April 9, 2008 - Louisiana-Pacific Corporation's Building Products (LP) Newberry plant recently received renewal of its MVPP Star Award, the state's highest workplace safety and health award, from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA).  The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG).

"Louisiana-Pacific is to be commended for its exemplary corporate commitment to workplace safety and health," said MIOSHA Director Doug Kalinowski.  "They have created a corporate culture where workplace safety and health is a top priority.  LP recognizes that a safe workplace provides the foundation for a productive workplace."

MIOSHA established the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program (MVPP) program in 1996 to recognize employers actively working toward achieving excellence in workplace safety and health.  Since 1999, Michigan has recognized 22 MVPP Star companies.  This is the most prestigious safety and health award given in Michigan.  The Louisiana-Pacific Newberry plant first received MVPP Star approval on March 11, 2004.

LP Corporate was recently recognized as one of the Top 10 Safest Companies in America by Occupational Hazards magazine and received the award at the national award ceremony in Chicago.  LP has 23 facilities across the U.S. , Canada and Chile .  Of those 23, eight are either federal or state VPP sites.  In addition to Newberry, the sites include:  Tomahawk, WI; Hayward, WI; Two Harbors, MN; Houlton, ME; Middlebury, IN; Jasper, TX; and Roaring River, NC.

"There are only 21 other companies in the state of Michigan that can say they are an MVPP Star site," said Russ Norkoli, Safety Manager.  "It takes a total team effort and commitment to continue in the MVPP.  Our employees have been taking on more of a leadership role in safety over the past couple of years.  I can't say enough about the quality of our employees."

The Newberry plant's incidence rate and lost work day rate are well below the Michigan average for their NAICS code 321219 - Reconstituted Wood Product Manufacturing.  Their total case incidence rate average over the last three years was 3.27, compared to a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) industry average of 4.5.

"Newberry had an outstanding year in 2007 and was a significant contributor to LP Building Products achieving their safest year ever and lowest Total Incident Rate (TIR), along with being a significant contributor to LP's national recognition and VPP achievements," said Steve Hatcher, Business Team Safety Manager.

The Newberry facility employs 129 workers and is considered a high-hazard operation.  The MIOSHA review team consisted of Doug Kimmel, Team Leader and Safety Consultant; Fred Kirkland, Industrial Hygienist;  and Barry Simmonds, Safety Consultant.  The team examined various elements of Newberry's safety and health management system, and found them to effectively address the scope and complexity of the hazards at the site.

It was evident during the interviews that employee safety and health are equal to or more important than production.  Management commitment is evidenced by:

• Written accident prevention/safety and health program;
• Dedicated safety staff and resources;
• An active and empowered safety and health committee;
• Comprehensive safety and health training;
• A fully implemented accident investigation program;
• Significant engineering and administrative controls to eliminate ergonomic hazards; and
• Employee accountability for their safety and health performance.

Employee involvement and participation are highly effective at the Newberry facility with employees believing their safety and health is a top priority for themselves and the company.  Workers have many avenues to bring safety and health issues to management, including an open-door policy.  Employees are involved in the creation and updating of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for all jobs in the plant.

The company conducts inspections in various areas of the plant each month to ensure the entire facility is covered every few months.  Managers and supervisors are required to complete an established number of proactive safety-related tasks each month.  Corporate safety and health professionals have developed a Leading Indicator system to help each LP facility stay focused on maintaining safety and health compliance.

The Newberry plant manufactures high-quality SmartSide™ siding products that provide beauty, performance and value to homeowners.  LP, headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is a premier supplier of building products, manufacturing innovative, high-quality commodity and specialty products to its retail, wholesale, homebuilding and industrial customers.  Visit LP's Web site at www.lpcorp.com for additional information on the company.

Read more Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth press releases.