, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” That philosophy and approach are absolutely essential when it comes to delivering effective safety and health consulting. And BWC’s occupational safety and health consultants sincerely care - not …

Welcome to the 2016 Ohio Safety Congress and Expo…Your road to safety!

For those of you attending LIVE in Columbus, Ohio we are pleased to see you and glad you have taken time out of your busy schedules to be here. Whether you’re attending health and medical sessions or injury prevention and cost savings sessions or hanging out in the expo hall with 200+ exhibitors, our hope …