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2011 Accountability Letter

Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation

         July 2011

         RE: Group-Rating Safety Accountability

Dear Employer:

Each year Ohio employers have the opportunity to participate in BWC’s Group-Experience-Rating Program or Group-Retrospective-Rating Program. While these programs are not required, they do provide you with an opportunity to significantly reduce your workers’ compensation premiums, while increasing your awareness of safety and risk-management strategies.

Workplace safety is an important component of these programs. To succeed in accident prevention, we encourage you to use the many resources available to you. We believe a group-rating program is a partnership that includes you and your employees, your sponsoring organization or third-party administrator (TPA) and BWC. Each has specific roles and responsibilities, all designed to assist in preventing workplace accidents. This letter outlines the safety services expectations you should have as an employer enrolled in a group-rating program.

The employer will:

·       Maintain a safe workplace;

·       Attend safety training to enhance workplace safety;

·       Implement BWC’s 10-Step Business Plan for Safety and use available safety services as needed;

·       Attend the required two-hour training and provide proof of attendance to sponsor for claim(s)

occurring within the last two years.

The certified primary and affiliated sponsoring organizations will:

·       Communicate, educate and verify  BWC’s 10-Step Business Plan for Safety to group members;

·       Sponsor eight hours of safety training (this may be done at one time or may be provided incrementally as long as the total is at least eight hours);

·       Provide information regarding safety resources to group members;

·       Possibly assist an employer in achieving its safety needs;

·       Manage employer fulfillment of the two-hour training requirement, where applicable;

·       Publish this letter to group members.

 The TPA may:

·       Assist sponsoring organizations with fulfilling the group-rating safety requirements;

·       Assist an employer with its safety needs;

·       Work in conjunction with sponsors to develop safety training and deliver safety resources;

·       Provide resources for claims handling.

 BWC will:

·       Monitor all group-rating safety activities to confirm requirements are met;

·       Meet at least annually with sponsoring organizations to provide recommendations for fulfilling safety requirements;

·       Provide safety training through Ohio’s Center for Occupational Safety & Health;

·       Offer on-site safety consultation (hazard assessments, air and noise monitoring, ergonomics evaluation, training) by a BWC safety professional;

·       Offer publications and videos for safety program support;

·       Conduct employer visits to confirm the employer is meeting group-rating requirements, when appropriate.

The goal of this collaborative effort is to make sure all your safety needs are met. Using these resources will assist you in preventing accidents, reducing claims costs and achieving the highest discounts possible. Below you’ll find contact information for various resources.

Group sponsor:  CareWorks Consultants, Inc.

TPA:  twohourtraining@ccitpa.com

BWC: http://www.ohiobwc.com/employer/services/safetyhygiene.asp, groupratingsafety@bwc.state.oh.us

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