Special to the Opelika Observer
The West Fraser sawmill in Opelika, Alabama, is the recipient of the 2019 Sawmill Safety Award in Division II, presented by the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA). The Opelika facility maintained a perfect safety record during all of 2019, with no lost-time occupational injuries or illnesses. This is the first time the Opelika mill has received this respected award.
SFPA lumber manufacturer members are considered for the award based on information submitted regarding occupational injuries and illnesses. The results for 2019 included reports from 52 mills that recorded nearly 18 million employee hours. Safety performance is judged by how each mill’s safety record stacks up against facilities with comparable lumber output throughout the year. Division II covers facilities that produce between 51-150 million board feet of Southern Pine lumber annually.
The Opelika operation joined six other sawmills, all members of the Southern Forest Products Association, that received awards this year recognizing outstanding safety records during 2019.
“Safety is important in all business, and the sawmill business is no different,” said SFPA Executive Director Tami Kessler. “We are proud that West Fraser’s Opelika mill had zero recordable incidences in 2019 and commend them for striving to make their workplace a safe environment,” she added.