Columbus, OH – The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) awarded safety intervention grants to 10 Ohio businesses totaling more than $233,704 in November. BWC designed the Safety Intervention Grant Program to assist Ohio employers in significantly reducing occupational injuries and illnesses and to partner with these employers to establish best practices for preventing occupational accidents and injuries.
“Several employers took advantage of the program last month to improve safety in their workplaces and prevent injuries that can be costly and bring pain and hardship to their employees,” said BWC Administrator/CEO Steve Buehrer. “I applaud these employers that represent both the public and private sectors for striving to create safer workplaces.”
Ohio private and public employers are eligible to receive BWC safety intervention grants. The program provides matching funds to purchase various types of equipment to prevent occupational accidents and injuries. BWC will provide a 2-to-1 matching funds up to a maximum of $40,000. Quarterly data reports and follow-up case studies provided by employers participating in the program help BWC determine the effectiveness of the interventions and establish best practices.
The following is a list of employers that received grants from BWC in November.
Town & Country Co-Op (Ashland County)
BWC awarded $40,000 to Town & Country Co-Op to purchase a vacuum-powered hoist, a walkie reach stacker, a walkie pallet truck, a weigh buggy and pro-boxes with racking. The equipment will reduce the risk of injuries associated with manual material handling, including strains, sprains, slips, trips and falls. Town & Country Co-Op supplies bulk goods and services to farmers in a six-county area in north central Ohio.
Goodwill Industries of Ashtabula, Inc. (Ashtabula County)
BWC awarded $40,000 to purchase an electric stacker, box tippers, plastic gaylords and fatigue mats to reduce the ergonomic risk factors associated with manual material handling, including strains, sprains, cuts and puncture wounds. The equipment will also reduce the risk of injuries that can result from static posture when as employees stand on concrete floors to perform job duties. Goodwill Industries of Ashtabula is a non-profit provider of education, training and career services for people with physical, mental and/or emotional disabilities.
Thompson Concrete Construction (Fairfield County)
BWC awarded $29,117 to purchase rotary hammer drills with active torque control, dustless concrete cutting/grinding systems, electric concrete breakers with active vibration reduction, and various cordless tools. The purchases will reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders related to repetitive motion and vibration, exposure to dust/silica, trips and falls, and electric shock. Thompson Concrete Construction is a full service construction company that handles large concrete projects.
Richards Industries (Hamilton County)
BWC awarded Richards Industries $1,935 to purchase a thermal label machine to reduce the risk of hand cuts and injuries related to handling product with steel tags. Richards Industries is a valve manufacturing facility.
MJM Industries, Inc. (Lake County)
BWC awarded $11,200 to purchase two electric stacker lift trucks to reduce the ergonomic risk factors associated with manual material handling such as strains and sprains, and crushed feet. MJM Industries manufactures custom electrical and electronic assemblies.
City of Elyria Water Department (Lorain County)
BWC awarded $29,150 to purchase a hydro-excavation system to reduce ergonomic risk factors associated with manually digging water lines, working in extreme weather conditions and vehicular traffic. The new system will reduce the risk of injuries resulting from repetitive motion, excessive force and awkward postures. The City of Elyria Water Department is a public employer that provides repair and maintenance for more than 220 miles of piping, 2,500 fire hydrants, 5,000 valves and 25,000 service connections.
Industry Products Company (Miami County)
BWC awarded $40,000 to purchase two shredders to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls related to manual material handling. Industry Products provides tooling, manufacturing and assembly of cargo and trunk systems, acoustic and water shield solutions and protective in-transit materials.
City of Green (Summit County)
BWC awarded $20,042 to purchase two truck-mounted traffic attenuator units and one traffic arrow board to reduce the risk of injuries associated with performing roadway maintenance activities. The City of Green Public Service Department is a public employer that maintains more than 300 miles of roadway.
Village of Silver Lake Ohio (Summit County)
BWC awarded $13,997 to purchase a pipe maintenance trailer (includes hydraulic saw and lightweight jackhammer) to reduce the risk of injury related to awkward postures, fatigue, saw kickback, noise and exposure to gas fumes as repairs are made to pipes and water mains. The Village of Silver Lake is a public employer responsible for maintenance of streets, street signs, and water distribution.
Village of Weston (Wood County)
BWC awarded $8,263 to purchase extrication equipment and tools for use by firefighters to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries that can occur when lifting and manipulating outdated heavy equipment tools. The Village of Weston is a small community located in northwest Ohio. The grant was submitted on behalf of the village’s fire department.
Source: Ohio BWC