by Web Editor | Aug 21, 2015 | News
Last September, for what we believe is the first time in our company’s 93-year history, one of our employees was killed in an accident at one of our facilities.
Bryan Dodge was a local hero. He was a husband to his wife, Amy, father to four children and friend to many. With the guidance of Crisis Chaplaincy Services, we met with those affected to provide what support we could. Ultimately, no support can replace a husband, father or friend.
An Aug. 6 article in the Statesman Journal questioned our family’s business practices and safety record. The article inappropriately reopened a wound and did nothing but add confusion and erroneous information. It warrants a response.
In regard to the accident, we don’t know why company procedures weren’t followed, why the safety equipment wasn’t used or why Bryan was where he was that night. The reason behind his death will forever be a tragic mystery.
What we do know is that safety is our No. 1 priority at Freres Lumber and our history supports that fact. According to the state of Oregon, our lost workday incident rate is 30 percent lower than our peers on average.
From the Statesman Journal: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/08/13/freres-lumber-co-responds-article/31650909/
by Web Editor | Aug 19, 2015 | News
Roseburg Plywood Mill Adds Wireless Alerts To Improve Safety
The Roseburg Forest Products softwood plywood mill in Coquille, OR is a massive facility – 700,000 square feet – with lots of moving parts. Logs entering one end of the plant are formed into finished plywood through a largely automated production process. Safety is a major concern – whether it is employee safety or the ever-present threat of fire. A new system of wireless alerting transmitters is enhancing safety and improving response times for electricians and millwrights, thus improving efficiency.
The Roseburg plant has long been a staple in the community. It is common for generations of family members to work here, creating a real sense of community. So safety isn’t just a buzzword. It’s personal. To speed the response to an emergency the company previously relied on a system of 4 hard-wired call buttons scattered throughout the plant.
These featured two separate buttons – one for “man down” – indicating an injury on the plant floor, or “fire” – for a fire. The hard-wired boxes provided a means of alerting radio-equipped personnel to emergencies – but only when they were operational, which as they aged was rather hit or miss. Clearly, something had to be done.
“We knew we had to make a change” said plant Technical Manager Pete Carter, “because if one of these boxes went down, then the whole system was down.” The outage might be minor, requiring only a few hours to fix, or it could be major, taking the system out of commission for two weeks or more. To complicate matters, the company that manufactured the original system, Murphy’s Law, has since gone out of business, and no longer supports the equipment.
From Woodworking Network: woodworkingnetwork.com.
RELATED ARTICLES
NEW STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGER FOR ROSEBURG
ROSEBURG GETS CHESTER ROLLING
The monthly Panel World Industry Newsletter reaches over 3,000 who represent primary panel production operations.
Panel World is delivered six times per year to North American and international professionals, who represent primary panel production operations. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative. Contact us today!
by Web Editor | Aug 10, 2015 | News
Freres Lumber Co. was cited four times for safety and procedural violations uncovered during inspections launched after a worker died at its Mill City plant in September 2014, according to documents obtained by the Statesman Journal.
Bryan Dodge, a 34-year-old millwright, husband and father of four, was killed when a plywood press he was replacing a steam line for activated and pinned him between the press and a post.
According to a citation and notification of penalty report from the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division, the machine lockout procedures that prevent equipment operation were not followed. The company did not have or follow uniform lockout procedures for operating or servicing the press.
Freres Lumber, a plywood and veneer producer since 1922, allegedly violated safety rules at least 14 times in the last 10 years, according to inspection data. The company was fined and cited in 2005 after an employee lost part of his hand while attempting to free debris from a wood chipper. In 2007, a $5,000 fine was levied and later dismissed by the Workers’ Compensation Board after a worker flagging log trucks was killed when a log truck backed up over him. In 2013, an employee operating a scissor lift was seriously injured when the lift malfunctioned, pinning his head and neck against the ceiling, leaving him with a broken jaw and vertebra.
From the Statesman Journal: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2015/08/06/freres-lumber-cited-multiple-times-worker-death/31201141/
by Web Editor | Aug 7, 2015 | News
The 2015 Spring NBMDA Quarterly Sales Trends Report, a robust benchmarking and forecasting tool, surveyed both distributor and manufacturer members of the North American Building Materials Distribution Association (NBMDA) to deliver invaluable data and insights. The report provides NBMDA members with information on near term and regional demand trends, sales forecasts and business management.
Overall, NBMDA distributor and manufacturer respondents are off to strong start in 2015. March was the strongest month of 1Q for respondents, and the strong trends continued through April. In addition, more than 70 percent of both distributors and manufacturers plan to add headcount in 2015.
Distributors saw demand improve through Q1 with March up 10 percent compares to four percent growth in January and February. The report indicated that distributors are forecasting six percent plus growth across flooring, board & panels, hardware & storage, and specialty building materials in 2015.
Manufacturer-specific insights from the report showed that manufacturer respondents also saw momentum improve through Q1, continuing into early Q2. Hardware & Storage is projected to be the strongest category in 2015.
“This robust benchmarking data has been an exceptional tool for our members,” said NBMDA Executive Vice President Kevin Gammonley. “The report allows NBMDA to support members by providing insights on trends their peers are experiencing.”
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/pricing-supply/building-materials-group-forecasts-6-growth-flooring-panels?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news
by Web Editor | Aug 3, 2015 | News
Submit your nominations for wood industry Market Leaders. Established by Woodworking Network magazine, this exclusive program recognizes individuals who have made an impact, not only at their own woodworking firm, but also within their market segments.
These individuals are:
• Forward thinkers/visionaries
• Creative marketers (i.e., product sales, development and positioning)
• Actively involved in promoting product quality, productivity, worker safety and education within their companies and the market as a whole
• Have themselves, or with their companies, demonstrated a commitment to the community.
Nominations should be sent to: Karen Koenig, editor-in-chief, at kkoenig@woodworkingnetwork.com. Please include a short summary of the nominee’s qualifications as a Market Leader, the nominee’s contact information, along with your name and contact information.
Those selected as Market Leaders will be featured in the November issue of Woodworking Network magazine and online at WoodworkingNetwork.com. Market Leaders represent all segments of the woodworking industry, including: cabinetry, residential furniture, contract furniture, architectural woodwork, store fixtures, and closets/home storage.
by Web Editor | Jul 31, 2015 | News
Developer Hines has broken ground in Minneapolis’ North Loop on its all-timber office building, the first commercial property in the U.S. to use an engineered wood material for its interior and structure.
The Houston-based real estate company announced Monday the start of construction on the 220,000-square-foot, seven-story office building (being called T3 for its emphasis on timber, transit and technology) that has garnered national attention.
Hines hired Vancouver-based Michael Green Architecture, in conjunction with DLR Group, to design the building. Michael Green is among the world’s foremost experts in heavy timber construction and an advocate for timber as a sustainable building material. While old-growth timber — the kind needed to support the weight of a tall building — is unavailable for construction today, an engineering process that presses smaller pieces of wood together can re-create the load capacity of heavy timber.
Following the initial announcement in November, the Wall Street Journal showcased the project, saying it will be the tallest modern all-timber structure in the U.S. once completed. Hines said Monday that it expects the building to open in early fall 2016.
From the Star Tribune: https://www.startribune.com/developer-breaks-ground-on-modern-all-timber-office-building-in-north-loop-minneapolis/318684551/?utm_source=WIT073115&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=WeekInTrees
