As a manufacturer of food, beverage and consumer paperboard packaging, Boehmer Box LP is celebrating more than three years without a lost-time accident, which is significant based on the Kitchener company’s 24/7 production schedule. This milestone translates to surpassing 1-million hours worked without a lost-time accident. Boehmer Box employees more than 270 people.
“Safety is not an option in today’s workplace,” stated Mark Caines, Boehmer Box President and COO. “Employees are our most valuable asset and the workplace must be structured in a manner that allows them to work safely and effectively.”
Among the initiatives designed to improve its safety record, Boehmer Box implemented a ticketing program in which safety-committee representatives cite employees, supervisors and executives when they have committed a safety violation of any sort.
“This is a way to educate everybody about improving workplace safety and to encourage them to take ownership of it,” explained Ray Redmond, Boehmer’s Safety Coordinator, who is Co-chair of the company’s Health and Safety Committee. “A safety ticket results in training, policy and procedural changes, and/or discipline, depending on the circumstances.”
Boehmer Box also educates employees on well-being issues like physical activity, tobacco-free living, healthy eating, sun protection, immunization, road safety, stress reduction and work-life balance. Together these initiatives helped the company recently earn a Healthy Workplace Silver Award from the Region of Waterloo Public Health.
“A lot of companies will say safety is first, but the difference here is that it truly is,” said Redmond. “Management doesn’t just give workplace safety lip service — they back our safety committee 100 percent.”
Founded in 1874, Boehmer Box is now part of Toronto-based parent company Canampac ULC, which also holds divisions Strathcona Paper LP and LYFT Visual. Canampac was formed in 2006 when Greenwich, Connecticut-based Atlas Holdings LLC acquired Boehmer Box and paperboard manufacturer Strathcona Paper.
With operations in the United States, Canada and Europe, Atlas has more than 40 facilities and 3,300 employees.
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