LP Houlton mill marks major safety milestone

    HOULTON — The Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LP) Houlton mill in New Limerick recently marked a safety milestone by working more than two years without an OSHA recordable injury. The milestone was reached on Sunday, Dec. 18.
    The mill, which employs 65, produces LP SolidStart laminated strand lumber. This is the first time the mill has reached this safety milestone. In all, employees at LP Houlton have worked more than 274,000 hours without a work-related injury.
    “This required management’s commitment to safety and hard work and dedication by everyone at LP Houlton focusing on safety,” Plant Safety Specialist Kevin Harris said.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
SAFETY FIRST — Employees at Louisiana Pacific’s New Limerick mill celebrated a safety milestone Dec. 18 when it reached the two-year mark without an OSHA recordable injury. A banner was unveiled Dec. 19 to commemorate the event. A private celebration will also be held this month.
    Safety is a core value at Louisiana Pacific. The Engineered Wood Association recently named LP the safest company in the industry. The New Limerick mill received the organization’s Excellence in Safety Incident Free Honor Society award for working all of 2010 without an Occupational Safety and Health Administration recordable injury.
    Many manufacturers measure safety milestones by days since the last lost time accident, but LP measures safety performance by a higher standard, using an OSHA recordable injury as its benchmark. An OSHA recordable is any occupational injury or illness that requires medical treatment of more than simple first aid.
    “As we move forward we will continue to place safety as our core value on and off the job and continue toward an injury-free culture,” Harris said.
    The mill plans to hold a larger celebration of the milestone in mid January.  
    Louisiana-Pacific Corporation is a leading manufacturer of quality engineered wood building materials including OSB, structural framing products, and exterior siding for use in residential, industrial and light commercial construction. From manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Canada, Chile and Brazil, LP products are sold to builders and homeowners through building materials distributors and dealers and retail home centers. Founded in 1973, LP is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn.