Two recent stories of fires breaking out in our industry caught my attention. In both instances, workers were evacuated from the facilities with no injuries being reported.

As Safety Month at Paperitalo Publications continues, knowing where employees and co-workers are located is very important in preventing injuries.

Ongoing safety training is obviously a necessity. Human factors should be included in safety training.

Fatigue and exhaustion has a negative impact on production, but also poses a serious safety risk. Fatigue can restrict an employee's attentiveness, which could jeopardize not only their safety, but also the safety of their co-workers. Mill managers should ensure that everybody keep an eye out for potential hazards and/or unsafe practices. Employees should watch out for their co-workers.

Does your safety training program include training for human factors that could potentially lead to safety issues?

Helen Roush is Executive Vice President of Paperitalo Publications.