TACOMA, WA — APA – The Engineered Wood Association has announced the winners of its 2023 Safety and Health Awards—the premier safety award program for North America's engineered wood products industry. The program promotes and recognizes operational excellence to reduce injury and illness rates.

The Safest Company Award went to two members. Canfor won in the category of three or fewer mills, while West Fraser took the title for companies with four or more mills. There were also two winners in the coveted Innovation in Safety Award category.

PotlatchDeltic’s St. Maries, Idaho, mill won the Equipment-Based Innovation Award with its “Automatic Hot Press Panel Feeders.”
RoyOMartin’s Alexandria, Louisiana, mill won the Jeff Wagner Process-Based Innovation Award for its “The IBIZ Now Safety Show.”

Seventy-three APA member-engineered wood product facilities participated in the 2023 program. Twenty facilities representing eight APA member companies earned awards in various competition categories. Some mills were multiple award winners.

“We take pride in our members’ hard work and dedication to improving worker safety each year,” said APA President Mark Tibbetts. “It's crucial that as an industry, we advance and adopt best practices to ensure our workplaces remain as safe as possible.”

In its 16th year, the program is spearheaded by APA’s Safety and Health Advisory Committee (SHAC), comprised of APA member company safety professionals. “Our industry experienced significant staffing shortages, which added unprecedented complexity to our manufacturing processes,” said APA SHAC Chair Steve McKenney. “Our ability to navigate these challenges and reduce our TIR by over 5% is truly a testament to our commitment to safety and health.”

The full list of winners and more information on the APA Safety and Health Awards Program can be found on the association’s website at apawood.org.