More money, more options
Governor John R. Kasich recently approved an increase in funding for the safety intervention grant program from $5 million to $15 million. This means we're also increasing our match in the program. Effective July, 1, 2013, we will match every employer dollar with three dollars. Finally, we restored some safety interventions previously on our moratorium list (items we would not fund).

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 3-to-1 matching grant, up to a maximum of $40,000, for each eligibilty cycle. 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.

To apply, simply download the Safety Grant Application.

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. Cordless hand tools: battery operated tools intended to eliminate cords. 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.) Exception: Walk behind loaders. 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. 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. Lighting: improvements in lighting used to make it easier for the employees to see. Pallets: flat transport structures that support goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by forklifts or other jacking devices.

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). 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. 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. 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. Exception: Hydraulic trailers. Vehicle lifts: 4 post lifts, 2 post lifts, alignment machines, etc. that lift vehicles. Vehicles: all driven vehicles including cars, trucks, utility vehicles, etc. Weaponry: all weapons including tasers.

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) - 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) - 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.

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

• Vendor Information Form (OBM-5657)
  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 the Vendor Information Form - specifically, legal business name, taxpayer ID # (TIN), and business type/business entity.
• IRS Form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number & Certification
  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 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)
  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.

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.