01 cvr ci 05.07 - tappi

May 2007May 2007

A TAPPI Publication for Corrugated Packaging Professionals www.tappi.org

2 Corrugating International May 2007

Lockout/Tagout – Every Box PlantShould Have This Procedure in PlaceLockout/Tagout – Every Box PlantShould Have This Procedure in PlaceWith this issue of CI, our series on Lockout/Tagout concludes. A totalof six articles and two first person stories have been published in thisissue of CI and the preceding two issues. TAPPI will shortly take thesix articles, along with the two first-person accounts of personaltragedies experienced as a result of failing to follow Lockout/Tagoutprocedures, and combine them into a Manual. This Manual will be atemplate for any plant in our industry to develop and implement theirown Lockout/Tagout program. The two first-person introductory arti-cle to this Manual should persuade any manager that Lockout/Tagoutprocedures are needed and, from a practical standpoint, are manda-tory to comply with OSHA regulations, and, if strictly enforced, willreduce accidents and save lives.

The case for Lockout/Tagout is so compelling that it is difficult tounderstand how any plant in our industry can operate without theseprocedures in place. Go to TAPPI’s web site and download the Lock-iout/Tagout articles for the past two issues of CI, combine them withthe final two articles in this issue and create your own Manual. Thenget to work in developing and implementing your ownLockout/Tagout program. For those organizations already havingLockout/Tagout procedures in place, reprint all six articles to findupgrades or improvements to your existing procedures. A lot of expe-rience went into writing the articles and almost everyone can findsomething in this series of articles that will enhance their existing Lock-out/Tagout program.

Two other H.R. related articles close out the editorial content of thisissue of CI. I also strongly recommend those readers of CI who havean interest in training and the looming exodus of baby boomers fromour industry (and all other industries, as well) to go back a couple ofmonths and read the first five articles in the February 2006 issue ofTAPPI’s Paper 360º. There is a lot of good information contained inthese five articles.

I am pleased to include TAPPI’s Corrugated Packaging Division’s(CPD) Newsletter in this edition of CI. It is written by Craig Garbariniand covers the CPD’s plans for this year and the upcoming CPDAnnual Conference to be held in Indianapolis from October 29 throughNovember 1.

David A. Carlson, Technical Editor, Corrugating International, [email protected]

A TAPPI Publication for Corrugated Packaging Professionals

Vice President, OperationsERIC FLETTY

Publishing DirectorLISA HIGHTOWER

Technical EditorDAVID A. CARLSON

Art DirectorJULIE STEPHAN

Corrugating International (ISSN-1525-4275) is published threetimes a year by TAPPI, 15 Technology Parkway S., Norcross, GA 30092, USA.

Statements of fact and opinion expressed are those of theauthors and TAPPI assumes no responsibility for them; they are notintended nor should they be construed as a solicitation of or sug-gestion by TAPPI for any agreed-upon course of conduct or con-certed action of any kind. Copyright ©2007 TAPPI. All rightsreserved.

Send manuscripts for publication to the Editor at:Corrugating International, 15 Technology Parkway S., Norcross, GA 30092, USA. +1 770 446-1400, FAX/TWX +1 770 446-6947, www.tappi.org.

MAY 2007 CONTENTSA R T I C L E S3 Corrugated Packaging

Division Newsletter

4 OSHA Workplace Statistics,Regulations, Enforcementand Services

6 LOTO – Questions &Answers

8 The Jeff Pallini Story

10 Anatomy of an Accident

13 7 Horrible Hiring Mistakes

15 Bridging the Skills Gap

18 Association News

Published by TAPPI www.tappi.org 3

CORRUGATED PACKAGING DIVISION NEWSLETTER SPRING 2007Although spring is just beginning to emerge from the grips of winter, we are well on our way to finalizing the details of CPD 2007 Conference tobe held in Indianapolis October 29th through November 1st. Programs and presenters are in place, marketing plans are being finalized and theregistration process will be started within the next month. The location was selected to maximize the opportunity for box plant personnel to attendbecause of the central location and easy access from a great number of corrugated facilities. Special rates will be offered to encourage plantpersonnel to attend in groups and the technical and networking opportunities will be numerous and exciting.

Richard White, 1st Vice Chairman for Program Development, has assembled an impressive array of speakers covering motivational topicsand the latest industry trends including “Lean Manufacturing” and Robotics. Technical sessions will be conducted on such corrugator topics assteam systems, starch preparation, water treatment, maintenance, paper basics and quality analysis. Converting topics will be offered on pHstabile inks, press fingerprinting, Anilox roll and blade systems, die board basics and equipment maintenance. In addition topics will be pre-sented to hone your skills in the area of human resources and safety.

This year’s exhibit will be very informative and provide the opportunity to discuss your interests with the key vendors in our industry. To datenearly 100 venders have already reserved booth space, with more to come. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn what the cutting edge in theequipment world is bringing to the corrugated industry.

We will offer the opportunity to attend each technical session and the show on two separate occasions during the conference. Last year thisprocess was implemented to allow attendees to participate in every event of interest to them without scheduling conflicts. This is a change whichis sure to allow each participant to maximize the return on their investment.

All this plus networking opportunities, what’s new technology showcase and a special presentation from AICC members on trends in China.See you at the conference!

This year the only technical committees that will have meetings during the conference will be CORBOTEC and FISCOTEC. While othercommittees have suffered anemic attendance these committees are vital and continue to thrive. The CPD Council meeting held in St. Peters-burg Thursday February 8, 2007 took considerable time reviewing the status and value of the current CPD Technical Committee structure. Afterconsiderable discussion and review it was decided that the current structure is inappropriate for the level of participation experienced in recentyears. With the exception of CORBOTEC and FISCOTEC, most technical committees are poorly attended and have lost their focus. In addi-tion it has become increasingly difficult to solicit qualified leadership for these technical committees and their overall value to the organizationhas become marginal.

The CPD council voted unanimously to do the following:• Disband all technical committees except for CORBOTEC and FISCOTEC.• Encourage active members of the other technical committees to participate in the remaining technical committees above. • Charter ad hoc technical committees to perform specific tasks that are needed to conduct business going forward.

The ad hoc technical committees mentioned above would be chartered for a specific purpose, given a clear mission statement, staffed suf-ficiently to complete the assignment, and when complete would be disbanded until another need arises.

The feeling of the CPD council is that the ad hoc structure is more efficient with our reduced membership and will provide time for other activ-ities more appropriate to our needs. We hope to have a pilot ad hoc committee chartered soon to demonstrate the power of this new process.

I hope every member brings a friend to the conference and participates fully. If everyone does, this will be one of the most successful TAPPIevents in recent history.

Craig B. GarbariniChairman Corrugated Division


I’M NOT TAKING NAMES; I’M WITH THECONSULTING SIDE OF OSHA. ARE YOUFAMILIAR WITH THE CONSULTING SIDE OFOSHA? A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN’T ANDTHAT’S WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUTTODAY. IN ADDITION I WILL PRESENTSOME STATISTICS FROM OSHA.

My background: Actually, I retiredfrom the insurance business as aWorkman’s Comp loss control spe-cialist and I saw enough horror withhands, arms, deaths and so forth thatI decided I wanted to go back to workand help the industry learn from myinsurance industry experience.OSHA’s consulting side was the per-fect platform.

OSHA, when it was formed, had anenforcement side, which some peoplecalled the dark side and the consult-ing side. The consulting side is alsopart of your tax dollar; so, when youget into these standards, feel free touse your state’s consulting side.Every state has one. I don’t know ifyou’re aware of this fact, but there isstate involvement and there is Fed-eral involvement. This can be confus-ing. OSHA is a Federal law, but thestate has option to run the program aslong as they comply with the OSHAregulations. In order to insure astate’s acceptability by the FederalGovernment, most states are a littlemore stringent. If you are in a staterun plant like Nevada is, you couldbe looking at additional require-ments. More about this later.

HERE ARE OSHA’S “FATAL FIVE”:1.Failure to stop equipment2.Failure to disconnect from power

source3.Failure to dissipate residual

energy4.Accidental restarting of equip-

ment5.Failure to clear work areas before

restarting

One of the factors I can think of inthe “Dissipate Residual Energy” cate-gory is gravity. Do you have anyequipment that gravity could be afactor? I can recall 3 fatalities wheregravity was a contributing factor. Sothink about how you can get zeroenergy. As the previous panel mem-bers have presented, that’s whatOSHA wants; zero energy and noresidual energy.

The top five citation categoriesshown below vary a little bit from thefirst panel member’s presentationbecause I took these for entire pulpand paper industry, not just the cor-rugated industry.1.Machine Guarding (22%)2.LOTO (14%)3.Electrical (11%)4.Powered Industrial Trucks (6%)5.Hazard Communication (6%)

How are you doing? I hope you’renot contributing to the “Fatal Five” orthe “Top-5 Citations”.

When an OSHA inspector comes to

This is the fifth of six presentations on Lock-Out-TagOut given atTAPPI’s 2005 CorrugatedConference in Las Vegas.The sixth presentation isalso included in this issueof CI. The 6 presentationsalong with two first person LOTO experienceswill be compiled into aTAPPI LOTO Manual.

OSHA Workplace Statistics, Regulations,Enforcement and ServicesOSHA Workplace Statistics, Regulations,Enforcement and Services

Frank Barzen: Nevada OSHA Division of Industrial Relations


your plant, one of the key observationareas is "Zero Energy State". But tohave a Zero Energy State, you haveto have your Lock Out/Tag Out pro-gram in writing. Your authorizedemployees, your operators and oth-ers, are they trained or can anyone goto a machine, if you have a TagoutProgram, and turn the switch whenthey shouldn’t? Also, you must do anannual LOTO audit. There are a lot ofcitations on not doing one. You’ve gota program but no one ever audits it.

Citations are based on severity andthese are the top three. A “Serious” iswhere someone can get hurt or killed.A “Willful” is if your managementand you know you must have thisunsafe condition fixed now. If yourOSHA inspector visits, and you haveignored something including theLockout/Tagout procedures ormachine guarding, that’s a “Willfull”and fines start at $70,000. “Egre-gious” of course, is if someone reallygets hurt and OSHA can show thatyou really haven’t cared. In otherwords, you have ignored it, don’twant to do this or that, and someonehas been injured.

By the way, just to remind you thatif you have a death, you have toreport it to OSHA within eighthours. That’s any death at work. Itcould be a heart attack; you still haveto report it. And obviously, if it’s notwork related, that’ll be cleared up.Eight hour reporting is also requiredif three or more people end up in hos-pitalization.

Here is what OSHA EnforcementOfficers look for during a site visit.“Imminent danger”. That’s wheresomething is really bad right now.The guard is off the machine; allsomeone has to do is walk by and youmight have severe injury. “Catastro-phe” is a fatality. Again, you have toreport that to OSHA within eighthours. “Complaints/Referrals” isanother OSHA trigger. At any time,

anyone can call OSHA. That includesemployees, suppliers, or it could beanother agency. You can actually goon the OSHA website and find outwhat enforcement officers are goingto look for. The compliance thingsare right on the website.

OSHA has other programs. InMarch 2002, OSHA had a NationalEmphasis Program on machineguarding. It has been in effect nowfor three years.

Chances are you will see someonefrom OSHA somewhere at sometime. Of course, they will follow upon any type of citation that has beengiven in the past. However, there arecertain processes that you can gothrough to be better prepared. Ialways suggest that you ask for aninformal audit from the consultingside. Again, I’m the consulting side,I’ve never cited anyone.

There are two general types ofassistance that OSHA provides. Firstis the public website. Take a look atit. It has a lot of good material on it.There are “eTools” that could reallyhelp you. Second are the consultingservices, which all states have,whether the OSHA program is Fed-eral or state run. Consulting services are also listed on the website. Ser-vices may vary. We have quite a planin Nevada and we’re proud of it.Nevada is not that heavily populateda state but we have five trainers. Wealso have 15 or 16 consultants. So inNevada we’ll work with you. Otherstates can vary with staff but theirservices are similar.

On state’s websites there are Safety& Health topics, Compliance Assis-tance information; and things for asmall business, as not everyone canobviously afford a fulltime safety per-son. Training, of course, is mandatedbut we can do training. Our “eTools”are on the website and there is inspec-tion data posted. So, by all means,take a look at your state’s website.

It’s worth it. We will send consul-tants out to you. The only thingthey’ll tell you before they come out,is that you must correct any “poten-tial” citations. The Consulting sidedoes not cite, but if you’re not withinthe standard, you’ll be asked to cor-rect it.

Nevada again, has a state-runOSHA program, so we have addedthings on. We have added require-ments for cranes and “written” pro-grams for safety. Federal statutesdon’t require either of those actions.If you have things in your plant thatmight be causing problems from anindustrial hygiene standpoint, youcan call our number and just get ananswer; you don’t even have to havesomeone come in.

If you want these services, feel freeto call. You can find the number onthe OSHA website for your particularstate. Of course, you must agree tocorrect, that’s the only obligation. Ifyou ask a consultant to come out, youcan’t ignore a situation that is not incompliance with the standards. Youhave to correct it. In Nevada for thepast 15 years we have had a “fire-wall” between the “consulting” sideand the enforcement side of ourOSHA program. We don’t share any-thing; we’re like two different areas.However, if an employer would notwant to correct anything, and I canthink of only one case in 15 years, wewould have some real problems.Eventually, yes, we would have toturn it over to enforcement. We don’tissue citations from the consultingside, but you do have to commit tocorrect things in an agreed upon timeframe.

I hope this information will helpmake OSHA a more user-friendlyand helpful Government agency and,above all, help you make your work-place safer for you and your employ-ees. CI


THE 6 PRESENTATIONS ALONG WITH TWOFIRST PERSON LOTO EXPERIENCES WILLBE COMPILED INTO A TAPPI LOTOMANUAL.

QUESTION: I have aquestion I would like to address tothe gentleman from Weyerhaeuser. Iwork on splicers. There was a line upon the screen regarding the MSK(Machine Safeguard Key) on asplicer. I am interested in thatbecause I noticed in some of the Wey-erhaeuser plants, key switches are onthe splicers but the control powerswitch is gone. To me, on powershutoff, normally when the powercomes back up, you have to pull thatcontrol power switch and now it’sgone. I’m just wondering what theWeyerhaeuser procedure and policyis regarding splicers because that’swhere I make my living and I need tofollow Weyerhaeuser’s safety proce-dures and just wanted to know a littlemore about them.

MR. WILLIAM D. LEWIS: Just forclarification, we don’t have an MSKon splicers. We have what’s calledthe OEM (Original Equipment Manu-facturer) Process Key, which we leaveat a process in a place defined by theOEM for operators to use. We havenot changed the circuitry at all on anyof our splicers or anything else thatthe OEM recommends. The use ofthe key is for a ZES (Zero EnergyState). Understand, that when wetalk about a Machine Safeguard Key,

we always have to talk about thesafety monitoring relay because theygo hand in hand. You can’t have aMachine Safeguard Key without hav-ing the safety monitor relay system.We made a decision early on withsplicers, that we weren’t going tochange that circuitry. We wanted tofollow the OEM recommendations.In fact, part of our procedure is clari-fication about these recommenda-tions from the OEM. Anything out-side of that is a full ZES from the elec-trical side, the pneumatic side, orwhatever other sources of energymay be there.

QUESTION: This question isfor the gentleman from OSHA. Isthere a fee for consultations fromOSHA?

MR. FRANK BARZEN: No, actu-ally it’s part of your tax dollar. Thereis no cost other than your time.

QUESTION: Again, for thegentleman from OSHA. Other thanmonetary sanctions, are there crimi-nal sanctions being pursued or is thatin the future? I’ve heard that criminalsanctions were being looked at.

MR. FRANK BARZEN: Well Ican’t really speak that well for theenforcement side, but once the OSHAis taken care of, that does not preventanother agency like the District Attor-ney, or whoever, to pursue additionalaction. For example, in Chicago awhile back...or right now in Houston,

This is the sixth and finalpresentation on LockOut-TagOut fromTAPPI’s Workshop onthis subject at the 2005Annual Conference in Las Vegas.

LOTO – Questions & AnswersLOTO – Questions & Answers


companies were levied large fines for“Egregious” citations. Once that’sdone, there is a good chance the Dis-trict Attorney – if someone dies –may go after a company’s responsibleindividual(s). This happened inChicago. The company was havingpeople work with a cyanide solutionwithout proper respiratory protec-tion and an employee was killed.OSHA fined the company for an“Egregious” citation. Then the Dis-trict Attorney took the owner to

court for manslaughter. It’s not acriminal thing with OSHA. How-ever, that does not mean, again, thatthe state or the District Attorney cancome back at you if you kill some-body. To repeat, the actions are fromindependent agencies or depart-ments.

MR. FRANK E. CORDIER: Actu-ally, if I could interject on that. Therehave been a number of instanceswhere OSHA has turned cases over tothe Justice Department for prosecu-

tion. The ones that come immedi-ately to mind, along with the Chicagocase that Mr. Barzen mentioned,were, if you remember, the chickenprocessing plant fire in North Car-olina, and another one, I can’tremember where it occurred, whichinvolved excavation and trenching.If you’re worthy of a “Willful” and“Egregious” citation, criminal prose-cution might be a very real concern toyou. CI


I'M SURE EVERYONE HERE IS FAMILIARWITH LOCKOUT/TAGOUT. THE INDIVDU-ALS THAT ARE ON THIS PANEL OFAUTHORS WORKED HARD FOR SEVERALMONTHS TO PULL THIS INFORMATIONTOGETHER. THEY ARE GOING TO EXPANDYOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT LOCKOUT/TAGOUT WITHIN OUR INDUSTRY AND ATTHEIR COMPANIES.

The panel asked me to provide thisintroduction to get your attention anddrive home the importance of thistopic within our industry, within ourindividual companies and within ourown lives.

Why is this important to you, whydid we pick this topic? The CPDCouncil selected this as one of the keytopics for the Corrugated PackagingDivision several months ago. Why isit important to you individually?Obviously safety is everyone's con-cern. Also we want to get some con-sistency in our industry, on both thesupplier and user sides, making surethat it is not only a highlight to all ofus, but to find ways that we can helpone another to achieve consistency inindustry and a higher level of safetyfor everyone. Accidents do changelives. That's absolutely true. I thinkthat's why the panel asked me tointroduce this set of presentations toyou.

On April 25, 1985 my life waschanged. I was a victim of a LOTOtype accident. I used to be in the tis-sue converting industry and had acatastrophic accident involving myright hand, due to a LOTO type expe-

rience, where the machine was notlocked out and I was somewhere Ishouldn't have been. As a result, Ilost the majority of my right hand. Soit does change lives, I'm here to tellyou that personally. Let me describeto you some of the ways it changedmy life.

I lost the majority of my right hand.The left side of my right hand is actu-ally the toe from my right foot. I hada toe transplant. That was the thirdoperation of this type ever done inthe world.

We work to live, not to work. Letme repeat that. We work to live, wedon't live to work. I think it's impor-tant that we all remember the proce-dures and techniques that are goingto be presented and slow down. Fol-low the procedures, the proceduresyou are going to read about. Theseare the procedures that exist withinyour company, the procedures thatyou know personally through yourexperience over time. Make safetyyour personal responsibility. Ourcompany tried to do this, I knowmost of your companies that I'veworked with do an excellent job, butit really comes down to the individ-ual. Every individual has to take it astheir priority or we are never reallytruly safe.

Working safely allows us then tolive and enjoy and teach the next gen-eration how to be prosperous as wehave been, and also avoid life chang-ing experiences.CI

Editors note: Jeff Pallinipresented his story as a part of the LOTO Workshop at the September 2005 Corrugated PackagingDivision Conference inLas Vegas.

The Jeff Pallini StoryThe Jeff Pallini StoryJeff Pallini, Fosber America


Jeff J. Pallini is Vice President andGeneral Manager of Fosber America,Inc. of Green Bay, WI.

Jeff began his career in Lucca, Italyat Fabio Perini SPA, a manufacturerof tissue-converting equipment. In1986 he transferred to the Green Bayoffice where he worked his way upfrom customer service to sales man-ager. In 1989 he started Fosber Amer-ica, a manufacturer of corrugatedmachinery. The company started as adivision of Perini, but became its ownbusiness in 1992, the same year that

Jeff became General Manager. Jeffattained his Bachelor's degree in 1984from Clarion University in Pennsyl-vania.

A TAPPI member since the late1980s, Jeff has held several positionsin the Chicago section. He has been akeynote speaker at both Chicago andMinnesota TAPPI, and has presented"What's New" at the National level.

He has served as Vice Chairman ofthe Suppliers Advisory Committee andcurrently serves as Membership Chair-man for the Chicago local section.


AS THE VALVE CLOSES, THE ENGINEERSAYS, “I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLEYOU MAY HAVE KILLED.” JOHN MARTIN

I’m telling you this story to helpyou. The anatomy of this accidentand its consequences are instructivefor anyone involved in planning andsupervising a workforce. By describ-ing this incident, I hope to help othersbetter understand how puttingequipment in “precision state” candirectly contribute to the safety andwell-being of the workforce — andhow necessary it is to build safetyinto every aspect of every task.

The accident took place on June 7,1984. We will take a serious look at allthe contributing actions that set thisaccident in motion. The unsafe atti-tudes, shortcuts taken, communica-tion breakdowns, production pres-sures, equipment failure and pride ofquickly completing the job all con-tributed to the final outcome.

The Timeline• SECOND WEEK OF APRIL 1984

Mill management starts aredesign project by moving oper-ation supervision into differentareas of the mill in an effort toimprove supervisors’ workingknowledge of the processes.

• FIRST WEEK OF MAY 1984Mill management continues theproject by moving maintenancesupervision around the mill. Newmechanical engineers are placedinto several maintenance areas as

frontline supervision. Experi-enced front line supervision ismoved into planning positions.

• WEDNESDAY JUNE 6, 10 A.M.An operator notices a pump leak-ing fluids from the packing gland.Mechanics attempt to stop theleak but can’t reduce the flow.They place a piece of felt over theleak to keep it from spraying onwalkways, and they report backto their supervisor.

• WEDNESDAY JUNE 6, 12:30 P.M.Maintenance and operations meetto discuss their options. Option 1:A complete shutdown, whichwould take the system down for24 to 36 hours, reducing produc-tion during the entire event.Option 2: Secure the closest valveto the leaking pump and changeout the pump, which will take thesystem down for eight hours.Available storage means that noproduction will be lost. Theychoose the second option.

• WEDNESDAY JUNE 6, 3:30 P.M.The supervisor informs the crewthat they are going to change outthe pump by securing one valveand draining the system. Marion,a mechanic, is assigned to do thejob the next day. Marion talks toseveral experienced mechanics,and they tell him this has neverbeen done before because of thepotential danger. He decides he

Editor’s note: John Martinpresented his story at thePulp and Paper Reliability and Maintenance Conferenceand Exhibit, Oct. 2-5 inAtlanta.

Anatomy of an AccidentAnatomy of an AccidentJohn Martin, Martin Safety Solutions


will lay out the next day.

• WEDNESDAY JUNE 6, 5:30 P.M.I’m at the beach windsurfing. Forthe first time, I sail from the beachout into the ocean and return towhere I launched. I can’t wait toget back to the beach tomorrowafternoon. Harry, the othermechanic assigned to the job, isworking at his church, repairingschool buses to sell. He is alsointerested in returning the nextday.

• THURSDAY JUNE 7, 7 A.M.The operator (trained for six days)shuts down the system. He closesthe valve to secure the pump andopens the drain line to depressur-ize the system. Marion calls theshift office and reports out. Harryand I are heading to work think-ing we will have a normal,uneventful day.

• THURSDAY JUNE 7, 8 A.M.Pump lines are drained andmechanics are assigned jobs, butno one is assigned to the pumpchange out. Supervision callsother work groups to man thepump job. Harry and I make ourway to the job site. When wearrive, the supervisor tells us thesystem is drained and for us toget to work.

• THURSDAY JUNE 7, 8:25 A.M.I lock out the breaker while Harrygoes to the job site and sets thetools up on the 10-ft. high plat-form where the pump is located. Iask the operator if the system isready, and he confirms that it issecured and drained. We also askthe process engineer, and he con-firms the system is down. Beforestarting the job, we touch and tapon the pipe and confirm it isempty. (The product in the pipe is

Attention to safety can prevent accidents with effects that last a lifetime.

Five WhysPeople

1. Why did the operator push the“ON” button?

2. Why was the operator unfamiliarwith the equipment after havingcompleted the training for thejob?

3. Why was the equipment notlocked out to keep the operatorfrom being able to energize theequipment?

4. Why were both mechanics work-ing behind one lock?

5. Why isn’t the time it takes tosafely lock out built in as part ofdoing the job?

Five WhysEquipment/Materials1. Why was the change to the nor-

mal process not investigated withinput toward safety?

2. Why was hot product releasedwhile maintenance employeeswere working on the system?

3. Why was the new procedure con-sidered more cost effective?

4. Why was “time saved” the decid-ing factor in making a change tothe process?

5. Why was the equipmentapproved for work while it wasstill under pressure?

Five Whys Environment

1. Why did the job begin withoutfirst establishing a safe escaperoute?

2. Why are maintenance mechanicsfrom outside their routine areasnot offered hazard awarenesstraining before starting jobs inunfamiliar areas?

3. Why was the product still hotwhen people started working onthe system?

4. Why are inspections not con-ducted at the job site?

5. Why are maintenance employeesnot a part of inspections done byoperations?


usually at 250° F.) I check thedrain, and it’s clear.

• THURSDAY JUNE 7, 8:30 A.M.We both get started so we won’tneed to work overtime. We startremoving the coupling and rigthe pump and start removingbolts that secure the pump inplace. We see several supervisorswho note our progress, and weask if the job is safe.

• THURSDAY JUNE 7, 8:45 A.M.The pipe fitter has trouble secur-ing the gate valve. He can’t get achock in position to positivelysecure the valve. He calls theoperator and asks him to strokethe air-powered gate valve so hecan get the chock in place. Thisvalve is directly above the pumpHarry and I are removing. This isthe only valve between us and thepressurized system.

• THURSDAY JUNE 7, 8:48 A.M.The operator hits the valve button

in his operator’s room, 68 feetabove our worksite. I’m removingthe last nut holding the pump inplace.

At the moment of release of the250° F, 100 lbs. pressure, +14ph liquid(sodium hydroxide), it blows thepump out of its location and coversHarry and me completely.

The valve takes 39 seconds to fullyopen. Hearing my screams, theprocess engineer runs into the opera-tor’s room and yells, “You’re killingsomeone!” The operator laughs,thinking it’s a practical joke. He takes30 seconds to realize what is happen-ing and hits the stop button to closethe valve. As the valve closes, theengineer says, “I don’t know howmany people you may have killed.”Consequences

I was burned over 70% of my bodyand lost vision in both eyes. In aneffort to restore vision, I have experi-enced 64 procedures on my right eye.

For more detailed information on theconsequences of the accident and how

John Martin is principal at MartinSafety Solutions LLC. He would liketo thank Sharon Dixon, CSP, for assis-tance with this article. Readers maycontact Martin by phone at 1 843-810-0298, or by email at [email protected]. A video presenta-tion of this story is also available. Anexcerpt is available at www.martin-safetysolutions.com.

they impacted Marion, Harry, the oper-ator, the rescue squad, family membersand friends, feel free to contact meusing the information below. CI


YOU NEED TO HIRE THE BEST EMPLOYEES.BUT YOU HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY HIREDSOME EMPLOYEES WHO WERE LOSERS. Oops! Let’s be more diplomatic. Let’sjust say you hired some “under-achievers” you would have been bet-ter without. Or maybe you have thecurse of hiring only “average”employees-people who are averagein productivity and average in pro-ducing profits.

QUESTION: Who wants to hire“average” (or “below average”)employees?

ANSWER: No one! To hire the best, you need to avoidthe problems that plagued your pre-vious hiring decisions. So, let mereveal seven horrible hiring blundersor mistakes you may have made.

THE 7 MISTAKES 1ST HORRIBLE MISTAKE:Interviewers typically are lousy atpredicting job success. This is aproven fact, verified by a lot ofresearch. Statistically, most inter-viewers do about as well as flipping acoin.

2ND HORRIBLE MISTAKE:Reference checks fail to tell you whatyou really must find out. Mostemployers are so freaked out aboutgiving reference checks that they tellyou nothing or barely anything use-ful about how your applicant per-formed on-the-job. Another way to

put that is that most reference checksare about as non-useful as simultane-ously (a) flipping a coin while (b) rub-bing a rabbit’s foot!!

3RD HORRIBLE MISTAKE:You relied on your “gut feel” or“intuition” & you were W-R-O-N-G.Later, as you moaned about the mis-take you made by hiring the wrongperson, you asked yourself, “I knewwhat I was feeling. But, what was Ithinking?”

4TH HORRIBLE MISTAKE:You used subjective prediction meth-ods to make hiring decisions. Forexample, you relied on subjectiveinterviews, subjective referencechecks, or subjective “impressions” ofthe applicant. Wow! Were you everoff-base. And then you and yourcompany needed to pay for yourincorrect hiring decisions. That isexpensive, time-consuming, and frus-trating.

5TH HORRIBLE MISTAKE:You used NO objective, customizedprediction method. It is important toremember that research shows pre-employment tests are the most objec-tive method to make predictions.Make sure you use a test customizedfor specific jobs in your company. Ifyou have not used tests customizedfor specific jobs in your company,then you really have missed out onthe most objective and customizedprediction method you could use.

Later, as you moanedabout the mistake youmade by hiring the wrongperson, you asked your-self, ‘I knew what I wasfeeling. But, what was Ithinking?’

7 Horrible Hiring Mistakes7 Horrible Hiring Mistakesby Dr. Michael Mercer

6TH HORRIBLE MISTAKE:You told the applicant what you werelooking for!! Then, lo-&-behold, theapplicant spent your entire interviewtelling you s/he just happens to pos-sess all the skills, talents and qualitiesyou (stupidly) told the applicant youwant in an employee.

For example, let’s say you told theapplicant you need to hire anemployee who excels at teamwork,customer-service, and correctly han-dling small details. I bet I can predictwhat that applicant told you in theinterview. The applicant told you-with a serious yet pleasant expres-sion-that s/he excels at teamwork,customer-service, and correctly han-dling small details.

Then, when you hired the personwho gave you all the answers you (stu-pidly) told the applicant you want, youpay the price of having an employeewho may not REALLY be talented at

teamwork, customer-service, or han-dling small details. You got fooled- andyou have only yourself to blame.

7TH HORRIBLE MISTAKE:You do terrible harm any person youshould not have hired. Let’s behumanistic about it. If you hire thewrong person, the applicant alsoloses. People crave the chance towork in a job where they can do welland enjoy it. People hate a job wherethey will perform only average orbelow average, and not enjoy thework. So, you actually benefit theapplicant you carefully evaluatedusing customized, objective hiringmethods.

SUMMARY: When you hire . . .

1. high-achieving “superstar”employees, both you and your com-pany win.

2. underachieving employees, (a)you lose and (b) your company loses. Make sure you use customized andobjective prediction methods, likepre-employment tests, bio-data andmore, to make sure you hire employ-ees who are (a) productive, (b) prof-itable, and (c) low turnover.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Dr. Mercer is nationally recognized asAmerica’s “Hire the Best” expert. Hehas created pre-employment tests thatmany companies use when hiring jobapplicants. He delivers 50 speeches andseminars annually, based on five bookshe wrote. You can subscribe to his freeManagement Newsletter at his websites, www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com orwww.DrMercer.com. You can call hisoffice by phone at 847-382-0690.

Copyright 2006 Michael Mercer, Ph.D.,www.DrMercer.com



THERE IS A CRISIS TAKING PLACE IN U.S.INDUSTRY TODAY.

According to a 2005 Skills Gap Sur-vey of senior industry executives con-ducted by the National Association ofManufacturers, the vast majority ofU.S. manufacturers are experiencinga severe shortage of skilled and evenunskilled workers. And in comingyears, the situation will be muchworse.

At a time when technology is grow-ing more complex and global compe-tition more aggressive, this is badnews for the pulp and paper industrywhere, according to AF&PA’sAgenda 2020, the need for better-trained, technically skilled employeesis essential to staying competitive intoday’s global economy.

According to Stacey Jarrett Wag-ner, managing director of the Centerfor Workforce Success, who spoke atthe TAPPI Training Leaders Forum inAtlanta in August, “Nothing is morecritically important to organizationstoday than this issue. It has been slowin coming, but top executives are nowstarting to get it.”

HITTING WHERE IT HURTSToday’s skill shortages cut acrossmany types of industries and impactmore than 80% of the companies sur-veyed. They also directly affect amanufacturer’s ability to achieve pro-duction levels, increase productivityand meet customer demands. But the2005 survey reveals a picture that isboth more complex and more dis-

turbing than what has been seen inthe past. It shows a widening gapbetween the availability of skilledworkers and the employee perfor-mance requirements of modern man-ufacturing.

While the situation is already pos-ing significant challenges, the basiclaws of supply and demand in thelabor market suggest an even moredifficult future. On the demand side,employers want more highly skilledemployees that are exceptionallyengaged and innovative. But basicdemographic, social and educationaltrends indicate a gloomy supply out-look.

DEMOGRAPHICSIn general, today’s workers are older;and in the next five years, manufac-turing companies will face losing alarge percentage of their workforce toretirement. The exodus of the babyboomers, with their substantial accu-mulated skills, will reduce the avail-able talent pool. This wouldn’t besuch a bad thing if there were skilledworkers in the pipeline ready toreplace them. However, there arefewer and fewer qualified peopleentering the workforce; and in the’90s, one of every two new entrantswas an immigrant.

CHANGING ATTITUDESMany of today’s applicants in manu-facturing don’t have the necessarybasic, technical and even employabil-ity skills, such as attendance, timeli-

A shortage of qualifiedworkers threatens theindustry’s ability to compete globally

Bridging the Skills GapBridging the Skills GapGlenn Ostle is Editorial Director of Paper360º.


ness, work ethic and, importantly, theability to pass drug tests. In addition,employers must pay attention to theneeds of the next generation of work-ers, Gen Y and Gen Z, who approachthe workplace with different expecta-tions for job training and advance-ment.

In a separate survey done by TheConference Board, only half of allAmericans say they are satisfied withtheir jobs, down from 60% in 2004.This decline in job satisfaction iswidespread among workers of allages and across all income brackets.

CHANGING JOB REQUIREMENTSMore complex workplaces withincreasing use of technology arenecessitating some basic technicalskills in almost all jobs. And thistrend is quickly making unskilledjobs a thing of the past. Most surveyrespondents (60%) felt that a highschool degree alone wasn’t enough toqualify a person for an entry levelposition. However, 80% felt that atwo-year or technical degree wasacceptable.

Seventy-five percent of manufac-turers surveyed said that a “High-performance Workforce,” defined asa work environment that uses prac-tices such as teamwork, extensivetraining, regular appraisals and per-formance feedback, flexible jobdescriptions, and extensive commu-nication to improve performance, isthe most critical issue to their futurebusiness success. This is clearly atodds with their overwhelmingresponse that there is a significantshortage of qualified workers.

EDUCATIONAL PREPARATIONMore than 80% of respondents feltthat K-12 education and career coun-seling were inadequate for preparingemployees for the workforce. Manyfelt that more emphasis should beplaced on math, science, technologyand innovation. Workers with mili-tary experience are in demand, notjust because of their technical skills

but also because they possess basicskills and understanding of leader-ship, hierarchy and work ethics.

There is also a declining percentageof students in U.S. universities study-ing science and engineering, whichhas a direct impact on the level ofinnovation that companies can expectfrom their employees. Compare thiswith countries such as China, Indiaand Russia, who graduate millions

more students from colleges than theUnited States.

INDUSTRY IMAGESurveys from The Conference Boardand the Gallup Organization showthat employee opinions about theworkplace, in general, are at an all-time low. And when it comes to man-ufacturing positions, most potentialjob entrants have a negative or out-

74 PERCENT of respondentswho said they couldn’t find skilledworkers right now.

90 PERCENT of respondentswho said they couldn’t find machin-ists, operators, technicians

65 PERCENT of respondentswho said they felt scientists and engi-neers were in short supply

39 PERCENT of respondentswho said they were experiencing ashortage of unskilled productionemployees

74 PERCENT of respondentswho said having a high performanceworkforce will be their key to busi-ness success

36 PERCENT of respondentswho said that they must trainemployees in basic education skillssuch as reading, writing and commu-nication

53 PERCENT of respondentswho said that they must train newemployees in basic employabilityskills such as attendance, timelinessand work ethic

84 PERCENT of workers whosaid that K-12 schools were not doinga good job of preparing students forthe workplace


dated image of industry as a dirty,dangerous place to work, probablytied to the stereotype of an assemblyline and reinforced by their parents.Industry must become more involvedin helping change this perception.Says Wagner: “When we take some ofthese people into high-tech work-places, such as paper mills withsophisticated machinery, their per-ceptions change.”

TRAINING NEEDEDIn the face of this deteriorating prob-lem, manufacturing companies willbe challenged to find ways to attract,retain and motivate employees.While 50% of survey respondentssaid that they are spending more ontraining and education than they didthree years ago, given the gloomypicture of future entrants into theindustry, it is obvious that trainingand education will take on an evenlarger role in the future.

Employers will need to view theirhuman capital as an investmentrather than an expense. “It is difficultto get the attention of some CEOsregarding the need for training. Oftenthey either get it or they don’t,” Wag-ner says. “This doesn’t mean that weshouldn’t continue to demonstratethe value that skilled workers bringto the bottom line and that, over time,investments in human capital can payoff in terms of increased productivityand innovation.”

While U.S. manufacturers spend$65 billion per year on training, morewill be needed in the future as invest-ments in human capital will becomeas important as those in technologyand infrastructure.

According to the Skills Gap survey,73% of respondents say they providetraining to employees because it is a“business necessity.” Wagner says:“We have seen companies moveaway from training as a good thing,

just something to help people, andstart to focus only on training that ismission critical. Not just to help themdo the job better and be better people,but rather for the sake of the return itmeans to the business.”

The National Association of Manu-facturers and the Manufacturer’sInstitute are helping in this effortwith a new national “Dream It Do It”Manufacturing Careers Campaignmade up of a coalition of manufactur-ers, civic leaders, educators, parents,economic developers and workforcedevelopment leaders. The intent is todevelop regional economies throughthe support of manufacturing and thedevelopment of skilled workers. Formore information, visitwww.dreamit-doit.com. CINote: View the complete Skills Gap Sur-vey at www.paper360.org.

Glenn Ostle is Editorial Director ofPaper360º. Contact him [email protected].

NEWS


Recently a dedicated group of corru-gating professionals were able to “gettheir hands on” a great learning expe-rience: TAPPI’s Corrugated PressHands-On Maintenance Workshop,held February 21-23, 2007 in Char-lotte, North Carolina. TAPPI’s Cor-rugated Packaging Division spon-sored this well-received new coursedealing with how press mechanicsand maintenance people can affectthe bottom line.

By using the actual machineryand plant facilities of Harper Machin-ery Corporation, attendees didn’t justhear about great ideas for improvingtheir operations—they got hands-onexperience in how to make them hap-pen. On his post-workshop evalua-tion, one attendee noted that thisinnovative approach helped him“collect valuable data on set-up ofequipment that will enable more effi-cient operation and troubleshooting”back at the mill.

Georgia-Pacific’s Rick Croker,director of technical services; JohnTroyke, senior region engineer; FredHubler, senior mechanical service

coordinator, SUN Automation Groupand Harper Machinery personnelguided participants through theworkshop. “(These were) high qual-ity presentations by experienced peo-ple with a passion for excellence,”commented attendee Jeff Hamilton,maintenance manager for Tharco.“Very well organized and located,with an emphasis on precision.”Because course size is kept small (15participants, maximum) the formatoffers plenty of time for attendees to askdirect questions about applying theirnew skills to their own operations.

“This course definitely covers theflexo folder gluer and/or rotary diecutter maintenance, as it relates towhat an out-of-specification bearing,shaft, pull roll, slotting heads, orother component will do to the corru-gated sheet as it travels through theconverting equipment. This coursealso relates to press mechanics, notjust in a ‘preventative maintenance’way, but in how the mechanics affectthe finished product,” anotherattendee commented. “This meansthat this course is well suited for

NEWSASSOCIATION MAY 2007

Corrugated Maintenance Workshop provides great hands-on learning

When an event only comes aroundevery four years, the anticipationbuilds early…. and the exhibit floorfills fast! AICC and TAPPI will pre-sent SuperCorrExpo®2008 on Sep-tember 22-26, 2008 in Atlanta, Geor-gia, USA. Even though the eventdoesn’t open for another 16 months,to date 129 exhibitors have alreadypurchased almost 77,000 square feetof exhibit space—which they will fillwith the newest products, hottestideas, and best new services avail-able.

Eleven of the exhibitors signed upso far are completely new to Super-CorrExpo, with many more new

exhibitors expected in time for theshow. Clearly, the buzz has startedspreading, and companies want to bea part of The Largest CorrugatedPackaging Machinery Show in theWestern Hemisphere. This unique, week-long eventincludes running machinery andworld class education provided byAICC and TAPPI, and will alsoinclude the presentation of awardsfor TAPPI’s 2008 CorrPak Competi-tion. The will be something foreveryone in the corrugated packag-ing industry, and you will NOTwant to wait another four years tobe a part of it.

Want a hint about what makesSuperCorrExpo so… super? Get afirst hand look at all the excitementexperienced at SuperCorrExpo®2004by viewing the SuperCorrExpo®video. Or, read the 2004 show wrap-up published in E-Corr.

With the exhibit floor filling up soquickly, you’ll want to make plansnow to be a part of this importantevent. Visit www.supercorrexpo.orgto learn about sponsorship opportu-nities, conference registration, andmore – then add that address to yourfavorites and check back for programupdates. See you in Atlanta in 2008!

Super update on SuperCorrExpo®2008

maintenance people as well as peoplefrom sundry industries who serve orsell parts, ink, printing plates, cuttingdies, anvil covers, anilox rolls, etc.”

In addition to having the opportu-nity to use the excellent facilities atHarper Machinery, attendees wereinvited to tour Poteet Printing, whereRoger Poteet gave a presentation; andto tour Harper Corporation of Amer-ica. Bill Farber from ContainerGraphics also made a presentation.“Talking and working with all thoseguys with a wealth of knowledge andexperience” was a valuable benefit ofthe course, commented anotherattendee. For actual onsite photosplease visit:www.tappi.org/s_tappi/sec_branded_home.asp?CID=27&DID=28

Because of the success of this newWorkshop and the overwhelminglypositive response from attendees,TAPPI plans to over another Corru-gated Press Hands-On MaintenanceWorkshop some time in the future.Check the TAPPI website and membernewsletters for information on the nextavailability of this valuable course.


Corrugating News

Dave Carlson set to retire Longtime TAPPI member David A. Carlson has retired from his position astechnical director for Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation in Chicago, Illinois,USA. We’re pleased to report that Carlson does plan to continue his contribu-tions to Corrugating International, TAPPI and the industry.For many years, Carlson has been one of TAPPI’s strongest voices within the

corrugated community, as CI’s technical editor and as a leader in TAPPI’s Cor-rugated Packaging Division. In 2006, Carlson received the TAPPI Herman L.Joachim Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes an individual for vol-untary leadership and service that have significantly and demonstrably con-tributed to the advancement of the Association. After earning a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering and an

MBA, both from Northwestern University, Carlson began his career at Con-tainer Corporation of America. Subsequently, he held posts at Hoerner Wal-dorf, Champion International, Stone Container Corp., and Smurfit-Stone. A TAPPI member since 1978, Carlson has been active in the Corrugated Pack-

aging Division (CPD) and the Chicago Local Section. He is past Chairman ofthe CPD, and has served in all offices of the Process Control and QualityAssurance Committee. He also remains active in TAPPI’s Corrugated Packag-

ing Division’s FISCOTEC Committee. In 1995, Carlson was awarded the TAPPI Corrugated Packaging Division Lead-ership and Service Award. He completed a three year term on TAPPI’s Board of Directors in 2000 and was also nameda TAPPI Fellow. In 2003 Carlson was awarded the TAPPI Corrugated Packaging Division Technical Award.

Carlson has been the technical editor of TAPPI’s Corrugating International for a number of years and has chairedthe Quality and Standards Management Committee of the Board of Directors since 1998. His has published articles inTAPPI JOURNAL, CI, and other industry publications. In 2000, Carlson was named a TAPPI Fellow in recognition ofhis dedicated service to TAPPI and the industry.

He has been active on the Technical Committee of the Fibre Box Association and has served as an advisor to theUniform Code Council. Carlson is a recognized expert in the direct printing of bar codes on corrugated.

Carlson can be reached at [email protected].

The 2007 CorrugatedPackaging Conferenceand CorrExpo® October 30 -November 1, 2007 at theIndianapolis Convention CenterEvents Hosted by TAPPI 's CorrugatedPackaging Division

The TAPPI 2007 Corrugated Packag-ing Conference and CorrExpo attractsan audience of nearly 400 corrugatedpackaging professionals from boxplants and corrugated convertingcompanies. Attendees include plantmanagers, production teams, individ-ual operators, production managers,

and purchasing managers. A specialone time fee this year for multipleattendees from a box plant locationwill make it easy for people to benefitfrom this valuable conference andExpo.

Building on the success of the lastyear's conference, the 2007 Corru-gated Packaging Conference will fol-low the same format of hands-ontraining and problem solving for acustomized conference experience.Richard White, 1st Vice Chairman forProgram Development, has assem-bled an impressive array of speakerscovering motivational topics and thelatest industry trends including "LeanManufacturing" and Robotics. Tech-nical sessions will be conducted onsuch corrugator topics as steam sys-

tems, starch preparation, water treat-ment, maintenance, paper basics andquality analysis. Converting topicswill be offered on pH stabile inks,press fingerprinting, Anilox roll andblade systems, die board basics andequipment maintenance. In additiontopics will be presented to hone yourskills in the area of human resourcesand safety.

Back by popular demand, JoelWeldon will kick off the conferenceand will address the issue of change.His keynote address titled "The Invis-ible Horses" Change-Change-Change! focuses on embracingchange and seeing all the wonderfulopportunities it brings. Joel will out-line creative ideas on how to focus onyour priorities, use time more effi-


ciently, and how to delegate evenmore effectively.

The exhibit and trade fair offersindustry suppliers the opportunity todisplay and discuss the latest tech-nologies, services and products to abuilt in audience of productionteams.

Suppliers also have the opportunityto apply for the popular What's NewTechnology Showcase session. Dead-line for applications is August 17, 2007.

Purgatory Golf Club will be thevenue for the Annual CorrugatedClassic Golf Outing this year and itpromises to be a wonderful day ofgolf and networking.

For additional information on theCorrugated Packaging Conference,CorrExpo, the What's New Technol-ogy Showcase and all conferenceevents go to: www.tappi.org/s_tappi/doc_events.asp?CID=9658&DID=553357.

Limited exhibit space is still avail-able. The exhibitor application andCorrExpo® 2007 floor plan are avail-able at www.tappi.org, or go directlyto www.tappi.org/s_tappi/doc_events.asp?CID=9658&DID=553357.To reserve exhibit space, contactPriya Chan, Questex Media GroupInc. at 617-219-8363 or [email protected]. CI

Corrugating News

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