Safety Works for You® and your company - And BWC can give you the money to make it happen.

BWC and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Joint Research Study
BWC and NIOSH are partnering on a research study of employers in the wholesale/retail trade sector and other sectors that have delivery or material handling tasks. The two organizations hope to determine the effectiveness of equipment used in these operations. Businesses with these operations can receive matching funds through BWC’s SafetyGRANT$ Program to implement engineering controls in their workplace. Learn more.

If you meet the criteria and are interested in participating in this program, please contact your local customer service office to speak with an ergonomist who may assist you with the program.

SafetyGRANT$ for Ohio employers
The purpose of the Safety Intervention Grant$ Program is to gather information about the effectiveness of safety interventions so that BWC may share the results with Ohio employers. The program is available to any Ohio state-fund or public employer who wishes to purchase equipment to substantially reduce or eliminate injuries and illnesses associated with a particular task or operation. The program is designed to work and partner with Ohio employers to establish safety intervention best practices for accident and injury prevention.

To participate in the program an employer must pay into the Ohio State Insurance Fund, maintain active coverage, be current on all monies owed BWC and demonstrate the need for a safety intervention.

With the safety intervention grant, private and public employers are eligible for a 2-to-1 matching grant, up to a maximum of $40,000, meaning a total of $60,000 — $20,000 from the employer and $40,000 from BWC. The employer will benefit through a substantial reduction or elimination of workplace injuries and illnesses, and their related costs.

In return, the employer will submit to BWC quarterly data reports and a case study one year after the date of the intervention. BWC will use this information to determine the effectiveness of the intervention and share successes with other employers.

Because of the large number of requests we received for particular intervention items, and in keeping within the scope of the SafetyGRANT$ research project, the following interventions will no longer be considered for SafetyGRANT$ funding:

Anti-fatigue mats: floor mats intended to provide better comfort for employees working in an upright position. Automated beverage dispenser: A device used to deliver uniform ice and beverage volumes. Bathing systems: typically used in healthcare to provide height adjustment or easier entry. Beds: powered height adjustable beds, including electric powered. Bleachers/automated bleacher systems: raised, tiered rows of seats and/or associated equipment to open and close the bleachers. Carts: wheeled pushcarts, etc. used to transport material. Ceiling lifts: patient lifting devices mounted to the ceiling. Cot loading equipment: equipment that is used to lift cots onto ambulances. Cots: stretchers used to transport individuals with weight capacities less than 800 pounds. Cranes/hoists: crane/hoists systems (i.e. jib, bridge, gantry, mobile, boom attachments, etc.). This does not prevent applications for improved controls, effectors, etc. Deep fryers: Equipment designed and used in deep frying processes and designed to reduce the potential for employee injury from burns and material handling operations involved with oil changing and filtering. Earth moving equipment: all earth moving equipment (i.e. skid steers, front-end loaders, bobcats, etc.) Exercise equipment: equipment used for the purpose of exercising. Floor cleaning equipment: floor scrubbers, waxers, buffers, vacuums, dryers or any other manual or powered device whose purpose is to clean, wax, buff, vacuum or dry a floor or walking surface. Floor-based patient-lifting devices: patient lifting devices that are portable and moved on the floor. Flooring/floor treatments: flooring or floor treatments that minimize slipping. Forklifts: passenger industrial vehicles with the ability to lift and move loads. Fry hopper: A freezer/dispenser designed for the temporary frozen storage and batch processing of french fries at commercial restaurants. Liftgate: platforms, etc. attached to trucks/vehicles that can raise and lower material from the ground to the vehicle. Lift tables: tables that can be raised, lowered, tilted, etc. to provide better working postures for material handling. Lighting: improvements in lighting used to make it easier for the employees to see.

Manlift/aerial platform device: boom lifts, scissor lifts, etc. intended to raise a person to work at an elevated height. Pallets: flat transport structures that support goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by forklifts or other jacking devices. Pallet movers/stackers: non-passenger equipment used for material handling and/or work positioning (i.e. pallet movers, walkie stackers, etc.) Patient ambulation devices: devices that people push along as they walk for support. Patient bathing and toileting chairs: devices that can be pushed into a shower and/or over a toilet. Patient scales: any scale intended to weigh a patient. Personal protective equipment: any equipment worn by a worker protecting him/her from harm or equipment associated with the equipment worn (e.g. tripod for body harness). Powered dolly equipment: any dolly equipment that can mechanically climb or descend on stairs. Road repair systems: equipment used to repair potholes, cracks, etc. SawStops: saws designed to stop immediately when the blades come in contact with a person. Shrink wrap equipment: any equipment used to wrap film around products to be transferred or shipped. Snow removal equipment: equipment in which the primary purpose is to remove snow and/or melt ice, i.e. blades, snow blowers, salt spreaders, etc. Stairchairs: portable equipment used to make it easier to move people up/down stairs. Standard guardrailing systems: guardrails for platforms, walkways, process areas, etc. Standard machine guarding devices and equipment: fixed barrier guards, perimeter guarding, radio frequency guarding, light curtains, pressure sensitive matting, etc. Stretchers: medical stretchers used for transporting people. Tables: any tables that allow for easier material handling (i.e. lighter tables). Tire changers/wheel balancers: equipment used in the tire industry to change tires and/or balance wheels. Trailers: equipment designed to be pulled by vehicles to transport materials, goods, etc. Transfer tables: powered or manual tables that are used to make it easier to move products. Transplanters, taggers: powered equipment typically used in vegetation for easier planting. Valve exercise systems: powered equipment designed to turn water valves. Vehicle lifts: lifts used to perform work on vehicles such as trucks, cars, tractors, etc. Vehicles: all driven vehicles including cars, trucks, utility vehicles, etc. Weaponry: all weapons including tasers.

To begin the application process, simply download the SafetyGRANT$ Procedural Guide.

Additional information
As a grant recipient the state considers you a state vendor. This means you must complete the following three forms and send them to Ohio Shared Services.

• Vendor Information Form (OBM-5657-Rev.11/1/2011) - Verify all fields are complete and the form is signed. We do not accept electronic signatures. Also, verify information contained on the W-9 matches that provided on this form, specifically, legal business name, taxpayer ID # (TIN), and business type/business entity.
• Request for Taxpayer Identification Number & Certification (W-9) - Complete all applicable sections of the document, including taxpayer type, a valid tax identification number and responsible party's signature. We do not accept electronic signatures. The information you provide must match how you're registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You can find instructions for completing the form on the IRS website. Should you require additional assistance, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
• Authorization Agreement for Direct Deposit of EFT Payments (OBM-4310-Rev.11/1/2011) - The preferred method of payment for the State of Ohio is electronic funds transfer (EFT); complete this form and include a current voided check or bank letter. The agreement contains instructions.

If you have questions, contact Ohio Shared Services at 1-877-OHIOSS1 (1-877-644-6771) or 614-338-4781.

Reporting
Safety grant reporting is available online! Submit your 90-day data reports through our Web site. Click here to access Safety grant reporting.

Employers are required to provide a one-year case study report on their SafetyGRANT$ intervention item. Send the case study to:
BWC SafetyGRANT$
c/o SafetyGRANT$ program coordinator
13430 Yarmouth Drive
Pickerington, OH 43147-8310
or send a fax to 614-365-4972 one year after the implementation date.

Annual Reporting Forms

• Case Study
• Cost Benefit Analysis

Safety Grant Best Practices
The BWC SafetyGRANT$ program proudly introduces a new interactive Web page designed to share results of the program.This initial introduction allows users to select an industry and risk factor type or enter a key word search to obtain case studies specific to their interests. Future additions to this page will include Web links, articles and other resources specific to the user's request.

Preliminary results of the CTD grant program
We offer a series of publications that could help prevent CTDs in your workplace. You can download and print the manuals listed below. We developed these best-practice manuals based on the research data gathered through our SafetyGRANT$ program.

• Ergonomics Best Practices for the Construction Industry
• Ergonomics Best Practices for Extended-Care Facilities
• Ergonomics Best Practices for Manufacturing
• Ergonomics Best Practices for the Plastics Industry
• Ergonomics Best Practices for Public Employers

Drug-Free Safety Program (DFSP) grants
DFSP grants are available to assist employers who are implementing the DFSP at the Basic or Advanced level. However, employers operating a comparable program are not eligible for DFSP grant funding.

The new DFSP grants guide is available for services supplied under the DFSP program requirements (services rendered after July 1, 2010). You also can view a chart that summarizes the new DFSP grants policy and covered items.

We have phased out grants for the Drug-Free Workplace Program (DFWP) effective Nov. 30, 2010. We no longer accept applications for services rendered for the DFWP.

Note: Participation in BWC’s SafetyGRANT$ DFSP, DFWP and safety intervention programs requires all grant recipients to verify by invoice/receipt and check copy that the grant money was used for the intended purposes. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from the grant program. BWC reserves the right to recover grant monies from disqualified grant recipients by one or more of the following methods:

• Billing the employer for the grant money received;
• Forwarding to the Ohio Attorney General for collection, set-off, recoupment or other legal remedy.

BWC expressly reserves the right to limit the amount of reimbursements and to set caps on such reimbursements for each and every specific reimbursable drug-free service.

For more information about SafetyGRANT$, call your local BWC customer service office or 1-800-OHIOBWC, and follow the options.

For a list of the most recent grant recipients, visit our recipients' page.