Safety
A Performance-Driven Safety Culture
Our approach is proactive, data-informed and deeply integrated into our culture, reflecting our commitment to maintaining and continuously improving workplace safety.
decrease in hand and finger injury rates from 2022
USD invested per year on safety projects since 2021
the lowest serious injury rate in the company's history
serious injuries and minimized exposure risks through innovation
At West Fraser, safety is a core value and business priority. We believe that all accidents are preventable and our goal is the elimination of all injuries with a specific focus on serious injuries.
Sean McLarenPresident and Chief Executive Officer
Safety is a core business priority, and we are committed to ensuring our people go home healthy and safe every day.
Through employee and contractor engagement, we foster a culture where every team member is encouraged to actively participate in safeguarding their workplace. We are proud to be recognized as an industry safety leader, but we know that constant vigilance and a dedication to continuous improvement are needed to ensure the continued wellbeing of all our team members.
Our integrated Safety Management Program is designed to capture accurate data, drive informed decisions and improve performance.
Through our monitoring and tracking systems, we have immediate access to performance data, enabling us to have a systematic approach to improving our safety culture for our employees and contractors. We believe engagement, survey findings and shared learnings help strengthen our safety culture of continuous improvement.
Each mill has a safety plan which increases accountability, drives crew-level safety initiatives and ensures all contractors undergo rigorous safety management training.
These annual plans are customized for each division, focusing on top hazard categories identified by local health and safety committees and employee feedback. Action plans, controls and results are reported quarterly to ensure progress.
And across our global footprint, all divisions undergo annual external safety audits to measure performance and ensure compliance.
We have a responsibility for everyone who works on our sites.
Our corporate-wide safety program, pre-qualification processes, onboarding, training and job-specific plans all work to ensure that contractors are ready to meet our stringent safety standards. Throughout our work together, we maintain contractor safety performance records, which we evaluate and work to improve on an ongoing basis.
Our safety policies clarify expectations and requirements for all locations, employees, contractors and visitors to our divisions—ensuring that everyone who sets foot on a West Fraser workplace stays safe.
Safety Stories
The awards—which aim to reduce injury and illness rates and promote operational excellence—are the premier safety award program for North America’s engineered wood products industry.
