A key aspect of our company culture is the care for and development of our employees. Our commitment to this motivates us to build relationships based upon the respect and dignity of our employees. When employees are prevented from earning a living because of workplace injuries, whether through unsafe conditions or unsafe acts, respect and dignity may suffer.

Safety on the job is often perceived to be an "individual" responsibility much as a machine operator is responsible for the operation of his/her machine. However, employees do not work alone. They have an entire network of coworkers to provide support and guidance. Interstate Paper commits this same support and guidance in providing a safe environment. When employees are injured and unable to work, everyone in the organization is affected.

A successful safety program requires that every person in the organization, regardless of position, understands and accepts that safety is their individual and personal responsibility. As demonstration of Interstate's commitment to this responsibility, we direct the following initiatives at the corporate level:

• Compliance with all applicable state and federal safety regulations.
• Development of a documented corporate-wide safety manual.
• Standardization of safety objectives and activities.
• Identification of in-house resources for safety.
• Assignment of authority and responsibility.

Responsibility for assuring that the safety initiative works effectively is a normal function of all management and supervisory personnel. Managers are responsible for the program's execution in the operations under their control; department heads, superintendents and line supervisors are accountable for the safety of the employees under their direction.

We are dedicated to working together to keep safety a primary, ongoing focus in our daily lives at Interstate Paper.

A Formula For Success by Ronnie Moore.