Curtis Lumber Co Inc Success with Safety Present

Curtis Lumber Co. , Inc. Success with Safety

Present Day Curtis Lumber. . . At the present time, Curtis Lumber Co. , Inc. employs over 400, with sales in excess of $110 million. Cash and Carry Branches have been added as follows: • 1966 • 1967 • 1971 • 1974 • 1981 • 1986 • 1989 • 1994 • 1996 - Schuylerville - Warrensburg - East Greenbush/Schodack - Delmar - Hoosick Falls (moved to Hoosick 1992) – Glens Falls (moved to Queensbury 1997) – Schroon Lake - Perth/Mayfield - Fort Plain - Granville

Curtis Lumber Locations. . .

Present Day Curtis Lumber. . . Curtis Lumber Co. , Inc. is a premier independent home improvement supplier to the consumer and building professional in Eastern New York State. With 11 area locations within 150 mile radius of Albany, NY, we can supply materials throughout northeast and ship almost anywhere in the United States. Within these facilities there are three departments: Store Operations, Yard Operations, and Administrative Operations. Personnel from Yard Operations are exposed to the hazards of working in a lumberyard environment which include material handling, forklift operations, delivery services, propane dispensing, customer services and maintenance needs. Outside Contractors may be brought on site for major maintenance or capital improvements. Personnel from Store Operations are exposed to the hazards of a retail store environment, which include customer services and material handling. Administrative personnel are exposed to hazards of the everyday office environment. Curtis Lumber’s Standard Industrial Code is (SIC) 5211

Safety History. . . 1973 - 1992 • 25 OSHA Citations Issued • Employee Complaints/No Safety and Health Programs • Security Director started to record and log accidents. What safety issues can you find?

Safety History. . . 1980’s Fire Claims Saw Mill and Planer Mill Fire Clean-Up

VPP Building Process. . . 1992 - Present • Hired a Safety Consultant to develop our safety manual. (1992) • Hired a full time Safety Manager. (1993) • Contacted State Consultation for onsite consultation. (1994) • Recommendations were made. (1994) • In-house hazard auditing was done by branch locations and corporate safety. (1994 -1996)

VPP Building Process. . . 1995 • Developed safety committees at corporate level and all branch locations. • Discussed safety changes and recommendations were made. • Safety manual was improved. • Training topics developed and a calendar of training was established and utilized.

VPP Building Process. . . DATE Training Calendar - January - December January - Safety Statements + Rules 1. Curtis Lumber Co. Safety Policy Statement 2. Safety + Safety Responsibilities 3. Curtis Lumber Safety Program 4. Assignment of Responsibilities 5. General Safety Rules February - Hazard Recognition + Control 1. Self Inspections 2. Self Inspections Bi-Weekly Checklist 3. Yearly Checklist for Managers 4. Unsafe Condition/Near Miss Report June - PPE 1. Personal Protection Equipment Training July - Job Safety Analysis 1. Job Safety Analysis August - Lockout/Tagout 1. Lockout/Tagout Procedures September - Training Programs 1. Material Handling Training (Packet) 2. Forklift Operator Qualifications + Safety 3. Forklift Evaluation March - Hazard Communication Program October - Bloodborne Pathogens 1. HAZCOM Program 1. Bloodborne Pathogens 2. First Aid Supply List 3. Universal Precautions Checklist April - Accidents 1. Accident Procedures: Investigation + Analysis 2. Accident Reports: Employee, Vehicle, Customer 3. Forms: Light Duty, Release of Claims May - Emergencies 1. Emergency Action and Fire Prevention 2. What to do in the event of an emergency 3. Emergency Action Plan for Curtis Lumber 4. Evacuation Maps 5. Fire Extinguisher Training November - Workplace Threats + Violence 1. Workplace Threats + Violence December - Ergonomics 12 Month Training Calendar

VPP Building Process. . . 1995 - 1996 • Developed Safety Newsletter for corporate communication. • Continued improving the safety program until we felt we were ready to move forward into the SHARP Program. SHARP Certificate Awarded to Ballston Spa Branch

SHARP Program. . . 1996 -Present SHARP PROGRAM INTRODUCED Definition of SHARP Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program • SHARP is funded by The United States Department of Labor, run by state consultation. • Currently in our area there are 38 SHARP sites. • Currently Curtis Lumber Co. has 8 SHARP sites.

SHARP Program. . . 1996 -Present Curtis Lumber SHARP Sites 1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 - Schroon Lake Granville Queensbury and Ballston Spa Warrensburg and East Greenbush Schuylerville, Perth, Delmar And Hoosick Falls Curtis Lumber Ballston Spa Curtis Lumber Queensbury Curtis Lumber Warrensburg

VPP and SHARP Training. . . 1997 -1998 Training Years • Took safety class (workplace safety and health) with John Tomich (area OSHA director) College Credited Class through Cornell University. • John Tomich challenged us all to broaden safety awareness/home safety. • Employee involvement through committees, appointing safety managers, bi-weekly audits, training and drills. • We attended several safety council and business council meetings for: • Education, Networking, and Employee Involvement. • Now I serve on the board of directors for two Northern N. Y. Safety Councils. • Albany • Plattsburgh • Introduced to VPP companies - Share ideas and best practices. Networking.

VPP and SHARP Training. . . 1998 Training Years • Two of those companies introduced became our mentors. • International Paper (Corinth) and Adirondack Resource Recovery. (Hudson Falls) • Attended first VPPPA Region 2 Conference - Mixing with the best in Safety and Health. Currently we have attended the past 6 years. • Took classes at OSHA Training Institutes in New Hampshire and Lockport, NY. • Trainer Course for General Industry - #501 • Principles of Ergonomics - #225

Employee Challenges. . . 1998 - Present Employees resistant to training and changes. • Involved employees in program to make training interesting. • Safety newsletter developed and sent to employees homes. • All employees growing to like training and realizing that sales, service and safety are number one priority at Curtis Lumber. • Employees do hazard audits (bi-weeklies) • Employees are evaluated in safety awareness evaluation program. • PPE-employees picked.

Mother Nature Tests Our Safety Skills. . . 2000 Tornado Hits Ballston Spa Facility • Emergency action plan goes into effect. • Emergency responders are notified. • All employees are accounted for. • Damage areas are secured.

SHARP Program turns to VPP. . . 2001 2 SHARP Sites Inspected + Recommended For VPP Star Status • Granville, NY - 11 Employees • Schroon Lake, NY - 10 Employees • First SHARP sites accepted into VPP • First Retail Sites in the Nation in VPP Curtis Lumber Granville, NY Norman Deitch Region 2 VPP Manager Curtis Lumber Schroon Lake, NY

SIC Code #5211 - Retail Sales. . . 2001 Safety In a Retail Environment • WE DO NOT HURT OUR CUSTOMERS! A lot of Retail Businesses are hurting their customers! Our employees are trained to be observant of customers and their children. • Our customers and visitors are involved in our emergency drills. • Our customers/contractors are educated about Curtis Lumber’s safety awareness and programs through signage and seminars.

Safety Benefits. . . 2001 and Beyond • We have received over 50% rebates from our worker compensation premiums and paid out only $4000 in costs, company wide in 2001. • We are communicating with OSHA in a friendly way, not confrontational. • We are now involved in the OSHA SGE Program. • We have become great mentors and will share whatever safety and health information that is needed with other companies, to insure their employees and customers are safe. • We have numerous fleet safety awards, mandatory DDC classes.

Safety Benefits. . . 2001 and Beyond In the year 2001 we had 8 accident and injury free sites. • • 2002 are TCIR Rates Company widewith 853, 355 working hours logged company wide- (11 locations), (8 OSHA recordables were logged) TCIR- 1. 87 ·SIC- 5211 - Retail Lumber- TCIR Rate- 9. 8 ·Ballston Spa· 453, 569 working hrs. (3 recordables) TCIR 1. 3 · 6 sites Accident Injury Free.

Safety Benefits. . . 2001 and Beyond • NATIONAL AWARD: 2002 Curtis Lumber receives National Award from Assistant Secretary of Labor John Henshaw Smallest VPP Company in the Nation.

2004 National Mentoring Award NEWS RELEASE • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE • August 30, 2004 • VPPPA Awards Health and Safety Volunteers at National Conference • Las Vegas, Nev. -- The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA) awarded Paul Kniskern of Curtis Lumber in Ballston Spa, N. Y. , with the VPP Outreach Award as part of the VPPPA Annual Awards Program. The awards were presented on Monday, August 30 during the opening session at the 20 th Annual National VPPPA Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. • Kniskern is a true “VPP Ambassador, ” facilitating monthly meetings with Voluntary Protection Programs sites in the region to further networking and sharing of best practices. He also spearheads a group effort to provide group mentoring, safety and health training, as well as promoting educational and professional development.

2004 VPP Recertification • • • Granville & Schroon Lake, Recertify in OSHA’s VPP Program. Curtis recognized for Best Practice in Management Commitment/Leadership: Management commitment toward worker safety is excellent at all levels of the company structure. There is much management leadership shown at this site as reflected by the amount of training, oversight, policy, direction and communication on safety matters to employees. This has resulted not only in very good injury and illness rates, but housekeeping, orderliness and attention to detail are excellent. The facility and lumberyard, which regularly is accessed by the public, is clean and orderly. Curtis Lumber at the corporate level has also demonstrated a high level of commitment to VPP and employee safety. They have direct involvement at this site, but also have initiated mentoring programs, spoke numerous times on behalf of VPP and worker protection, are actively involved in safety and health councils and organized safety training classes at their facilities for others outside of the company. Curtis employees are also involved into these VPP and training activities.

OSHA CHALLENGE PILOT PROGRAM • OSHA CHALLENGE • The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is committed to expanding cooperative programs and providing opportunities for all eligible employers interested in working with the Agency to create safer and healthier workplaces for their employees. Current cooperative programs include the OSHA Strategic Partnership Program, the Alliance Program, and the State Consultation Program. Current OSHA programs that recognize safety and health excellence are the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) and the Safety and Health Achievement and Recognition Program (SHARP).

OSHA CHALLENGE PILOT PROGRAM • OSHA has designed all these programs to meet the needs and interests of a diverse range of employers. VPP in particular has attracted a wide spectrum of employers, from mom-and-pop operations with limited resources to large industrial sites with fulltime safety and health professional staff. However, a program is not currently available that caters specifically to organizations that are interested in VPP but need a “roadmap” to attain VPP status. OSHA’s Challenge pilot is intended to satisfy this need. This new initiative is sufficiently flexible to recognize that there are many employers working towards attaining VPP, and these employers are at different stages in the development of an effective safety and health management system. The Challenge pilot enables these employers to receive recognition from OSHA for incremental progress. In addition, the Challenge pilot formalizes procedures and methods currently used by many corporations that have multiple VPP sites.

Coordinator Companies Access Health Brenda Tipsword, Vice President Access Health Curtis Lumber Co. Paul D. Kniskern Jr. Loss Control Director, Curtis Lumber Co EHS Excellence Consulting Allan P. Jenney, President EHS Excellence Consulting General Electric Co. Barry Bedaw, GE Power systems CSP, VPP Leader

Coordinator Companies Oldcastle Precast Northeast Joan Shirikian, Hesselton- Regional Safety Manager Turner Construction Group Cary Usrey and Thomas Aurelia Turner Construction Safety Manager United States Postal Service Charles D. Farnum US Postal Service Safety & Health Specialist, VPP Coordinator Albany Performance Cluster

Candidate Companies Gregory Supply, Plattsburg N. Y. Curtis Lumber- SHARP SITES Copeland Coating, Nassau, N. Y. Nor. Am Pac Schenectady, Inc. Ace Hardware Corporation, Gansevoort, NY International Paper. Ticonderoga, N. Y. De. Crescente Distributing Co. , Inc. Mechanicville, N. Y. Power Pallet, Schenectady N. Y. Glens Falls Hospital, Glens Falls, N. Y. NY Ellsworth Ice Cream Co. , Inc. Saratoga Springs, N. Y. Northeast Panel & Truss, Kingston, N. Y. Taconic Farms, Inc. Germantown, NY Saratoga Lumber Traders, Ballston Spa, N. Y. NRLA, East Greenbush, N. Y. Pentagon Technologies, Inc, Fish Kill, N. Y. Cascades Tissue Group NY Inc. , Waterford N. Y. Bast Hatfield Inc. Half moon, N. Y Turner Construction, (RPI) Troy, N. Y. Finch Pruyn, South Glens Falls, N. Y. Schonbek Lighting, Plattsburg N. Y. Schenectady International, Rotterdam Junction, Niskayuna Occupational & Environmental Health Center of Eastern N. Y. . .

All Curtis Sites to go VPP- 2005 • Curtis Lumber is committed to achieving STAR recognition in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), at all our locations. To accomplish this goal we have taken on the responsibility to administer an OSHA pilot program called OSHA Challenge. This pilot program will allow Curtis Lumber to mentor our facilities and other companies through a roadmap teaching progress to VPP completion. This roadmap will allow the management and employees involved in the process to understand complete all the elements of the VPP process.

All Curtis Sites to go VPP- 2005 • Each Curtis Lumber facility will designate a Safety Manager, responsible for all Safety activities at their facility; this Safety Manager will also lead the effort in accomplishing VPP designation for their facility. The process will begin through monthly presentations to teach and implement the elements of the VPP. This process will be taught through the roadmap of the OSHA Challenge.

Most Important. . . We are not hurting employees, everyone goes home to their families each night.