Promoting safety at work
Ensuring consumer safety
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Safety is our top priority in everything we do and every- one at Metsä Board has the right to a safe workplace. We aim for zero accidents.
The main function of packaging is to ensure that the packaged product, such as food, stays safe for consumers and reduces food waste.
Metsä Board’s occupational safety is guided by the safety man- agement system, comprising the Corporate Security policy and the safety principles, standards, processes and work instructions. The safety management system takes into account each coun- try’s legislation, for example, the Occupational Safety and Health Act in Finland. In addition, all our mills comply with the ISO 45001 standard for occupational health and safety. Preventing hazards and risks In Metsä Board, safety management is based on the prevention of hazards and risks. Risks are assessed regularly, and the employees complete a safety induction in the potential risks of the work environment. Accidents are prevented with common occu- pational safety standards, safety improvements and proactive measures, such as risk assessments, safety observations, safety walks and safety training. Our risk assessment and management is supported by the HSEQ system. All accidents and hazardous situations are inves- tigated, with the target to avoid similar situations and to identify any shortcomings in safety management.
Metsä Group Code of Conduct includes the commitment to ensure product safety across the value chain. In addition to traceable fresh wood fibre, the other raw materials we use come from reliable suppliers, who comply with the Supplier Code of Conduct and meet the requirements for product safety. Metsä Board complies with legislation protecting the health of people and the environment, including the EU regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH), the CLP Regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals, legislation on the use of biocides, and product requirements concerning food safety. Metsä Board assu- res the safety of its products in compliance with the applicable legislation in its market areas in Europe, the Americas and Asia.
Product safety procedures ensure that our paperboards are safe for consumers
Naturally pure and fully traceable fresh wood fibre is the best option for safety-critical end-uses, such as food packaging. As Metsä Board’s paperboards are part of the food supply chain, the product safety practices in production are as stringent as those followed in the food industry. All our mills that produce paper- boards for the food industry are certified according to FSSC 22000, the same safety standard the food industry uses.
Read more about these topics in the Sustainability Statement 2023.
Product safety in our production
Product safety during transportation, converting and packing
standards, boosting personal risk assessments, and improving hand and crane safety. In 2023, our safety work prioritised personal commitment, which was carried out by setting individual targets for personal hazard identification and preparing the safety coaching concept. Personal risk assessment boost resulted in 79% of targeted employees completing the targeted number of assessments. Implementation of safety standards included training on work area limitation, chemical safety, vehicle safety and visitor safety. In 2024, internal audits on the safety standards will be carried out. The hand safety programme included training for blue-collars and preparing standard operating procedure instructions. The most typical accidents at Metsä Board are hand and foot injuries. The overhead crane safety study will continue until the agreed improvements are made. In 2023, we progressed towards the zero accidents target. Unfortunately, some of the accidents were serious and despite all the preventive actions, one fatal accident took place at Simpele board mill. The emphasis on proactive safety work and preventing serious work-related accidents must and will continue.
Product safety starts with high quality raw materials
Preventing contamination during transportation
All the wood raw material comes from controlled or certified forests and is traceable. The chemicals are carefully chosen and safe for use. Chemicals suppliers are required to respond to our product safety questionnaire every year. Hygienic production conditions The mills operate according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and have certified ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 food safety systems in place, the status of which is annually audited externally and internally. Subcontractors and suppliers are required to meet equal standards so that the purity and safety of products for consumers and end-users can be ensured. Compliance assessment of the product The products are tested regularly in accredited laboratories to ensure their quality and safety for various end uses, including food packaging. The laboratory analyses together with detailed internal risk analyses form the basis for our Product Safety Statement, which includes product-specific information about product safety and compliance.
Careful packaging, requirements on the supply chain, and regular audits ensure the purity and safety of our products during transport and storage. Consistent quality enables smooth converting and packing Premium paperboards guarantee high performance and quality in converting. Uninterrupted production reduces pro- duct safety risks at all different stages of converting and processing.
The focal areas of safety development Metsä Board’s zero accidents target is supported by focal areas for safety. The focus is on implementing common safety
The Kemi board mill achieved a remarkable milestone with 456 consecutive safe working days at the end of the 2023. “The robust safety development is the outcome of long-term efforts, built on good industrial safety, compliance with safety standards, and active, participative leadership,” emphasises Timo Ahonen , VP, Kemi Board mill. The Kemi board mill was selected as Metsä Board’s safest mill for 2023. Kemi is Metsä Board’s safest mill
Read more about these topics in the Sustainability Statement 2023.
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METSÄ BOARD SUSTAINABILITY REVIEW 2023
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