Safety Insights

Rethinking Leadership: How to Cultivate a Safer and More Resilient Workplace

Mike Thompson, MBA

Portage County Safety Council Coordinator

True leadership isn’t about enforcing compliance—it’s about building trust. We’ll explore three powerful pillars that form the foundation of a safer, more resilient workplace: Communication that’s clear, open, and courageous; Connection that fosters psychological safety and mutual respect; and Culture that sustains these values from the ground up.

This session will challenge traditional assumptions and offer practical, human-centered strategies to help leaders of all levels foster environments where people—and safety—can thrive.

Mike Thompson, MBA, is a passionate speaker with over 17 years of

experience bridging social services and workplace safety. He’s

facilitated more than 1,000 support group sessions, guided individuals through life transitions, and led community programs focused on personal growth and resilience.

In the workplace, Mike has hosted over 200 safety training events and produced an award-winning safety podcast with over 300 episodes. Whether supporting individuals or organizations, he brings a unique ability to inspire connection, growth, and lasting change.

A Huge Thank You

Thank you to everyone who participated in our holiday food/funds drive! Through your generosity, we were able to provide 1035 meals to local families!

126 pounds of food = 105 meals

$310 = 930 meals

Total meals =1035

Cari's Safety Corner

Q: Do I need to keep an OSHA 300 log or submit my 2025 log to OSHA?

A: Let’s address these questions separately:

Do we need to maintain the log? Most employers that have 11 or more employees at any time during the calendar year need to keep an OSHA 300 log. 11+ is based on the entire company including part time and seasonal employees. A few industries listed here are exempt from the size requirements. Post only the 300A summary Feb1-Apr 30.

Do I need to submit my log electronically to OSHA? There is a great tool OSHA created to help you determine if / what you must submit. I highly suggest you use this tool. An overview: some establishments between 20-249 employees submit online, establishments 250+ also submit. There is also specific data requirements for establishments

100+ in designated industries. Because there are so many possibilities, I encourage you to use the tool at: https://www.osha.gov/itareportapp to determine what to submit. Electronic submission is based on establishment size (not entire company). Submission deadline is Mar 2. If you have questions, please reach out to your BWC Safety Consultant.

Side note: Public employers (schools, cities, counties…etc.) keep the PERRP300A log and submit to PERRP annually by Feb 1.

For more specific details, Cari will be presenting at an OSHA Recordkeeping Workshop sponsored by Summit County Safety Council on January 13th at Our Lady of Cedars.

Cari will provide an overview of OSHA's recordkeeping requirements, correct use of OSHA's recordkeeping forms, demonstration of completion of the OSHA 300 log, and compliance with the online reporting rule. Public employers who fall under PERRP requirements will obtain valuable knowledge about logs and submission as well.

More details and registration link can be found in the newsletter below.

Cari Gray is an Industrial Safety Consultant Specialist with the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC).

OSHA Recordkeeping Workshop

January 13, 2026 - 8:30am - 11:30am

Our Lady of the Cedars

507 S Cleveland Massillon Rd

Fairlawn OH 44333

Cost - $25.00 (includes breakfast)

This workshop will provide an overview of OSHA's recordkeeping requirements, correct use of OSHA's recordkeeping forms, demonstration of completion of the OSHA 300 log and compliance with the online reporting rule. Public employers who fall under PERRP requirements will obtain valuable knowledge about logs and submission as well.

Workshop qualifies as an external training credit for BWC's Safety Council Rebate Program.

Upcoming CPR Training

March 10, 2026 - 8:30am - 2:00pm

June 16, 2026 - 8:30am - 2:00pm

Our Lady of the Cedars

507 S Cleveland Massillon Rd

Fairlawn OH 44333

Cost for active SCSC Members - $50.00 (includes lunch)

Our CPR training and certification program offers comprehensive instruction in CPR, First Aid, AED Use, Bloodborne Pathogens Training and Stop the Bleed Certification. Expert instructors from Shull Medical Educators will guide you through the training and provide certification upon completion. Certified by the Health and Safety Institute (HSI).

Qualifies as an external training credit for BWC's Safety Council Rebate Program.

Ohio BWC News

BWC Safety Intervention Grant

The Safety Intervention Grant Program (SIG) is now accepting applications! Employers can complete their application and their reporting requirements online. The SIG program provides 3-to-1 matching funds up to $40,000 for state fund private and public employers. The funds are available to purchase equipment to substantially reduce or eliminate injuries and illness associated with a particular task or operation. 

Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) Program

The Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Program (SUPR) combines the Drug-Free Safety Program (DFSP), DFSP Safety Grants, and the Substance Use Recovery and Workplace Safety Program (SUR) into a single program to address workplace use and misuse of alcohol and other drugs.

Safety Services catalog

The Safety Services catalog has transitioned to the new Safety training webpage. The updated page organizes our safety training course offerings by type and industry. Customers can easily search for available courses and register directly through the Learning Management System.

Resources and Class Information



As part of the annual regular schedule BWC will offer a selection of instructor-led classes to be taught virtually. Both in-person and virtual classes will be scheduled. Instructor-led Virtual Training Classes (VTCs) will be provided the same BWC program credits as their in-person classroom counterparts.

Monthly learning - January, 2026

Includes In-person classes, Webinars, Virtual Training Classes and Online eCourses

Virtual Training Classes January 2026 - June 2026

In-person course schedule July 2025 - June 2026

Canton In-person course schedule July 2025 - June 2026

OSHA 10: Construction Safety Basics

Fall Hazards in Construction and Maintenance

Learning Center

Micro Training Videos

Written Program Templates

Safety Talks

Sign up for BWC's eNotifications

Highlights from December

Advertising Sponsorships

As a forum for workplace health and safety, Summit County Safety Council is offering opportunities for your company to showcase your product/services in front of approximately 150 people in the Health, Safety, Environmental and HR Fields during a monthly safety council meeting in the upcoming program year (2/1/26 to 6/30/26). 

Advertising opportunities include:

• E-newsletter ad for the month of sponsorship (sent the beginning of the month to approx. 700 contacts)
• Logo on meeting reminder (sent two days prior to meeting)
• Name and Link from our events page to sponsor's website for one month prior to meeting
• Commercial speaking time up to 5 minutes during opening of the meeting
• Display table at meeting for promotional materials, brochures, signage
• Up to two paid lunches for sponsored meeting

Criteria:

• The service or products your company provides must have some degree of relevance or be aligned with our objectives.
• Newsletter ad info such as logo, tagline, contact information, call to action statement, etc. must be submitted by the 29th day of the month prior to the month of sponsorship.
• Limit to one event per year.
• We have a no-soliciting policy and cannot provide our membership contact information. However, a membership roster can be found on our website.

Cost: $200.00

Interested in sponsoring a meeting? Have questions or need more information? Call Sally Cox at 330-806-1676 or email summitcountysafetycouncil@gmail.com.