<p>George Vorhauer, consultant with Oregon OSHA, speaks at a reception Monday welcoming Kinzua Lumber into the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program, or SHARP.</p>

Sawmills are, by nature, dangerous places to work without the right precautions. Just ask Terry Evans, division safety manager for Boise Cascade wood and paper products.

There is nothing in there that does not cut you or crush you, Evans said.

Employees at Boise Cascades Kinzua Lumber mill in Pilot Rock take their safety so seriously that more than 40 percent of workers are directly involved in voluntary subcommittees meant to address hazards throughout the operation.

On Monday, Kinzua Lumber was recognized by Oregon OSHA for its acceptance into the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program, or SHARP, which provides employers with further incentive to create a safer workplace.

Crews gathered with company officials for a celebration and barbecue outside the main office, where Evans said the Kinzua model of safety would be held up as the standard for all Boise Cascade mills division-wide.

This is a big deal, he said. You guys have done something to keep the entire company safe.

By joining SHARP, Kinzua Lumber is dedicated to becoming self-sufficient in managing occupational safety and health. It takes five years to become certified through the program, with annual audits submitted to Oregon OSHA.

After the first year, employers can be exempt from scheduled OSHA inspections. Kinzua Lumber is one of two wood products manufacturing sites currently enrolled in SHARP, along with Boise Cascades White City Veneer in Medford. 

Plant Manager Mike Zojonc said the process took several years just to be admitted into the program. Companies are only eligible if they meet their industrys standard for lost or restricted work days due to injury or illness on the job site.

The standard incident rate for Kinzua is 2.4 cases per 200,000 man-hours of work  or the typical number of man-hours worked per year. When Kinzua first applied to the SHARP in 2012, their rate was just below that average at 2.3 incidents. It has since improved to 2.01 incidents.

Part of that was an impressive run of 433 consecutive days without an injury, including the entire year from March 22, 2012 through March 22, 2013. Zojonc said safety has become part of the mills culture.

It takes a lot of focus from a lot of people, he said. What were trying to accomplish is a well-educated, well-informed workforce that, when the time comes to make a decision, they have the information necessary to make a good decision.

The result, Zojonc said, is greater productivity and cost savings from having employees happy, healthy and ready to work.

George Vorhauer, Oregon OSHA safety consultant, performed a comprehensive consultation of the mill and follow-up visits before the agency finally accepted Kinzua into SHARP. What Vorhauer was most impressed with, he said, was the employee buy-in.

Here, theyre excited to be doing this process, Vorhauer said. Theyre working toward their levels of excellence, as opposed to just getting those boards out the door.

Boise Cascade Region Manager Troy Little said Kinzuas pursuit of SHARP helps it stand out in the company.

For us, its definitely significant from the standpoint of demonstrating leadership in safety, Little said.

With 85 total employees, Kinzua Lumber produces about 50 million board feet per year.

Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4547.