Boise, LP, Smartlam honored for safety
The Engineered Wood Association (APA) announced the winners of its 2017 Safety and Health Awards, a program that encourages and recognizes safety and operational excellence in the North American structural panel and engineered wood industry.
Smartlam, LLC and LP Building Products won Safest Company Awards in their respective categories. Smartlam, LLC, which produces cross-laminated timber at its facility in Columbia Falls, Mont., won its award in the category for companies with three or fewer mills. The company posted a 4.19 weighted incident rate (WIR) for 2017.
LP, a producer of engineered wood products in the U.S., Canada, and South America, earned top honors among companies with four or more mills, with a 2017 average WIR of 3.16.
The Innovation in Safety Award went to two winners: Boise Cascade Company of Medford, Ore. for the Equipment-Based Innovation Award, and Boise Cascade Company of Oakdale, La. for the Jeff Wagner Process-Based Innovation Award. Equipment
Chris Lawrence, a region safety manager, for Boise Cascade out of Medford, Ore. an innovation that was inspired by an ongoing safety concern due to veneer and debris becoming airborne on the strip tray belts rather than following the decline of the waterfall belts. The Belt Hold Down was designed to keep the veneer on the waterfall belts. It functions automatically and has a manual option for lockout and maintenance.
The Belt Hold Down has effectively eliminated the hazard of veneer and debris flying off of the affected tray. Boise Cascade reports that the improvements were apparent at once; the number of near misses, first aid only, and debris in eye incidents have been reduced.
The Jeff Wagner Process-Based Innovation Award was given to Boise Cascade and the Splinter Reduction Video submitted by Roger Goss, safety coordinator. The video was introduced in an effort to decrease the severity of splinter injuries by teaching proper pulling techniques at the dryer grader position. If an employee is observed pulling incorrectly, the employee is not only corrected, but is then required to view the training video to refresh and enforce proper pulling techniques.
Since its implementation of video program in August 2015, data has shown a decrease in the number of splinter injuries and in the severity of the sliver injuries that do occur. No recordable incidents were caused by splinters in 2017.
The APA safety awards program honors the managements and employees of companies and mills with the lowest WIR, which is calculated using the number and severity of recordable incidents reported on the mill’s annual OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) report.
Based in Tacoma, Wash., the APA represents about 172 plywood, oriented strand board, glulam timber, wood I-joist, rim board and structural composite lumber mills throughout North America. Its primary functions are quality auditing and testing, applied research, and market support and development.
Smartlam, LLC and LP Building Products won Safest Company Awards in their respective categories. Smartlam, LLC, which produces cross-laminated timber at its facility in Columbia Falls, Mont., won its award in the category for companies with three or fewer mills. The company posted a 4.19 weighted incident rate (WIR) for 2017.
LP, a producer of engineered wood products in the U.S., Canada, and South America, earned top honors among companies with four or more mills, with a 2017 average WIR of 3.16.
The Innovation in Safety Award went to two winners: Boise Cascade Company of Medford, Ore. for the Equipment-Based Innovation Award, and Boise Cascade Company of Oakdale, La. for the Jeff Wagner Process-Based Innovation Award. Equipment
Chris Lawrence, a region safety manager, for Boise Cascade out of Medford, Ore. an innovation that was inspired by an ongoing safety concern due to veneer and debris becoming airborne on the strip tray belts rather than following the decline of the waterfall belts. The Belt Hold Down was designed to keep the veneer on the waterfall belts. It functions automatically and has a manual option for lockout and maintenance.
The Belt Hold Down has effectively eliminated the hazard of veneer and debris flying off of the affected tray. Boise Cascade reports that the improvements were apparent at once; the number of near misses, first aid only, and debris in eye incidents have been reduced.
The Jeff Wagner Process-Based Innovation Award was given to Boise Cascade and the Splinter Reduction Video submitted by Roger Goss, safety coordinator. The video was introduced in an effort to decrease the severity of splinter injuries by teaching proper pulling techniques at the dryer grader position. If an employee is observed pulling incorrectly, the employee is not only corrected, but is then required to view the training video to refresh and enforce proper pulling techniques.
Since its implementation of video program in August 2015, data has shown a decrease in the number of splinter injuries and in the severity of the sliver injuries that do occur. No recordable incidents were caused by splinters in 2017.
The APA safety awards program honors the managements and employees of companies and mills with the lowest WIR, which is calculated using the number and severity of recordable incidents reported on the mill’s annual OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) report.
Based in Tacoma, Wash., the APA represents about 172 plywood, oriented strand board, glulam timber, wood I-joist, rim board and structural composite lumber mills throughout North America. Its primary functions are quality auditing and testing, applied research, and market support and development.