Safety Excellence Recognized Across Alberta
At West Fraser, safety is a core value, a business priority, a shared responsibility and a reflection of how we work together every day.
That commitment to a safety culture of continuous improvement was evident this year as several industry associations, including the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) and the APA – The Engineered Wood Association, recognized several West Fraser mills. Recently, the Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA) also recognized three of our Alberta divisions for their outstanding safety performance.
Safety excellence is built through the choices our people make every day. The achievements at Edson, Hinton and Alberta Plywood reflect that commitment — and, guided by insights from this year’s Safety Insights Survey, all of our offices and divisions continue to strengthen a culture where everyone takes ownership, speaks up and looks out for one another.
Troy Withey, Corporate Safety Manager
Recognizing safety performance
Edson Forest Products received the Health and Safety Excellence (2024) award in the Sawmill Category (400,000+ person hours worked). The award honours employers who go above and beyond to create safer, healthier workplaces and embed safety into everything they do.
Hinton Wood Products and Alberta Plywood each received Outstanding Achievement in Health & Safety Excellence (2022–2024) awards in the Sawmill Category II (400,000+ person- hours worked) and the Panelboard Sector, respectively. These awards recognize companies that have demonstrated consistent improvement and sustained excellence in health and safety over the past three years.
Recognizing skill and precision
The AFPA also recognized two West Fraser employees for top marks in lumber grading.
Lumber grading is more than a quality measure — it’s part of how we keep structures and people safe. Each piece of lumber is inspected for characteristics such as knots, moisture content and straightness, then assigned a grade that indicates its strength and reliability. Those grades determine where and how the material can safely be used in construction.
Accurate grading helps ensure that every board leaving our mills meets the standards needed to build safely — a process that depends on skill, focus and attention to detail from every grader and apprentice.
Brandon B., Electrician Apprentice, Sundre Forest Products, received the Novice Category — Highest Mark award.
These awards recognize the skill, focus and attention to detail that underpin quality and safety in our operations.
A shared commitment to safety
From our mills to our offices, safety excellence depends on teamwork, accountability and continuous improvement. Congratulations to all the teams and individuals recognized this year for helping keep safety at the heart of everything we do.
