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Join Us for This Month's Safety Council Meeting
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
11:30 AM
Our Lady of the Cedars
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What to do when OSHA shows up:
A perspective from an Ex-OSHA Area Director
Howie Eberts
Vice President of Expert Witness
SCR Safety Solutions
We are pleased to welcome Howie back in his new role:
Key presentation takeaways:
- Understand what triggers OSHA inspections and why they happen.
- Know your rights and responsibilities during an OSHA visit.
- Learn how to respond professionally and effectively to an inspection.
Howie Eberts graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and recently retired from OSHA after a distinguished 37-year career with the agency. Howie began his career with OSHA as an Industrial Hygienist in OSHA’s Columbus Area Office in 1988 where he successfully led many accident and worker fatality investigations and other high-profile inspections. In addition to evaluating worker exposures to a wide variety of hazardous chemicals, he also has specialized expertise in evaluating complex health and safety hazards, including chemical process safety management (PSM), occupational noise, confined spaces, and hazardous waste and emergency response (HAZWOPER) among other areas.
Howie has served in a number of key leadership roles with OSHA in various area offices as well as the Chicago Regional Office, including stints as the Regional Audit Team Leader, Assistant Regional Administrator for Cooperative and State Programs, and Deputy Regional Administrator. Howie spent his last thirteen years with OSHA as the Area Director of the Cleveland Area Office, which is one of the largest and busiest area offices in the nation.
As Vice President of the Expert Witness Division for SCR Safety Solutions, Howie leverages his experience, knowledge, and skills to assist clients with any legal matters that arise and to provide high-level safety consulting services.
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FY27 Safety Council Rebate Program
(7/1/26 to 6/30/27)
The program maintains the 3% BWC rebate (up to $5,000) and the requirement of 10 meeting credits.
Credits may be obtained by:
- Monthly safety council meeting attendance - One credit per month for attending the enrolled council's meetings between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027.
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External training credits - Up to two credits for completing BWC safety training courses (in-person or virtual training courses (VTC) only, in-person safety training from external providers (e.g., industry associations, TPA's, or attendance at the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo - one credit per day of in-person attendance (maximum of two credits). External training certificates must be submitted to the safety council sponsor by June 30, 2027.
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BWC on-site safety consultation - Two credits (limited to once every three years). Must include a full hazard assessment, a claims review and submission of the official BWC Assessment Report to the safety council sponsor by June 30, 2027
Enrollment Information:
- Current Members: If your company is listed here, you do not need to file a new enrollment form; your membership automatically carries forward to FY27.
- New Enrollments: If your company is not listed and you wish to participate in FY27, please submit a new enrollment form by September 30, 2026.
Attachments:
- Enrollment form (for new participants)
- Annual invoice (pre-paying for the year includes one free meeting)
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Cari's Safety Corner
Q: I heard it’s going to be very hot again this summer! How can my company prevent heat related illnesses.
A: It sounds like we’re in for another scorching summer, and that means it’s a great time to think about how to keep employees safe. Fortunately, there are practical steps every company can take to prevent heat‑related illnesses and protect workers both indoors
and out. You can protect yourself by staying cool, hydrated and knowing the symptoms of heat illnesses.
When working outside stay in the shade (when possible), take plenty of breaks, schedule tasks for coolest part of the day. For indoor work use air conditioning, fans when temps are below 90 degrees. Using fans at above 90 degrees can increase body temperature. Take plenty of breaks and drink plenty of fluids. Avoid beverages with high sugar, caffeine, sodium and alcohol. A good indicator of hydration is urine color which should be clear or light yellow. Incorporate an acclimatization process for new workers. Train your employees on signs and symptoms of heat illnesses, prevention, what to do in an emergency and provide water and additional breaks. Some folks are more susceptible to heat illnesses like those over 65, people with heart disease, asthma,
pregnant women, and those on certain medications. You can see these ideas and more at OSHA’s heat page.
OSHA recently updated their directive for heat hazards. They updated the questions and included heat priority days where temperatures are 80 degrees of more. OSHA/NIOSH has a great app called Heat Index and it’s free! Stay cool and keep a focus on heat safety again this year!
| Cari Gray is an Industrial Safety Consultant Specialist with the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC). | | |
A Comprehensive Guide to National Firework Safety Month US | Learn more about National Firework Safety Month US is, why it's important, and the different approaches to improving firework safety! | | | | |
Top July Safety Topics to Keep You Safe This Summer | Discover key July safety topics including heat protection, UV awareness, water safety, and fire prevention. Stay safe and enjoy your summer responsibly. | | | | |
July Safety Meetings and Toolbox Talks | Enhance workplace safety this July with key topics on heat stress, fireworks, sun protection, safe driving, and pest awareness. Foster a proactive safety culture year-round. | | | | |
July is UV Safety Awareness Month | UV exposure (ultraviolet radiation exposure) is the root cause of most skin cancers, however there are many safeguards you can take to help #practicesafesun year-round. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and treatment may involve much more than a mole removal. | | | | |
Extreme Heat Awareness Month | Why Heat Safety Matters As summer temperatures rise, so do the risks to miners working in hot environments. Extreme Heat Awareness Month, observed each July, underscores the importance of recognizing and preventing heat stress in surface, underground, and indoor mining operations. | | | | |
Your Guide to National Parks and Recreation Month | Celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month by exploring local parks, participating in events, and discovering new outdoor activities this July. | | | | | |
Upcoming Health & Wellness events in Summit County
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Upcoming SCSC Training
CPR, First Aid, AED, Bloodborne Pathogen, Stop the Bleed
September 22, 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).
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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. Important: Due to strong interest in the Safety Intervention Grant (SIG) program, applications were temporarily closed at 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2026. BWC will continue reviewing and processing all submitted applications until available funds have been fully awarded.
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.
Virtual Training Classes July 2026 - December 2026
Canton/Cleveland In-person course schedule July 2026 - June 2027
Learning Center
Micro Training Videos
Sign up for BWC's eNotifications
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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 fiscal year (7/1/26 to 6/30/27).
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.
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