The project to convert the Kingsport Mill into Domtar’s first 100 percent recycled containerboard facility recently received the Pulp & Paper Safety Association’s prestigious Award of Safety Excellence.
Given annually by the PPSA board of directors, the award is the organization’s most prestigious honor for operating excellence. It recognizes each nominee’s safety program, record and continued efforts to promote safety culture. The Kingsport Mill was one of three deserving award winners, lauded for its onsite construction crews surpassing 2.5 million hours without a lost-time incident, making it one of the largest – and statistically safest – projects in our 175-year history.
Charlie Floyd, vice president of Domtar packaging strategic capital projects, accepted the award on the mill’s behalf at the PPSA’s annual safety and health conference, held June 11-14 in Orlando, Florida. He said that every Domtar leader on the site during Project Smoky played an important role in its success.
“We’re proud to be recognized with this prestigious award,” Floyd said. “This milestone was achieved by creating an environment where workers were encouraged to stay focused on the job at hand and minimize distractions. The single most important message we consistently conveyed through our words and actions was to let contract support personnel know Domtar cared about them and valued them.”