Seven Southern pine sawmills have been recognized for safety by the Southern Forest Products Association. The mills, all association members, were named recipients of the 2019 Sawmill Safety Award.
The annual award is based on information submitted regarding occupational injuries and illnesses. Safety performance is judged by how each mill’s safety record stacks up against facilities with comparable lumber output throughout the year. The results for 2019 included reports from 52 mills that recorded nearly 18 million employee hours.
The award is made to mills in three categories based on size. Division I includes sawmills that produce 50 million board feet or less; Division II covers facilities that produce 51 to 150 million board feet; and Division III includes mills that produce more than 150 million board feet annually.
The seven sawmills honored for outstanding safety records during 2019 are:
Division I, Ray White Lumber Company – Sparkman, Arkansas, Weyerhaeuser Company – Zwolle, Louisiana;
Division II, West Fraser – Opelika, Alabama, West Fraser – Whitehouse, Florida;
Division III, Weyerhaeuser Company – Philadelphia, Mississippi, Weyerhaeuser Company – Dodson, Louisiana, Weyerhaeuser Company – Millport, Alabama.
“Safety is important in all business, and the sawmill business is no different,” said SFPA executive director Tami Kessler.
“We are proud that these SFPA member mills had zero recordable incidents in 2019 and commend them for striving to make their workplace a safe environment,” she added.
