State Website Can Help Employers With Workplace Safety

Workers’ compensation costs associated with incidents in the workplace are a considerable portion of an employer’s business costs. Learn how to reduce your workers’ compensation costs through effective, proactive health and safety training programs that will benefit your employees and your bottom line.

Pennsylvania Training for Health and Safety, or PATHS, is a resource for employers and workers throughout the state.

PATHS is a no-fee, statewide service established by the Department of Labor & Industry, Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s Health and Safety Division to provide employers and employees with easy access to cost-effective health and safety resources. Services provided by PATHS will enable participants in the workers’ compensation system achieve greater efficiencies in their workers’ compensation cost-containment efforts by creating safer, accident-free workplaces.

The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act was amended in 1993 to address health and safety requirements in the workplace. The addition of sections 1001 and 1002 in the act conveys the importance of having a health and safety program in the workplace, and established a 5 percent discount for qualified proactive health and safety programs.

PATHS provides employers with a single, comprehensive website to view all health and safety related training sessions available through reputable sources. The website allows employers to maximize training schedules for workers. This training will enable employers to reduce workplace safety- and health-related incidents, resulting in workers’ compensation policy premium reductions.

At the PATHS website you can:

View . . . health and safety training PowerPoint briefings.

Review . . . course descriptions, objectives and schedules.

Participate . . . Employers can register online to participate in webinars and training sessions. The Health & Safety Division will host training sessions and conferences on a broad range of health and safety-related topics, including safety culture workshops. Most sessions are free and are open to everyone.

Learn… about health and safety in the workplace, including accident & illness prevention programs/program elements and the cost benefits associated with a proactive program and forming a certified safety committee to qualify for the 5-percent workers’ compensation premium discount.