Making & Converting Paper Safely
A Plan to Prevent Fatalities
In the US Paper Industry
Fatalities in the US Paper Industry center around five major areas:
Mobile Equipment – maintenance powered equipment pushes, pulls, stacks, carries, transfers
- Hazardous Substances – chemical fumes (including white or black liquor) in confined spaces, combustible dust, electrical, heat, chemical and thermal burns
- Falls – from heights and walking working surfaces (substandard, open, unguarded or damaged equipment normalized, pits, tanks)
- Caught In -- machine safeguarding and LOTO
- Struck By – mobile equipment and foot traffic, machinery components move, flying object/debris
Common trends among US Paper Industry Fatalities are:
- Fatalities occurring at the beginning or end of shift or first day back from vacation/time off
- Hazards know in advance of fatality – either not communicated or not acted upon
- Previous fatalities in the same workplace by the same or similar hazard
- Working alone
- Lack of maintenance and inspection (preventative, predictive and periodic)
- Cultural issues – fixing it on the fly, reluctance to exercise the Right to Act when work is unsafe
- Outside Contractors
- Inadequate Training – new training new, lack of mentoring, high seniority new to job or task
In addition, there are main hazards in the papermaking and converting processes that deserve attention in any plan to address fatalities.
The USW Paper Sector will work with OSHA and companies in the industry to implement the following plan to make paper safely and prevent fatalities in our industry:
1. Develop five educational modules particular to the industry and centering around and addressing the five major fatality areas in the industry to prevent such fatalities:
Mobile Equipment Hazardous Substances Falls
Caught-In Struck By
2. Develop guidelines and educational modules around the main hazards in the papermaking and converting processes, including:
Working in Confined Spaces
Removing broke
Tail and Web Threading
Conveyor Safety
Pulpers, Agitators and Stock Tanks
Head Box Hazards
Wire Hazards
Black & White Liquor
Transfer Point to Press
Press Section
Dryer Section
Calendars
Reel Ups
Corrugators
Wax Machines
Sheeters
Certain Safety Functions on Machines
Preventing/Clearing Jams & Other Upset Conditions
Hot Work & Testing for Flammable Atmospheres (including anaerobic bacteria)
3. Develop systems for clear and effective hazard identification, controls and communication – from reporting to abatement
4. Implement and sustain effective near miss and injury reporting systems as valuable safety tools to identify and control hazards
5. Accident/Incident Investigation & Communications – conducted jointly by union/management and results communicated.
a. Fatality and Life Altering Accidents -- Lessons learned from fatalities and life altering accidents (e.g. CSB Hot Work Bulletin, Pensacola Door) -- develop systems to insure and sustain complete review for same or similar hazards in the affected workplace, all facilities employer-wide and domestic and global industry. Insure communication of actions is occurring.
b. Potential Fatality and Serious Accident Incident Investigations results also shared in same way (e.g. TAPPI).
6. Educate and train employees and their representatives on the Right to Act when s/he believes work is unsafe or unhealthy and develop a process for exercising the right (see Right to Act Guidelines).
7. Effective maintenance and inspection programs (preventative, predictive and periodic) to insure machinery is operating and functioning properly.
8. Develop comprehensive contractor health & safety programs (controlling, contributing, exposing, and correcting).
9. Develop and train a Union Paper Safety Representative chosen by the Union in each USW-represented workplace who will be trained on this plan and assist in facilitating the Right to Act where necessary. At some locations this may be a full-time Union health and safety committee representative.
10. Conduct effective union/management safety committee training and insure the committee is monitoring and taking action on the above points. The Union Paper Safety Representative should sit on the union/management safety committee.