Ottawa County Safety Council Returns to In-Person

COVID-19 Hiatus

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) recently reinstated their Safety Council Program. This comes after an over 2-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic, all Ohio safety councils have held their monthly meetings virtually. The safety council program year begins July 1, 2022 and goes through June 30, 2023.

Program Restructured

During this time, the BWC restructured the Safety Council program. On May 2, 2022, a virtual Safety Council Leaders Conference was held to review the fiscal year 2023 program and rebate requirements. New marketing tools for member retention and recruitment were introduced. A new online portal for tracking attendance and employer rebate potential was also introduced.

“There have been a number of changes,” commented Jessica Grzechowiak, Ottawa County Safety Council Manager. “We’ve all been through a lot these last few years and we’re so excited to welcome our members back, in-person.”

About Safety Council

The Ottawa County Safety Council provides the business community with quality programs addressing occupational safety and health, workers’ compensation, risk management information and much more. Benefits of joining the safety council include:

• learning new trends and techniques toward increasing safety in the workplace
• how to manage your workers’ compensation program
• networking with area employers at monthly meetings.

“The safety council is a great local resource in Ottawa County with informative topics and speakers to benefit our district,” commented Lisa Cruickshank, Director of Business Services at Genoa Area Schools. “It will be great to return to in person meetings with fellow members. The interaction and networking on a personal level has been missed!”

BWC Rebate Program

One item that has not changed is the 2% safety council rebate. Employers can earn this rebate on their workers’ compensation premium. To qualify for the 2% rebate, employers must:

1. Join or confirm their existing, active membership by July 31, 2022; and
2. Attend 10 in-person safety council meetings between July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023

“Going back to in-person meetings offers Ottawa County businesses a great opportunity to provide effective training and networking, while achieving savings through safety council funding programs and the BWC rebate,” stated Randy Genzman, Village of Oak Harbor Administrator.

Monthly Meetings

The Ottawa County Safety Council’s monthly meetings are normally held on the third Wednesday of every month and includes a lunch. The annual membership cost is $150 per employer and is due by July 31st. There is a $10.00 cost per person for non-members. Lunch is free to safety council members.

“We’re basically re-learning safety council, but it’s like learning how to ride a bike again. Once you get up on that bike, everything comes back again and you’re good to go,” stated Grzechowiak. “I’m looking forward to hosting our monthly meetings in-person again and working with our local employers.”

The Ottawa County Safety Council is sponsored by the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation. Employers interested in joining the Ottawa County Safety Council, please contact Jessica Grzechowiak at jgrzechowiak@ocic.biz. For information about Ohio Safety Councils, please visit info.bwc.ohio.gov.