Four Smurfit-Stone facilities honored for safety prowess

RP news wires, Noria Corporation
Tags: workplace safety

Four Smurfit-Stone facilities have won the American Forest & Paper Association's (AF&PA) Safety Excellence Award, the highest safety recognition presented by the industry trade organization.

Based on the results of AF&PA's 2006 safety excellence survey, the awards recognize facilities with the lowest OSHA recordable case rate (RCR) based on the type of operation and size of the facility.

Smurfit-Stone's Hopewell, Va., and Uncasville, Conn., mills, and its Adams, Wis., and Montgomery, Ala., corrugated container plants were among the winners.

In 2006, Hopewell had an RCR of 0.0 and achieved one million hours without an OSHA recordable. Only seven paper mills have ever achieved one million hours worked without an OSHA recordable and five of them are Smurfit-Stone mills.

In 2006, the Uncasville team worked 242,743 hours and had a 0.0 RCR. The Montgomery team worked 249,074 hours and had a 0.0 RCR. Adams has had no lost-time accidents since June 2002 and no recordables since February 2003. The AF&PA also recognized 91 other Smurfit-Stone facilities for no lost workdays due to industrial illness or injury.

"This type of achievement is nothing short of outstanding," said Patrick J. Moore, Smurfit-Stone chairman and chief executive officer. "Keeping employees safe is a core value at Smurfit-Stone and continues to be our top operating priority. These teams' commitment, hard work and belief in the importance of safety have made these facilities safer places to work and moved us closer to our goal of being the safest and most profitable company in our industry."

Smurfit-Stone has led the major integrated companies in the pulp and paper industry in safety performance every year since 2001. The company finished the second quarter on target to meet its 2007 goal of 0.99 RCR.

"Maintaining that level of performance through the end of the year will require our continued focus and commitment," said Steve Klinger, Smurfit-Stone president and chief operating officer. "The performances of these teams give me great confidence that we will achieve our 2007 safety target and continue to set the standard for safety in our industry."

Following are the 91 other Smurfit-Stone manufacturing facilities recognized by the AF&PA for having zero days lost to industrial illness or injury in 2006.

  Anchorage, AK, recycling
  Aston, PA, container plant
  Atlanta (east), GA, container plant
  Atlanta (south), GA, sheet plant
  Augusta, GA, recycling
  Bakersfield, CA, recycling
  Bedford Park, IL, sheet feeder
  Beloit, WI, sheet plant
  Birmingham, AL, container plant
  Blue Springs, MO, sheet feeder
  Bradenton, FL, container plant
  Bridgeview, IL, container plant
  Bridgeview (north), IL, container plant
  Carthage, IN, mill
  Chicago, IL, recycling
  Chicago, IL, container plant
  Chattanooga, TN, container plant
  Chesterfield, MO, container plant
  Collierville, TN, sheet plant
  Columbus, IN, container plant
  Covington, GA, container plant
  Denver, CO, container plant
  Des Moines, IA, sheet plant
  Elkhart, IN, sheet plant
  Evansville, IN, recycling
  Fargo, ND, container plant
  Fernandina Beach, FL, container plant
  Fernandina Beach, FL, forest resources
  Fresno, CA, container plant
  Fresno, CA, recycling
  Fort Lauderdale, FL, recycling
  Fort Smith, AR, sheet plant
  Fullerton, CA, container plant
  Galesburg, IL container plant
  Germantown, WI, container plant
  Glendale, AZ, container plant
  Grand Prairie, TX, container plant
  Highland, IL, container plant
  Homerville, GA, sawmill
  Humboldt, TN, container plant
  Jacksonville, FL, recycling
  Jacksonville, FL, container plant
  Jacksonville, FL, pre-print
  Joliet, IL, container plant
  Jonesboro, AR, sheet plant
  Kansas City, KS, recycling
  Knoxville, TN, container plant
  Lewisburg, TN, container plant
  Lexington, KY, sheet plant
  Louisville, KY, recycling
  Mansfield, OH, container plant
  Martinsville, VA, container plant
  Memphis, TN, container plant
  Milwaukee, WI, container plant
  Milwaukee, WI, sheet feeder
  Minneapolis, MN, container plant
  Mishawaka, IN, container plant
  Murfreesboro, TN, container plant
  Muskogee, OK, container plant
  Nashville, TN, sheet plant
  Nashville, TN, recycling
  Neenah, WI, sheet plant
  North Chicago, IL, container plant
  North Tonawanda, NY, container plant
  Oakland, CA, recycling
  Orlando, FL, packaging system
  Philadelphia (west), PA, sheet feeder
  Philadelphia, PA, recycling
  Raleigh, NC, sheet plant
  Ravenna, OH, container plant
  Richmond (north), VA, container plant
  Rochester, MN, sheet plant
  Rogers, AR, container plant
  Salinas, CA, container plant
  Santa Fe Springs, CA, container plant
  Sioux City (north), IA, container plant
  Springfield, MO, sheet plant
  St. Cloud, MO, container plant
  St. Joseph, MO, container plant
  St. Louis, MO, container plant
  St. Paul, MN, container plant
  Tupelo, MS, sheet plant
  Wakefield, MA, container plant
  Wilson, NC, container plant
  Portland East, OR, recycling
  Sacramento East, CA, recycling
  Sacramento West, CA, recycling
  San Jose, CA, recycling
  St. Charles, IL, recycling
  Tampa, FL, recycling
  Torrance CA. recycling