Ergonomics

November 3, 2006 – Press Release

Washington. D.C. – The Pulp & Paper Safety Association (PPSA) headquartered in Portage, Indiana formally signed an alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA).  This alliance has been formed with the intent of reducing the number of work related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) within the pulp, paper and forest products industry.  The alliance will promote ergonomic awareness, provide an educational resource to industry companies and disseminate ergonomic success stories.

“The Pulp & Paper Safety Association is very pleased to join the American Forest & Paper Association in an Ergonomic Alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration,” said Pamela J. Cordier Executive Director of PPSA. “By doing so, we help to fulfill our charter of being an educational resource to the pulp, paper, converting, recycle and forest products industry.  We look forward to assisting both OSHA employees and our industry workers in determining what ergonomic hazards may exist in our production processes and then eliminating or lessening them, as well as to also develop an archive of success stories as a result of our mutual studies and evaluations”.

Jonathon L. Snare, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, said “we look forward to using our joint expertise to provide workers in the forest and paper-related industries with training and knowledge that will help them stay safe and healthy on the job”.

Sharon Kneiss, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for AF&PA said “Our Association is very pleased to partner with OSHA and PPSA on this important venture.  We support efforts to reduce workplace injuries and we are confident that musculoskeletal disorders are avoidable”.

Members of the alliance will develop training programs and educational materials on ergonomic exposures and proper methodology in the industry and present them in a variety of educational formats starting with the Ergonomic Alternate Track Seminar in conjunction with the PPSA Annual Safety & Health Conference June 11-14, 2006 in Orlando, Florida.  Additionally, PPSA along with AF&PA will train OSHA personnel and safety and health professionals in hazard recognition and effective hazard reduction processes during a series of traditional and virtual seminars.  The alliance will also share information on ergonomic issues and possible solutions in their respective web postings, during seminars and in the PPSA Quarterly Review.

PPSA is the national trade association for safety in the pulp, paper, converting, recycle and forest products industry and has served in that capacity since 1944. PPSA is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing research and low-cost educational opportunities to the industry in all areas of safety and health and to the reduction of all workplace injuries and hazardous exposures.  PPSA is one of the few safety associations that prides itself on targeting the individuals with safety responsibility in the field plants and mills and welcomes both hourly and salaried workers as members.  Visit PPSA online at www.ppsa.org.

 OSHA can be visited online at www.osha.gov and AF&PA at www.afandpa.org