The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) announced that they are seeking an average workers’ compensation rate cut of 12 percent for private employers who utilize the state fund for coverage.

The bureau’s board of directors meeting is scheduled for February 23^rd where they will vote on this cut. If approved it will go into effect July 1^st of this year. This reduction would save employers $163.5 million on premiums this year. Both public and private employers in Ohio have seen reductions in rates over the past few years.

Ohio has seen work-related injury rates fall over the past several years as well. There were 86,290 allowable claims last year, down 18 percent from claims allowed in 2011. The bureau said that claims in the 1970s and 1980s were in the 300,000-400,000 range. The president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Andrew Doehrel, attributes that significant drop to changes in the workplace. Things like using robots for hazardous jobs and a greater focus on safety have contributed to that reduction in injuries, he said.

Reduction rates for specific companies would depend on their claim history and participation in discount programs offered by the bureau, as well as expected future claim costs based on that company’s industry.

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