Bluffton EMS has received a $40,000 grant from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC), according to Jan Basinger, EMS chief.

The grant is one of 110 safety grants issued this summer by BWC. The grants enable groups like the EMS to purchase equipment designed to reduce or eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses.

Bluffton’s grant goes toward the purchase of:
• one power cot with a one-power load system, and
• one power load for an existing power cot

The cots will be used in the two Bluffton EMS ambulances.

Basinger said that the power cots enable one staff member to load a patient into the EMS ambulance. Currently it takes four EMS members to load one patient. The cots are from Stryker, a company that manufactures emergency medical equipment. The units will be installed later this month.

BWC states the cots will reduce the risk of injury to hands, wrist, arms, shoulder, back and legs related to hand force, awkward postures, contact stress, push/pull moderate to heavy load, and manual materials handling and will improve the patient transport process. 

 Two other area agencies received BWC grants.

Jackson Township
• $5,250 to purchase four one-half horse-powered door openers to improve the process of manually handling garage doors. 

Village of Lafayette
• $3,150 to purchase three one-half horse-powered door to improve the process of manually handling garage doors. 

This year 110 Ohio employers shared more than $2.9 million in grants from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) to purchase equipment designed to substantially reduce or eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses.

“BWC’s safety grants not only help workers avoid injury, they encourage employers to become more engaged in what they can do to protect their employees,” said Abe Al-Tarawneh, superintendent of BWC’s division of safety and hygiene. “I applaud these employers for identifying potential risks within their workplaces and taking action to keep workers safe.”