Missouri Employers Mutual has announced its latest cycle of safety grant recipients, bringing the total amount of safety grants awarded to policyholders to $2.1 million since 2016.
“The safety grants program is here to help policyholders reduce or eliminate employee injuries, and improve their business safety and productivity,” Jim Owen, President and CEO of MEM said. “We’re proud of the impacts this program has made over the last five years in making workplaces safer and allowing businesses to move forward with confidence.”
The 11th safety grant cycle awarded $259,000 to 38 policyholders. The program is designed to help policyholders pinpoint areas of their business where an injury could occur, or in many cases, purchase equipment related to injuries previously experienced. In this cycle, 37% of the policyholders receiving grants experienced injuries two years prior in the area that the safety grant-funded equipment to be purchased will address. The remaining 63% of grant winners received funds to address an exposure and subsequent need to increase employee safety in that area.
Program is making measurable impact in reducing injuries
Five years into the program, safety grant recipients continue to see positive results. Since implementing the safety equipment purchased with their grants, the 280 businesses have experienced only 14 claims totaling $49,000. That’s a 96% reduction in claims and a 94% reduction in claims costs.
Preventing injuries
For Village Gallery, a 2018 safety grant for the purchase of a saw stop table saw prevented a major injury to an employee at the custom cabinetry business.
“It was an incident where an operator let his guard down and wasn’t paying attention,” Carl Williams, owner of Village Gallery said. “His finger got to the blade and the saw stopped it from moving. So instead of potentially losing a finger, he received a very small nick instead.”
Williams said prior to receiving the safety grant, his business experienced a claim related to use of a table saw.
“We have been very pleased working with MEM, and we hope to revisit the safety grant program again in the future,” Williams said.
Improving efficiency
New safety grant winner Washington Metal Fabricators looks forward to the time that their new safety-grant funded equipment will save, in addition to making the process used with the equipment safer. The custom metal fabricator has been in business since 1979. With the purchase of an anvil lift, operators will be able to use the crane system and hoist fitted with suction cups to lift sheets of metal on to a table.
“The new lift will allow us to load the metal sheets with less labor and avoid getting cut from the raw material,” Marvin Rooffener, production engineer for Washington Metal Fabricators said. “It will help speed up production and help the operator be much more efficient in running parts.”
All of MEM’s policyholders are eligible for a safety grant, regardless of premium size or claims history. Successful applicants earn one-to-one matching grants up to $10,000 toward approved safety initiatives. Policyholders are required to monitor claims data and report on the success of the safety grant so MEM can help other businesses learn from their success.
The following businesses were selected to receive safety grants this cycle:
Washington Metal FabricatorsWashingtonCrane system with hoist and vacuum lifter
| Arnold Masonry, LLC | Sainte Genevieve | Hydro mobile scaffold units |
| Arrow Senior Living Management, LLC | Saint Charles | Temperature screening terminals |
| Artur Express, Inc. | Hazelwood | Lift tables and lifting jacks |
| Assistance Home Care | St. Louis | Patient care simulation dummies |
| Brauer K&D Enterprises, Inc. | Pacific | Drone for inspecting |
| Callaway County Ambulance District | Fulton | Binder lifts and tank lifters |
| Christian Fellowship of Columbia Missouri, Inc. | Columbia | Scissor lift |
| City of Sikeston/Board of Municipal Utilities | Sikeston | Hydraulic breaker w/automatic greaser |
| Columbia Construction Corporation | Cape Girardeau | Tommy lift gates |
| Craftsmen Industries | Saint Charles | Vacuum lifting system |
| Deacero USA, Inc. | Poplar Bluff | Machine guards, e stops, lockout valves and safety interface for a collating machine, header machine, threader machine |
| Diocese of Jefferson City | Jefferson City | Safety step ladders |
| Emmaus Homes, Inc. | Saint Charles | Sit to stand lifts |
| Fixture Contracting Co | Bridgeton | Saw stops |
| Gateway Tree Care | Fenton | Mini skid steer |
| Heartland Presbyterian Center | Parkville | Floor scrubbers |
| Hentges Tree Service | Jefferson City | Heavy duty car jack, stand and lift |
| Isabel’s House | Springfield | Ionic cleaners |
| Korte Enterprises LLC | Jefferson City | Track loader |
| Lincoln County Ambulance District | Troy | Inflatable patient handling for EMS |
| Mask Brothers Trucking | Saint Louis | Scissor lift & Safety Harness |
| Mid America Truss | Jefferson City | Finish roller press |
| Mid Missouri Energy | Malta Bend | Roof platforms |
| Perfect Timing Transportation | Springfield | Collision avoidance system |
| Permajack of Mid-Mo LLC | Mexico | Trench shoring system |
| River-Roads Distributing Co. | St. Louis | Scissor lifts |
| Shade Tree Service Co. | Fenton | Personal voltage detectors |
| St. Clair Fire Protection District | St. Clair | Ballistic vests and helmet kits |
| St. Francois County Ambulance District | Farmington | Air ionization system |
| St. James Transports | St. James | Powered landing gear kits |
| Stewart-Morrison | West Plains | Dual facing drive cameras |
| The National Museum of Transportation | St. Louis | Properly guarded shaper, sander and planer |
| U.S. Tool Grinding Inc. | Farmington | Ergo chairs |
| Vehige Construction Co., Inc. | Silex | Towable boom lift |
| Wentzville Fire Protection District | Wentzville | Hose rolling rack |
| Willow Springs Ambulance | Willow Springs | Power cot w/power load |
| Wilson Truck Service, LLC | Cadet | Manlift |