Warren County Safety Council

BWC is hosting a webinar titled Are You a Hazmat Employer? What to Know to Stay in Compliance on Tuesday, January 26 (11 a.m. to 12 p.m.). This webinar will focus on the Department of Transportation’s training requirements for shipping, receiving, handling and labeling of hazardous materials.
The webinar will be instructed by Ben Hissam, an Industrial Safety Consultant in BWC’s Cincinnati Service Office.
Additional information, including registration instructions, can be found in the attached flyer.
For more information or assistance when registering, contact BWC’s Kaylee Blevings at Kaylee.b.1@bwc.state.oh.us
Employer Safety Program Evaluation:
Are you ensuring safety in the workplace?
It’s the start of a new year and what better time to review our safety plans. For this month’s safety information, we are sharing a Safety Program Evaluation sheet prepared by Gary Hanson of American Safety & Health. We encourage all employers to utilize this form, to evaluate their programs and see if there is room for improvement. Click Here to complete the Safety Program Checklist
Drug Awareness for Supervisors
Below you will find the link to Judith Gissy's presentation from the February Safety Council Meeting.
Judith Gissy, Treatment Coordinator - TriHealth
Drug Awareness for Supervisors Presentation
BWC is hosting a webinar on the subject of Reducing COVID-19 Transmission Through HVAC Improvements on Thursday, February 18 (10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.). This webinar provides valuable information for anyone interested in taking steps to improve their indoor air quality (IAQ) to reduce COVID-19 transmission.
Presenters from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) will discuss a step-wise approach to assessing and managing IAQ and reducing COVID-19 transmission risks.
Additional information, including registration instructions, can be found in the attached flyer. Webinars qualify for IACET continuing education & BWC discount program credits.
For more information or assistance when registering, contact BWC’s Angel Johnson at Angel.J.1@bwc.state.oh.us

October Safety Council Updates:

BWC introduces virtual classes beginning October 1
To provide Ohio employers with free training opportunities, continuing education and BWC discount program credits during the COVID-19 pandemic, BWC will begin offering a limited number of classes virtually in October.
These classes will provide live, interactive education along with all of the same benefits of previously scheduled classroom courses cancelled through the end of the 2020.
This flyer provides additional information including system requirements, necessary student completion tasks, and registration information. If you have questions, email dshcc@bwc.state.oh.us.

NIOSH/CDC News
Driving Fatigue
A major cause of vehicle accidents is fatigued drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving was responsible for 72,000 crashes, 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths in 2013. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a website with information on this topic that includes an animated image, fact sheets, and tips for employers and workers to prevent fatigue on the job.
Winter Holiday Safety
The winter holidays create unique safety risks. Holiday décor and candles can create fire risks, traveling in winter weather can be hazardous, food safety is important at holiday meals, and toy safety is important at giftgiving occasions. The National Fire Protection Association’s Winter Holidays website contains safety tip sheets and information on tree and decoration fires. The National Safety Council’s Holiday Safety website has travel, decoration, food, toy, and fire safety tips.
NIOSH eNews
The November 2019 issue of NIOSH eNews contains articles on National Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Awareness Month, abstracts of research performed by NIOSH researchers, links to new publications and blog posts, and a calendar of upcoming events.
OSHA News
Holiday Workplace Safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) webpage on holiday workplace safety in the merchandising sales sector contains links to information for order fulfilment, delivery, retail sales, and general employees.
Ionizing Radiation
If you work around sources of ionizing radiation such as radioactive materials or X-ray equipment, OSHA has a newly revised website on this topic. Find information on standards, health effects, hazard recognition, control and prevention, and additional resources.
Other News
New Toolbox Talks
The Center for Construction Research and Training released three new Toolbox Talks in English and Spanish on topics regarding nanoengineered materials, including:
• Identifying Nano-Enabled Construction Materials.
• Introduction: Nano-Enabled Construction Materials.
• Prevent Exposure: Nano-Enabled Construction Materials.
New Safety Podcast
Occupational Health and Safety Magazine has a new podcast called the OH&S SafetyPod, which plans to cover a variety of topics. The first episode discusses safety culture, and the second discusses effective safety training.
More Effective Safety Training
Looking for tips on how to create and deliver better safety training? This article from The American Society of Safety Professionals has four tips you can use. There is a link to a podcast on the subject as well.
Workplace Injury Data Released
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses – 2018 report in early November. The report shows there were 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2018. This is the first year since 2012 that the total numbers and incident rate did not go down. Retail trade was the only sector with a rise in reportable cases.
Electrical Safety Alert
In the wake of three fatalities, the Mine Safety and Health Administration issued an Electrical Safety Alert. The alert describes the three incidents and provides tips on prevention of electrical accidents.
Safety Video Series
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work sponsors a video series featuring a character called Napo to educate workers on topics in safety and health. The videos are silent and so language-neutral. The most recent videos in the Napo series help employees understand musculoskeletal disease.
Winter Safety
The National Safety Council issued a list of winter safety tips on topics such as winter driving, snow shoveling, and frostbite. Stay safe this winter!
Worker Health and Well-Being
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams published an article titled, The Value of Worker Well-Being in Public Health Reports, the official journal of the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Public Health Service. The article describes how work can influence well-being and what strategies employers can take to improve employees’ happiness and wellness.
Please contact the library@bwc.state.oh.us or 614-466-7388 for more information on any of these items.
The Ohio BWC Library of BWC’s Division of Safety & Hygiene compiles and distributes this newsletter each month.
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Dear Safety Council Rebate Program Participants,
We thank you for your patience as we’ve determined how to proceed with the FY20 Safety Council Rebate Program in the midst of COVID-19.
As you know, we directed safety council sponsors to cancel March, April, and May safety council meetings in light of public health concerns. And today’s announcement will eliminate the need for sponsors to host a June meeting. As a result of these cancellations, we realize it is impossible for many of you to complete the program’s FY20 rebate eligibility requirements.
Therefore, we will provide the FY20 rebate to safety council members who, as of Feb. 29, 2020, had attended at least FOUR safety council meetings. This determination was based on crediting each member with one meeting credit for each cancelled meeting, the maximum of two external training credits and waiving the CEO attendance and calendar year 2019 semi-annual report requirements.
Although we realize a small number of safety councils host more than one meeting a month late in the program year, we are granting relief for only one safety council meeting credit per month in March, April, May, and June. This resolution reinforces the program’s goal of active participation for the purpose of education, networking and resource sharing and, unfortunately, members who condense participation to the latter part of the program year will not appreciate relief from this solution.
Ultimately, employers we determine have earned the rebate under the revised guidelines will receive the maximum percentage rebate allowed per their BWC group-rating status:
- 2% for employers enrolled in BWC’s Group-Retrospective-Rating Program and eligible for the participation rebate.
- 2% for employers enrolled in BWC’s Group-Experience-Rating Program and eligible for the performance bonus - there will be no claims data measurement calculation.
- 4% for employers not enrolled in a BWC Group-Rating Program.
Your safety council sponsor will submit July 1, 2019 through February 29, 2020 attendance records to us when normal business operations resume. The timeline for the processing of these rebates is yet to be determined but we will continue to update safety council sponsors when you should expect FY20 safety council program rebate checks.
Our most sincere interest is the health, wellness and safety of Ohio’s workforce. Be safe and take care.
Michelle Francisco
BWC Safety Council Program Manager
Portions of this message may be confidential under an exemption to Ohio's public records law or under a legal privilege. If you have received this message in error or due to an unauthorized transmission or interception, please delete all copies from your system without disclosing, copying, or transmitting this message.
Warren County Safety Council's
FY20 Enrollment Form
Click HERE to find your FY20 WC Safety Council Enrollment Form
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