Was 2014 a Good Year for Worker Safety in Ohio?

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) declared 2014 to be the year of workplace safety, citing lowered rates of workers’ compensation payouts as a measure of increased employer attention to employee safety. Thanks to the state’s success, the BWC announced $1 billion in rebates for the state’s employers and local governments. Combined with the previous year’s rebate, the Bureau has put over $2 billion back into the state’s communities.

Despite the state’s great year in protecting employees from on-the-job injuries, there is still work to be done. A national study of workers’ compensation rates released in the fall of 2014 showed Ohio as the 17th lowest state for compensation payouts.

In 2008, Ohio was the third highest in the country, so the state’s position has improved significantly in the last few years. With more hard work and an emphasis on worker safety, perhaps Ohio can reach number 50 in the coming years.

What Can I Do If I Am Injured at Work?

A workplace injury can bring one’s life to a complete standstill. And it can happen to anyone, not just people working jobs like construction or in oilfields. Occupational diseases affect even workers who spend their whole day in a safe office working on a computer.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest in Ohio workers’ compensation news.

Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers’ Comp Attorneys

Source: http://www.logandaily.com/comment/editorials/bwc-dubbs-as-the-year-of-workplace-safety/article_607ba902-585b-5460-951e-805f53e39647.html

Did You Know?: The musicians who famously went down with the Titanic were considered independent contractors, not employees. Thus, their families did not qualify for survivor benefits.