There are several sure things in the paperboard packaging industry. However, you can always be sure that safety will be high on the list of importance for any manager in the industry.

Recently the American Forest & Paper Association renewed its alliance with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Pulp and Paper Safety Association (PPSA) as part of its continued commitment to improve workplace health and safety in the forest, paper and wood products industry.

Through the Alliance program, OSHA works with groups committed to safety and health, including businesses, trade or professional organizations, unions and educational institutions, to leverage resources and expertise to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and share information with employers and employees to help prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace.

Alliances such as these are an effective way to promote safety to member organizations and others in the industry that look up to such associations as their peer benchmark, particularly when it comes to safety-related issues.

"OSHA Alliance programs are an excellent way for a trade association and industry to raise the safety bar and reduce injuries," says Fred Hayes, director of technical services for the Packaging Machinery Manufacturing Institute (PMMI). "The U.S. is the only nation to enforce [or] adhere to safety standards. In fact, PMMI developed and introduced the first safety standard for packaging and packaging-related converting equipment. As the packaging industry evolves and technologies advance, it is critical to set and establish international packaging standards."

Alliances are an excellent way to develop industry-specific solutions, according to Kathryn Howard, a health and safety specialist in the Occupational Safety and Ergonomics Excellence (OSEE) program at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

"OSHA alliances are one way to increase compliance with applicable safety regulations in the workplace," Howard says. "Alliances provide a way for the industry sector to develop solutions to safety issues specific to that sector through a defined set of goals developed by the alliance. Defining goals will ensure that pulp and paper industry concerns are addressed by OSHA and the alliance."

While all firms strive for safety, some do it better than others. There are many things to consider when examining what makes a company excel in the paperboard packaging industry.

Increasing Industry Safety through Alliances

Greg Anderson is president and ceo of Randy Smith Training Solutions, a firm specializing in industrial training solutions and co-author of the book, Safety 24/7, which helps companies create and implement a strong safety culture. Anderson says he believes a successful safety program is a function of the safety culture that is fostered in the industrial environment.

"Whether a company excels in safety over the long term will depend on its culture, which can be described as the beliefs and behaviors handed down from one generation of employee to the next," Anderson says. "There is a significant difference in a safety culture and a culture of safety. A safety culture simply describes the beliefs and behaviors that are demonstrated within a company. Therefore, a safety culture may be good, focused on reducing incidents and injuries, or it might be poor, tolerating at-risk behaviors that put people at unnecessary risk."

According to Anderson, a safety culture is created by the example that managers themselves set — and also by how they set expectations for their staff.