Fray Bentos is one of the most modern pulp mills in the world.
At UPM's pulp mill in Uruguay, exemplary safety records are a matter of pride. Much has been achieved through motivated personnel, regular training and the right attitudes.
The Fray Bentos pulp mill in Uruguay was built between 2005 and 2007. The $1,2 billion investment plant specializes in the production of eucalyptus hardwood pulp. The mill uses approximately 3,9 million cubic meters of raw wood annually and produces 1,1 million tons of bleached hardwood pulp for the market.
Fray Bentos complies with UPM, EU and Uruguayan occupational safety and environmental standards. Occupational safety and the environment have been taken into account throughout the design and construction of the mill.
“The best available technology has been used in the design of Fray Bentos. However, true occupational safety comes from the right attitudes of the personnel,” says the factory manager. Jussi Penttilä.
All accidents can be prevented
The Fray Bentos mill employs approximately 180 UPM employees. Many of them have more than five years of experience in forest industry work, which has contributed to good occupational safety results.
Occupational safety monitoring, which extends to subcontractors operating on the mill's premises, also plays a significant role. In 2011, UPM and its subcontractors had a combined LTA of 2. This means only two lost-time accidents per million working hours.
At Fray Bentos, we firmly believe that all work accidents that occur on the factory premises can be prevented.
"Employees always wear personal protective equipment. They are trained to act correctly in accident situations and to do their own work as safely as possible," says the occupational safety manager Gerardo Galimberti.
Tools in order
Fray Bentos' operating methods and occupational safety routines are no different from other pulp mills. However, its operations are constantly benchmarked against the world's leading pulp production plants. Galimberti particularly emphasizes the high learning motivation of the personnel and long-term system development.
“We have just revamped the system used for occupational safety reporting. It has been in operation since the start of production, but now it includes information on risk assessments, work permits, inspection rounds and occupational safety meetings. I think we have built a perfect tool for promoting occupational safety,” says Galimberti.
Text: Ari Rytsy
Photo: UPM
The full article can be read in the print issue of Paperi ja Puu magazine, 4/2012.
