Over $337,000 in Workers' Compensation premiums was returned to Belmont County Safety Council participants in 2008. This article will tell you how you can share a portion of those rebates next year and why Safety Council is beneficial to employers, employees, our community and the St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ohio's Bureau of Workers' Compensation Division of Safety and Hygiene implemented safety councils to increase safety awareness and reduce workplace injuries. BWC partners with Chambers of Commerce, trade and manufacturing associations, and other organizations to offer 80 safety councils statewide. Locally, the St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce started the Belmont County Safety Council in 2004 and we've enjoyed tremendous success. Our monthly luncheon meetings feature a speaker presentation about such safety topics as fire safety, disaster planning, CPR and AED training, hearing preservation, drug-testing and prevention, sleep deprivation and fatigue, and OSHA record keeping.
To encourage consistent participation, BWC added a financial incentive. Employers can earn a 2% participation rebate and a 2% performance rebate, for a total rebate of 4% of their Workers' Compensation premium. Safety Council rebates can be combined with other BWC savings programs such as drug-free workplace, but the rebate excludes self-insuring employers, state agencies, and employers enrolled in group rating and retrospective programs. However we encourage all employers to participate in Safety Council to protect employees by promoting safety in the workplace.
While 2 - 4 % may not sound like a lot, for employers who pay significant Workers' Compensation premiums because of large numbers of employees and / or high-risk occupations, that percentage can represent a significant number. For example, the 2007-08 program year rebates ranged from $33 to $59,000 per employer, with the majority of the rebates falling in the $1,000 to $9,000 range.
In addition to the financial incentives, BWC presents annual awards to Safety Council members to promote greater interest in accident prevention. The Group Award goes to the employer with the lowest accident rate in each industry group, a 100% Award goes to employers with 0 lost-time injuries in a calendar year, an Achievement Award goes to employers who achieve a 25% reduction in their incident rate over the previous year, and Special Awards go to employers with over 500,000 hours and 6 months or more worked without a workplace injury.
Another benefit is that the Belmont County Safety Council receives a subsidy from BWC to help cover the expenses of administering the program. The majority of that subsidy goes to promoting the program, which we do by advertising with local media outlets and purchasing promotional items from Chamber members. In addition, a portion of that subsidy goes to the Chamber to cover overhead and salary expenses. This income was in part responsible for the Chamber adding a second full-time employee to our Chamber staff. While a portion of this staffer's time is dedicated to Safety Council tasks, the remainder is spent on supporting Chamber programs, which benefits all of the Chamber, our members, and our community.
If you'd like more information, please call us at the Chamber office at 740 695-9623. Please seriously consider joining Safety Council and help us spread the word about this beneficial program!
