Verso: Maine on Paper

By David McLaughlin
Freelance Writer

Times have changed in the papermaking industry with Verso Paper Corp.’s Androscoggin Mill leading the way with thought and care concerning the future of Maine, its employees and the communities they live and work in.
Verso’s Androscoggin Mill, which opened for business in 1965, employs more than 900 people operating five paper machines, capable of producing more than 1,900 tons per day of coated groundwood and freesheet papers.
Employees at the mill come from a geographic area that spreads throughout western and central Maine giving added incentive to Verso’s desire to be a leader in safety, the environment and how the paper industry proceeds in years to come.
“We are a first class quality mill,” Bill Cohen, said. “Our commitment is to both safety and the environment.”
Verso has taken major steps in working as a leader in Maine, recently being certified as an ISO14001:2004 company that meets international standards for environmental management systems and also as an Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Voluntary Protection Program STAR facility.
In March, Verso unveiled its “Maine on Paper” plan, a powerful document that addresses challenges and offers solutions that will help keep the pulp and paper industry a viable part of Maine’s economy. The plan can be viewed at www.versopaper.com/timeforaction.
“We have laid out a plan for the pulp and paper industry in Maine to prosper,” Cohen said. “We have a plan for the future, a document that calls for action.”
In October 2008, both of Verso’s Maine mills, Androscoggin and Bucksport, were certified as ISO 14001:2004 facilities. This certification is evidence that an Environmental Management System is in place and working.
The bottom line focused on whether Verso was complying with all the environmental laws and regulations ensuring procedures and protocols are in place as well as plans for pollution prevention and that they are striving for continued improvement, environmentally.
“A third party company audited our facility,” Jodi Spiller, process safety specialist at the Androscoggin Mill said. “They look at our management system to make sure we have proper procedures and protocols in place. They also verify that we are focused toward continuous environmental improvement.”
Developing the system was a mill wide effort that started in the environmental department and filtered throughout the mill, focusing on the 17 different elements that range from emergency preparedness and response to spill prevention and internal audits.
All employees within the Androscoggin Mill are responsible for understanding and implementing policies as they relate to their job function and complying with environmental regulatory requirements.
Additionally, managers and supervisors are responsible for ensuring that the employees in their area understand the environmental issues applicable to their job function, including regulatory requirements and procedures, along with receiving training on environmental issues.
“Getting the certification provides proof that we have a sound environmental management system. We wanted to show our customers and the community that we are practicing what we preach,” said Spiller.
Also, the Androscoggin Mill went through a rigorous audit in 2008 by OSHA to remain VPP certified and recertified as a Star Site Status, the highest possible ranking in the program.
The Voluntary Protection Program promotes effective worksite-based safety and health. In the VPP, management, labor, and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have carried out a comprehensive safety and health management system. Approval into VPP is OSHA’s official recognition of the outstanding efforts of employers and employees who have achieved exemplary occupational safety and health status as well as continuous improvement.
Androscoggin received its first Star Site rating in 2000. In October 2008, OSHA representatives and special government employees from all over New England were on site for a full week, analyzing and studying the mill’s safety and health procedures for the recertification audit.
“It is a very rigorous audit,” Peggy Willihan, communications and public affairs coordinator at the Androscoggin Mill, said. “There are certain benchmarks you must attain to reach Star Status.”
Since 1999, the Androscoggin Mill’s internal VPP team has conducted quarterly audits to help employees maintain an awareness and understanding of the health and safety program.
“We care very much about the health and well being of our employees,” Willihan said. “One of the notable comments from the audit was the recognition of our wellness program.”
The wellness program sends the Health Unit staff out into the mill, into departments and areas to conduct health assessments, which include anything from taking blood pressure to checking cholesterol levels and foot care for employees in the program.
“This program is actually in its second year,” Willihan said. “We have seen an overall health improvement in our employees; the net result is higher employee productivity as employees feel better.
“There is ownership, there is a pride of affiliation amongst our employees of maintaining and retaining this certification,” she added. “There is a pride of affinity that we are a VPP site, our employees are proud to work here because it is a healthy and safe environment.”
At the beginning of each day, employees along with their supervisors go through a stretching program and meet for a “safety tool box” meeting where health and safety issues are discussed, giving employees the opportunity to hear about what is going on throughout the mill, not just in their specific area.
“Most crews get together at the beginning of their shift,” Spiller said. “It is an informal meeting where the crew leader will discuss safety incidents or various safety topics of the day. We also have a stretching policy where our employees stretch at the beginning of each shift and throughout the day as needed. These activities can be a proactive start to the day.”
Playing a role in the community has been a key component of Verso’s efforts in developing environmental, health and safety standards. Through “Maine on Paper,” the company will be looking to continue that excellence into the future.
In so doing, Verso has outlined a progressive approach to the pulp and paper industry that integrates the needs of Maine and those of Verso. With a total annual payroll at the two mills exceeding $160 million, and the total annual purchases from instate vendors topping $400 million in goods and services purchased from 300 Maine companies in more than 250 Maine towns, the connection is a vital one.
Verso has been taking proactive steps to move into the future with investments in technology, upgrades and new processes to meet the challenges that are ahead. Verso has made sustainability one of its founding principles as the company continues its efforts to move forward in today’s society and economy.