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BWC featured items
Mowing safety podcast
Mowing season is in full swing in Ohio. Ryan Towns, Assistant Director of the Public Employment Risk Reduction Program (PERRP), joined the Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast to discuss mowing safety. He also highlighted our new mowing safety video series.
Construction safety stand down
We’re co-hosting the Miami Valley Ohio Stand-Down to Prevent Falls, focusing on fall hazards in roofing and construction. Register to join us May 6 from 7:30-11:30 a.m.
May BWC in-person training, safety webinars, and virtual training classes
BWC has numerous safety training opportunities for you and your employees.
OHID
Do you have an e-account with BWC? BWC is transitioning from e-accounts to OHID. OHID provides one login for various Ohio government online services. BWC will be moving users to OHID in phases, and you'll receive an email notification when your account is ready for transition. Get a head start by creating your OHID account today and enabling 2-step verification for additional security. Then, transfer your BWC e-account to your OHID for continued access to BWC services and a smoother user experience. Visit OHID for BWC Customers for detailed instructions and helpful materials regarding OHID.
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 Monthly safety topic - slips, trip, and fall injuries
There were 521,350 slip, trip & fall injuries reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2021 & 2022, resulting in 23% of all injuries. Educate your employees on fall prevention by utilizing our resources.
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 BWC Library question of the month
A question received by the library over the past month with our response.
Question:
I’m the manager for a large landscaping company. Several of our workers were bitten by ticks last summer. What are some ways that we can protect and train our employees to avoid ticks?
Answer:
That is a very timely question! According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), there are three types of ticks in Ohio that can affect humans, with blacklegged tick nymphs (which are very tiny) causing a peak in Lyme disease during the summer. Therefore, it is extremely important for workers to know how to identify ticks in all life stages, know strategies for how to prevent tick bites, and to know what to do if bitten.
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has a Tickborne Diseases in Ohio page with information, including strategies to avoid getting bitten. Suggestions include the following:
- Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
- Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and tuck shirts into pants to keep ticks on the outside of clothing. Wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to see ticks.
- Use insect repellents registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) labeled for use against ticks on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours.
ODH has a downloadable poster and a downloadable tick identification card to educate workers.
ODH Health also lists symptoms to watch for, including fever/chills, aches/pain, and a rash. ODH recommends using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) interactive Tick Bite Bot to guide you through removing attached ticks and seeking health care, if appropriate, after a tick bite.
If you need help with understanding workplace safety, contact BWC’s Division of Safety and Hygiene. Consultation services are free for employers with a BWC policy. Do you have a question for our library? You can submit a question to us, anytime!
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 Other news
New NIOSH publication
Impact wellbeing™ guide: Taking action to improve health care worker well-being, is a new publication from NIOSH. It is part of the initiative to improve health-care worker well-being and is aimed at hospital leaders and executives. The document outlines six actions hospital leaders and executives can take to carry out the broader recommendations from the U.S. Surgeon General and National Academies of Medicine.
OSHA-NIOSH-CPWR falls in construction webinar
This webinar on Tuesday, May 7 at 2 p.m. is “devoted to educating employers and crew leaders on how rescue planning can save lives. Attendees will learn more about identifying a competent person to lead fall prevention and rescue planning, incorporating key components of a rescue plan into the pre-job planning process.”
Tower worker electrical safety video
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association created this video for tower workers to alert them of electrical hazards. It is one in a series of #climberconnection safety videos.
Food industry hazard alert
OSHA issued a hazard alert for injuries in the food industry. The alert aims to reduce the alarming number of serious preventable injuries, including deaths, in poultry, meat, and other food processing establishments.
The Ohio BWC Library of BWC’s Division of Safety & Hygiene compiles and distributes this newsletter each month.
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BWC's Division of Safety & Hygiene provides a variety of programs, services, and resources to help Ohio employers create a safe and healthy workplace.
Visit bwc.ohio.gov or email BWCDSH@bwc.state.oh.us or call 1-800-644-6292.
Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
Vision: To transform BWC into an agile organization driven by customer success.
Mission: To deliver consistently excellent experiences for each BWC customer every day. Core Values: One Agency, Personal Connection, Innovative Leadership, Relentless Excellence.
Established in 1912, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is the exclusive provider of workers’ compensation insurance in Ohio, serving 257,000 public and private employers. With nearly 1,600 employees and assets of approximately $22 billion, BWC is one of the largest state-run insurance systems in the United States. For more, visit bwc.ohio.gov.
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