In This Issue:

• Message from the CEO
• Corporate News
• Operations
• Log Harvesting
• Mill Report
• Forestry News
• Millworks
• Information Systems
• Calendar

Download PDF version

Adobe Acrobat Reader is
required to view PDF files.

• News Top

Neil Nixon, ManagerMillworks

Safety Talks! Lifting Safety & Back Injuries Protect Your Back - How This Affects You:

Your back is used in all you do, on and off the job, and hurting it can have severe consequences; a lifetime of pain, inability to work or play and reduce income.

There's an alternative, though,. You can follow safe work practices to prevent injures, and practice back care at all times.

Back injuries come in two major types: the first is traumatic injury, caused by a single incident such as a fall, a car crash or a misjudged dive into water. If the spinal cord is injured the victim may lose the use of any or all limbs.

To prevent traumatic back injures:

• Always wear a seatbelt in a motor vehicle
• Wear fall arrest equipment and follow all safe work practices when working at heights.
• Before diving into water, be sure it is deep enough and that there are no underwater obstructions.
• Never mix alcohol or drugs with water sports, snowmobiling or other recreational activities.
• Don't attempt to catch a heavy object if it falls or someone tosses it to you.

The second sort of back injury is cumulative. Cumulative injures happen when years of back abuse and minor strains and sprains add up to a back injury which can be seriously disabling.

To help prevent cumulative back injuries:

• Don't sit or stand too long in one position. If your job requires you to stand, alternate feet on a raised footrest. Floor mats can also prevent back strains if you're required to stand at a work station through your whole shift.
• Lift correctly. Size up the load before attempting to pick it up. Get help or use a mechanical lifting device if necessary.
• Lift with your legs, not your back. Bend your knees and keep your back straight. Crouch down close to the object and lift by straightening your legs.
• Do not twist, bend or extend your arms when you are lifting or carrying an object, and hold the object as close to your body as possible.
• Don't attempt to lift or move an object above your shoulder height.
• Practice good posture at all times - reasonable straight while maintaining the three natural curves in your back.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Excess pounds are a direct cause of numerous cumulative back problems.

Back care is a safety basic that must be part of every active you do. Using caution at work and off the job can prevent back problems.

National Day of Mourning - April 28, 2007

Each Year Canadian workers are killed on the job. Hundreds of thousands are injured. Countless thousands become permanently disabled or die from work-related diseases.

April 28 is the Annual Day of Mourning. It has become a nationally recognized day to pause, reflect, and gather our resolve. It has become a day to re-dedicate ourselves to the fight for improved health and safety.

Observe One Minute of Silence at 11 AM on April 28 to remember those who have died, needlessly on the job. Think too of what must be done to prevent more deaths and injuries at your workplace.