Ohio Businesses Awarded More Than $273K for Workplace Safety

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The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) awarded 13 businesses safety intervention grants totaling more than $273,000 during October to make Ohio workplaces safer, the agency announced.

BWC designed the Safety Intervention Grant Program to assist Ohio employers in reducing illness and injuries, and create a partnership with them to establish best practices for accident and injury prevention.

Ohio private and public employers are eligible for the grants, which provide a 2-to-1 matching amount up to a maximum of $40,000 for a total of $60,000 — $20,000 from the employer and $40,000 from BWC. Quarterly data reports and follow-up case studies help BWC to determine the effectiveness of employers’ safety interventions and establish best practices.

The businesses that received a grant in October are:

Plasticolors Inc. (Ashtabula). Plasticolors produces pigment and chemical dispersions. BWC awarded $32,376 to Plasticolors to purchase a fall-protection system. The system will help the company reduce the risk of injury related to falls from elevated heights.
Clark Reliance Corp. (Cuyahoga County). Clark Reliance provides measurements and controls in the instrumentation industry. BWC awarded $40,000 to Clark Reliance to purchase a 16-spindle tightening machine. The machine will help the company reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders related to vibration and repetitive motion.
Great Lakes Architectural Service Systems Inc. (Cuyahoga County). Great Lakes Architectural Service Systems is a glass and glazing contractor. BWC awarded $21,450 to purchase a five-spindle-vertical-edging machine. The company will use the machine to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders related to excessive force, vibration, repetitive motion, dust and strains/sprains.
Wallover Oil Co., Inc. (Cuyahoga County). Wallover Oil is a manufacturer of industrial lubricants. BWC awarded $40,000 to purchase a bulk bag unloader and pneumatic conveying system. The system will help reduce the risk of injury related to manual material handling, slips/trips/falls and exposure to dust as employees empty bags of product into 2,000 pound capacity blenders.
Tri-Village Rescue Services (Darke County). Tri-Village Rescue Service provides rescue services in Darke County. BWC awarded $1,300 to purchase an oxygen cylinder lift to reduce the risk of injury to upper extremities. The lift manually handles oxygen tanks, which weigh in excess of 130 pounds.
Boyd’s Tire Inc. (Franklin County). Boyd’s Tire sells and services tires. BWC awarded $31,179 to purchase a tire changer with wheel-lift and tire balancer with wheel-lift. The equipment will reduce the risk of injury related to manual material handling, forceful exertions and awkward postures.
Rieser Bros. Inc. (Franklin County). Rieser Bros. offers collision repair for passenger cars and light trucks. BWC awarded $25,333 to purchase a tire changer with wheel-lift and tire balancer with wheel-lift. The company will use the equipment to reduce the risk of injury related to manual material handling, forceful exertions and awkward postures.
Graceworks Enhanced Living (Hamilton County). Graceworks Enhanced Living provides group homes and day programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. BWC awarded $17,200 to Graceworks to purchase a stair lift. The equipment will help reduce the ergonomic risk factors associated with manually assisting disabled individuals up and down stairs. It will also help decrease strains/sprains and slips/trips and falls.
Tyjen Inc., dba Slater Builder Supply (Hocking County). Slater Builder Supply offers a full line of masonry products for construction projects. The company received $10,739 to purchase an automated shrink wrapper. Tyjen will use the wrapper to reduce the risk of injury related to repetitive motion such as musculoskeletal disorders, in addition to the potential for lacerations and slips/trips and falls.
Watts Farms Ltd (Licking County). Watts Farms is a livestock and grain farm near Alexandria. BWC awarded the employer $9,468 to purchase a hydraulic chute with trailer. This equipment will reduce or eliminate the risk of injury related to manually operating a chute used to maneuver livestock. These include sprains/strains, crushing injuries and musculoskeletal disorders from repetitive motion.
Lifeshare Community Blood Services (Lorain County). Lifeshare Community Blood Services is a blood bank that collects blood from volunteer donors for use in local communities. BWC awarded $12,296 to purchase bench-top linkable sealers. The organization will use these sealers to reduce the risk injury to the upper extremities from awkward postures, in addition to the risk of musculoskeletal disorders related to repetitive motion.
City of Port Clinton (Ottawa County). The City of Port Clinton is a public employer and the county seat of Ottawa County. BWC awarded the $22,807 to purchase a vacuum excavation system to reduce musculoskeletal disorders associated with excavation work. These include sprains/strains, contusions, lacerations, hypothermia, heat exhaustion/stroke, and possible entrapment due to trench collapse.
Rock Homes Inc. (Stark County). Rock Homes is a building contractor. BWC awarded $9,706 to purchase a roof cutter, roof peeler, robot welder and spreader. The equipment will help reduce injuries such as strains/sprains and musculoskeletal disorders associated with manually removing and installing roofing tile.