2006 Ohio Revised Code - 4121.37. Division of safety and hygiene created; fund; superintendent; employees.

§ 4121.37. Division of safety and hygiene created; fund; superintendent; employees.
 

The administrator of workers' compensation having, by virtue of Section 35 of Article II, Ohio Constitution, the expenditure of the fund therein created for the investigation and prevention of industrial accidents and diseases, shall, with the advice and consent of the workers' compensation oversight commission, in the exercise of the administrator's authority and in the performance of the administrator's duty, employ a superintendent and the necessary experts, engineers, investigators, clerks, and stenographers for the efficient operation of a division of safety and hygiene of the bureau of workers' compensation, which is hereby created. 
 

The administrator of workers' compensation, with the advice and consent of the oversight commission, shall pay into the safety and hygiene fund, which is hereby created in the state treasury, the portion of the contributions paid by employers, calculated as though all employers paid premiums based upon payroll, not to exceed one per cent thereof in any year, as is necessary for the payment of the salary of the superintendent of the division of safety and hygiene and the compensation of the other employees of the division of safety and hygiene, the expenses of investigations and researches for the prevention of industrial accidents and diseases, and for operating the long-term care loan fund program established under section 4121.48 of the Revised Code. All investment earnings of the fund shall be credited to the fund. The administrator has the same powers to invest any of the funds belonging to the fund as are delegated to the administrator under section 4123.44 of the Revised Code with respect to the state insurance fund. The superintendent, under the direction of the administrator, with the advice and consent of the oversight commission, shall conduct investigations and researches for the prevention of industrial accidents and diseases, conduct loss prevention programs and courses for employers, establish and administrate cooperative programs with employers for the purchase of individual safety equipment for employees, and print and distribute information as may be of benefit to employers and employees. The administrator shall pay from the safety and hygiene fund the salary of the superintendent of the division of safety and hygiene, the compensation of the other employees of the division of safety and hygiene, the expenses necessary or incidental to investigations and researches for the prevention of industrial accidents and diseases, and the cost of printing and distributing such information. 
 

The superintendent, under the direction of the administrator, shall prepare an annual report, addressed to the governor, on the amount of the expenditures and the purposes for which they have been made, and the results of the investigations and researches. The administrator shall include the administrative costs, salaries, and other expenses of the division of safety and hygiene as a part of the budget of the bureau of workers' compensation that is submitted to the director of budget and management and shall identify those expenditures separately from other bureau expenditures. 
 

The superintendent shall be a competent person with at least five years' experience in industrial accident or disease prevention work. The superintendent and up to six positions in the division of safety and hygiene as the administrator, with the advice and consent of the oversight commission, designates are in the unclassified civil service of the state as long as the administrator, with the advice and consent of the oversight commission, determines the positions subordinate to the superintendent are primarily and distinctively administrative, managerial, or professional in character. All other full-time employees of the division of safety and hygiene are in the classified civil service of the state. 
 

HISTORY: GC § 1465-89a; 111 v 226; Bureau of Code Revision, RC § 4123.17, 10-1-53; RC § 4121.37, 136 v S 545 (Eff 1-17-77); 138 v H 1217 (Eff 3-23-81); 142 v H 171 (Eff 7-1-87); 143 v H 111 (Eff 7-1-89); 143 v H 222 (Eff 11-3-89); 144 v H 308 (Eff 4-20-93); 145 v H 107 (Eff 10-20-93); 146 v H 7 (Eff 9-1-95); 146 v S 162 (Eff 10-29-95); 146 v S 293 (Eff 9-26-96); 146 v S 82 (Eff 3-7-97); 148 v H 180 (Eff 8-6-99); 149 v H 75. Eff 7-11-2001; 151 v H 67, § 1, eff. 6-21-05.
 

The effective date is set by section 7 of HB 75. 

 

Effect of Amendments

151 v H 67, effective June 21, 2005, in the second paragraph, added "and for operating the long-term care loan fund program established under section 4121.48 of the Revised Code" to the end of the first sentence and made related changes.