The North Central Washington Workers’ Compensation Program (NCWWCP)’s Safety Incentive Program is a unique opportunity for all NCESD school districts to participate in. The program promotes a strong safety culture to keep employees safe while meeting industry leading practices. Each year the program identifies two safety specific goals for districts to meet; this year we are focusing on:

• Slips, trips, and falls
• Assisting district’s compliance with state laws; this year, our emphasis is on safety committees which are required for businesses with 11 or more employees.

Districts have an opportunity to receive a rebate after successfully completing two safety inspections. The safety incentive rebates will be between $2,500 and $6,500. In 2022, all participating districts received their rebate, for a total of about $65,000.

All regional districts participating in the Safety Incentive Program completed their safety inspections during the 2021-2022 school year. These districts received a total of roughly $65,000 in rebates. Amazing work to those districts for completing these important inspections!

This rebate is a great way to recognize district success at reducing slip, trip, and fall hazards in their buildings, while rebating money for districts to buy safety items such as step ladders, winter footwear, repairs of identified hazards, or tools that may make specific job duties safer.

We have already started our first safety walk through inspections for the 2022-2023 school year. These walk throughs are intended to provide guidance and support for districts to make simple and cost effective solutions to keep employees safe. Some examples include safe hooks for backpacks and jackets, buddy pockets for student’s chairs, or floor bins for each student to organize their belongings. These types of student organization tools keep our teachers, paraprofessionals, and custodial staff safe from trip, slip, and fall hazards in the classroom.

The safety services team also provides guidance on specific safety concerns that may result in a fine. These notifications are to help districts assess and correct safety violations they may not even be aware of but can mitigate before they become a serious workplace safety issue.

Since the inception of this program, districts have found these walkthroughs to be very helpful in connecting with staff members and demonstrating the importance of safety in the workplace. Nothing makes our job more satisfying than walking into a classroom and the teacher knows who we are and is proud to show off how safe their room is for themselves and students.