COLUMBUS — The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is now accepting applications for its new Workplace Wellness Grant Program.

The program is aimed at helping Ohio employers improve the overall health of their work force and reduce injuries by adding a wellness component to their safety programs that addresses health risk factors specific to their workplaces.

“Our belief is that employers who support the wellness of their work force will be less likely to have employees experience work-related accidents, injuries and illnesses,” said Steve Buehrer, the bureau’s administrator/CEO. “Reducing occupational injuries or illnesses reduces the number of workers’ compensation claims, which lowers costs and supports a healthy, productive work force.” 

Participating employers will be awarded up to $15,000 over four years to implement wellness programs addressing health risk factors such as obesity and chronic disease. BWC will gather data from participating employers to determine the effectiveness of the program in reducing claims frequency and costs, improving return-to-work and reducing health care costs to employers.

Applications for the BWC wellness grant program are available at www.ohiobwc.com. Employers should call 1-800-OHIOBWC (644-6292) to verify eligibility before submitting the application.