Sawmill Safety Awards & Summit
While we celebrate the John Edgar Rhodes Sawmill Safety Excellence Awards every year, it becomes a party every other year at Forest Products EXPO!
Southern Forest Products Association Lumber Manufacturer members are considered for the award based on standardized information submitted using OSHA Form 300A – the Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.
This form offers a yearly snapshot of workplace safety by reporting the number of work-related injuries and illnesses at each facility. Awards are presented in three divisions, and safety performance is judged by how each mill’s safety record stacks up against facilities with comparable lumber output throughout the year.
The seven award recipients from 2024 represent a record of 1,883,749 total hours worked among 757 employees – achieving safety excellence with zero reported incidents. This was the fourth year in a row in which at least seven member mills reported zero incidents.
To emphasize sawmill safety culture, SFPA introduced the inaugural Sawmill Safety Summit at Forest Products EXPO 2025. This 45-minute Safety Summit featured representatives from each of the recognized mills who shared their approaches to building a strong safety culture and real-world advice for improving safety performance.
Their conversation provided strategic and tactical insights on safety, with each mill representative addressing:
- How they achieved zero incidents.
- Their safety training/meetings - and general safety culture.
- Goal setting – and how they achieve it.
- Addressing safety issues/infractions.
The panel also addressed topics such as:
- Where/how can safety in sawmills continue to improve?
- What strategies have helped you defy safety expectations?
- What is your personal leadership mantra or safety motto?
We can't wait for you to join us at the next Sawmill Safety Awards & Summit at Forest Products EXPO 2027!