Keeping Workers Safe Potlatch Earns ‘Star’ Status With Its Safety Program

Worker injury rates at the Potlatch particleboard plant here have declined steadily over the past three years.

In 1997, there were five injuries at the 62-person work site. In 1998, there were three.

Last year, the only reported injury was a twisted ankle.

Safety coordinator Jeff Carlson credits the decline to a voluntary program that brings company management, workers and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration together to reduce accidents.

The Post Falls plant, which turns 25 truckloads of wood chips into particleboard each day, is one of only a few manufacturing sites in the country that has earned “Star” status from OSHA for its safety program.

Five other Potlatch plants have the ranking, and the St. Maries plywood plant is working toward the certification.

That puts the company among the elite few, according to OSHA. Nationwide, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the 6 million work sites have the ranking.

“The benefits are tremendous,” said Kent Lang, union safety representative at Potlatch’s consumer products division in Lewiston.

The division became a star site in 1998. Accident rates have decreased by two-thirds, and worker’s compensation rates have declined as well. Production and quality at the plant - which produces tissue products - are up.

“It’s good for our people too,” Lang said. “People are happier coming to work. They’re getting hurt less and their concerns are being addressed.”

The Voluntary Protection Program, as OSHA calls it, is tailored to each work site. Companies must have clearly stated health and safety policies and regular safety meetings.

A clear chain of accountability for getting safety problems fixed is required. Employee participation and proper handling of hazardous materials are other focuses.

At Potlatch’s consumer products division, workers enter their safety suggestions and complaints into a computer, which keeps them updated on actions taken to correct problems.

Throughout Potlatch plants, workers’ safety habits are observed by their peers.

The process is voluntary, Carlson said. It highlights things such as whether employees are holding onto handrails on the stairs and lifting correctly.

“The hardest part is recognizing and changing unsafe behaviors,” said Carlson, who was recently chided for leaving tools in a walkway.

After a company attains star status, it gets fewer regular inspections from OSHA. But that doesn’t mean companies see less of the agency charged with protecting worker safety, Lang said.

Potlatch probably sees more OSHA officials, though they come as participants and consultants, he said.

The Voluntary Protection Program doesn’t usurp any of OSHA’s regulatory authority, Lang said. Workers can still file complaints with OSHA. The agency can still levy fines.

However, “You develop a really good relationship with OSHA,” Lang said.

Better communication between workers and management is a side benefit of the program, Carlson said.

When workers and bosses start communicating about safety, they start talking about other ideas as well. That’s one of the reasons that quality and productivity increase at star sites, he said.

This sidebar appeared with the story:

AT A GLANCE

A true star

The Potlatch Corp. plant in Post Falls is one of only a few manufacturing sites in the country that has earned “Star” status from OSHA for its safety program. Nationwide, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the 6 million work sites have the ranking.