Workplace Safety
Safety is the name of the game when it comes to saving on small business workers’ comp. Accidents can lead to disability and claims—the more claims you have, the more you’ll pay in workers’ comp. It’s that simple. However, if you make safety a priority and join a group-rated program, like COSE’s Workers’ Compensation Premium Reduction Program, that work to not only help your Cleveland or Northeast Ohio small business secure a low premium rate, but also take the extra step to help make your workplace safer, you will, in the end, pay less for this disability insurance for your employees. And that’s exactly what the COSE program can do for your small business.
As we work closely with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) to ensure their changing safety regulations are small business friendly, we’re learning that pro-active safety is the No. 1 way Ohio small businesses to secure affordable workers’ comp. That’s why COSE has created the Northeast Ohio Safety Council (NEOSC), which provides the tools to become a safer workplace and the ability to save up to an additional 4 percent off your premiums. Learn more about our proactive workers’ comp advocacy efforts here. Bottom line, you want a small business workers’ comp partner that can reduce your premium costs, actively help you create a safer workplace, and protect you if a claim is filed. Get more tips on what you should expect from your workers’ comp partner here.
To learn more about COSE's safety programs, visit the Safety Plus page.
Group Rating Safety Accountability Letter
COSE/OSHA/BWC Alliance
COSE Compensation Services along side Safety Controls Technology have formed an alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as well as the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation to better serve our members. Read the press release announcing the alliance and highlighting the benefits of the SCT Alliance.
Seated (left to right): Steve Millard,COSE; Richard Gaul, BWC; Howie Eberts, OSHA
Standing (left to right): Mike O’Donnell, COSE; Joe Ventura, SafetyControls Technology; Julie Weis, OSHA; Mark Dixon, Safety Controls Technology; Rob Medlock, Safety Control
Safety Training
Do you need to satisfy the Ohio BWC Group Rating Safety Training requirement? The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation now requires all group rated employers who have experienced a workers’ compensation claim in the last two years to complete 2 hours of workplace safety training. Together, COSE and Safety Controls Technology have created a series of online courses to help at SCTed.com!
Features:
• User-friendly online system
• 24 hour accessibility for convenience
• Certificates issued to employers who have completed the training
• Easy online tracking of BWC required training through Certificates of Completion
• Full menu of safety courses tailed for workplace safety by industry group
• Regular monthly sponsor documentation of completion by employer
• Professionally prepared annual report of employers who have completed training
• Affordable at only $20 per class!
start your safety training
NOTE: Employers also have the option of completing training through the BWC website. Click here to access intructions to access the BWC safety training.
1. Safety and health programs have helped many employers achieve lower injury and illness rates. According to the Ohio Safety and Health Association (OSHA), their Voluntary Protection Programs, for example, have substantially reduced injury rates. Additionally, every dollar employers spend on safety and health programs saves them an estimated $4 to $6 in workers’ compensation expenses, reduced employee turnover, and other related costs.
2. According to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC), substance use is often the silent and unseen cause of work-related accidents. Forty-seven percent of serious workplace accidents and 40 percent of fatal workplace accidents have drug and/or alcohol involvement. And 38 percent to 50 percent of all workers’ compensation claims are related to alcohol or drug abuse in the workplace. Nationwide, employers who implement drug testing as part of their safety management program have seen a reduction in reportable occurrences.
3. The BWC is has proposed Ohio go to a split-experience rating plan during the 2011 rating year. This means that injury frequency, or the overall number of a company’s claims, will take precedence over individual claim severity in determining an employer’s rate. Today, severity is the key in rate calculation, so employers who implement effective safety and injury prevention strategies today will pay less in the future.
4. The Ohio BWC is also considering a Safety Incentive Program, separate from the split-experience rating plan. This program would provide additional rebates and/or discounts to employers who implement effective safety programs and demonstrate a reduction in accidents over time.
5. Companies that take a pro-active approach to injury prevention set an example for employees, which improves company morale.
