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FY26 Updates:


HFC Safety Council in-person meetings and rebate resume September 10, 2025!

Thousands of Ohio employers benefit from the education, resource sharing, and premium savings which result from actively participating in their local safety council monthly meetings. And you can join them.*

BWC Safety Councils can help you:
o Learn techniques for increasing safety, health, and wellness in your workplace.
o Network and share best practices with other employers in your community.
o Identify resources to assist you in your accident prevention efforts.
o Access risk management information and strategies to reduce your worker’s compensation costs.

Rebate criteria
Per Ohio Adm.Code 4123-17-56.2, most employers who meet safety council rebate eligibility requirements can earn a 3% rebate on their workers' compensation premium, up to a maximum of $5,000 annually.
 
Employer safety council rebate eligibility requirements (see more below)
To qualify for the safety council rebate, the employer must:
  • Be enrolled or be an existing member of a safety council and meet the minimum program requirements within the fiscal year;
  • Earn ten credits between July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026, as outlined in Section 7.2 of this policy;
  • Earn credits by attending meetings held by the safety council in which the employer is enrolled; and
  • Meet the following criteria of Ohio Adm.Code 4123-17-56.2(():
    • The employer must be current with respect to all payments due the bureau, as defined in paragraph (A)(l)(b) of Ohio Adm.Code 4123-17-14;
    • The employer must not have cumulative lapses in workers' compensation coverage in excess of forty days within the prior twelve months; and
    • The employer must report actual payroll for the preceding policy year and pay any premium due upon reconciliation of estimated premium and actual premium for that policy year no later than the date set forth in Ohio Adm.Code 4123-17-14. An employer will be deemed to have met this requirement if the bureau receives the payroll report and the employer pays premium associated with such report before the expiration of any grace period established by the administrator pursuant to paragraph (B) of Ohio Adm.Code 4123-17-16.
 
Submission requirements
Employers must submit an official certificate of attendance for external training credit or assessment report for their BWC Onsite Safety Consultation to their enrolled safety council by June 30, 2026.
 
Meeting attendance credit
To qualify for meeting attendance credit, an employer representative must sign in and attend the entire meeting. Sponsors are responsible for ensuring accurate attendance and must remove sign in sheets and the ability to sign in after the speaker begins their presentation. The safety council sponsor has the final authority to determine whether an employer receives credit based on their arrival and departure times.
 
Key attendance credit guidelines
  • Any representative of the employer qualifies for credit.
  • A person can represent only one policy number for credit.
  • Multiple representatives from the same employer attending a meeting, training, or special event count as one credit.
  • Member participation in safety seminars, workshops, or conferences hosted or co-hosted by a safety council qualifies for one credit with a certificate.
  • Monthly meetings do not qualify for credit for employers not enrolled in that safety council.
  • Scheduling multiple events on the same day for the purpose of earning multiple credits is prohibited.
 
Rebate limitations
The following employers are not eligible for the safety council rebate:
  • Self-insuring employers,
  • State agencies,
  • Employers participating in a program designated as incompatible with the rebate under Ohio Adm.Code 4123-17-74,
  • Alternate Employer Organization (AEO) clients, and
  • Professional Employer Organization (PEO) clients.
 
AEOs and PEOs may be eligible; refer to Ohio Adm.Code 4123-17-56.2 for eligibility requirements.


ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS CONTINUED:

Enrollment in a safety council is open to all state fund employers as permitted under Ohio Adm.Code 4123-17-56.2. To enroll, employers must have an active BWC policy number and active coverage.

Enrollment is available year-round; however, employers who enroll after the start of the fiscal year may not be eligible for the rebate in their initial year of participation if they are unable to successfully complete the minimum requirements for rebate eligibility.
 
Under Ohio Adm.Code 4123-17-56.2, employers who do not meet specific eligibility criteria are not eligible for the BWC safety council rebate. However, ineligible employers may still enroll and participate in the safety council program.
 
 
Employer credit requirements for safety council rebate
To qualify for a rebate, employers must earn a minimum of ten safety council credits during the fiscal year. Credits can be earned through the following methods:
 
1.     Safety council meeting attendance
  • Employers must be enrolled with a safety council to earn meeting credit.
  • One credit per month may be earned by attending their safety council's monthly meeting.
 
2.     External training credits (Read the detailed External Training Credits Guide for Employers HERE)
Employers may earn up to two credits per fiscal year by attending approved external training sessions. This includes:

  • BWC Safety Training Courses (in-person or virtual training course [VTC] only)
    • One credit per course, with a maximum of two credits
    • Employer representatives must submit a certificate of completion to their sponsor for upload into the Ohio BWC Grant & Program Management Portal to receive credit(s).

  • Safety training courses from external providers (in-person only)
    • Examples include industry associations, third party administrators, or other sources approved by SCA. See External Training Guide for Sponsors.
    • One credit per course, with a maximum of two credits.
    • Employer representatives must submit a certificate of completion to their sponsor for upload into the Ohio BWC Grant & Program Management Portal to receive credit(s).

  • Annual Ohio Safety Congress & Expo® (OSC®)
    • One credit may be earned for each day of in-person attendance, with a maximum of two credits per policy number, during the three-day event
    • Employers must ensure their representatives are scanned at each breakout session they attend for attendance verification and auditing.
    • Employer representatives will only receive one certificate for the event listing the date(s) and session(s) attended.
    • Employer representatives must print their OSC® attendance certificate and submit the certificate to their safety council sponsor for upload into the Ohio BWC Grant & Program Management Portal to receive credit(s)
    • Employer representatives who attend more than one day of OSC® and want to obtain the two-credit maximum, must have their sponsor upload the certificate to the Ohio BWC Grant & Program Management Portal twice to receive credit.
 
3.     BWC onsite safety consultation
  • Up to two credits, limited to once every three years, can be earned by completing a BWC Onsite Safety Consultation visit by a BWC Field Safety Service Consultant.
  • This consultation must include a full hazard assessment and a claims review.
  • The employer must provide a copy of their BWC Assessment Report to their sponsor, for upload into the Ohio BWC Grant & Program Management Portal to receive credit.
 
Restrictions
SCA reserves the right to audit certificates and approve or deny certificates of attendance, if, e.g., attendance to the full session is not completed or discrepancies are determined.
 
The following safety training course types do not qualify for external training credit:
  • BWC webinars,
  • BWC Online e-courses, and
  • Safety training courses from external providers that are not live and in-person, e.g., webinars, e­ online courses, virtual training courses.

BWC will not accept any training used to satisfy the requirements of another BWC program, e.g., Risk Management Essentials or Substance Use Prevention & Recovery, to count towards the ten credits required by the Safety Council Program.



If you have any questions along the way, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of the managing Chamber directors or email [email protected]