UPM-Biofore-Magazine-1-2016-ENG

I n September 2012, some 40 UPM leaders convened for a target-setting meeting in the lead-up to the PM3 (paper mill) project at the Changshumill in China. They decided to name it ‘the Panda project’, as the panda has an important place in Chinese culture and history, symbolising harmony with nature. Sustainability and safety have indeed been cornerstones in this huge EUR 277 million project, which was completed in December 2015. The new paper machine can produce up to 360,000 tonnes of high-quality labelling materials and wood-free uncoated papers annually. This ‘swing-concept’ machine also makes it possible for the mill to shift between grades. “It’s been a very challenging project since it’s different from anything we have done before. We have to be able to produce two completely different products, and we couldn’t just copy and paste our familiar templates. Instead, we had to innovate something wholly new,” says PM3 Project Director Timo Heinonen , who has previously been involved inmany new paper machine and rebuild projects in different roles.

“I’m very confident that we’ve found the solutions to reach the quality targets set for the products we’re going to produce,” he adds. Emphasis on safety Safety has been a top priority throughout the entire project. Heinonen says he is very happy to have reached over four million hours’ work time without a single lost time accident (LTA). LTA is a leading safety management indicator referring to an accident occurring at work and resulting in at least one full day of absence fromwork duties. At UPM, the company-wide target was already very challenging: 5. The target for the PM3 project was even lower: 0.8. “From the start, the most important priority was ensuring that nobody was injured, and we’ve worked hard to achieve this target. We implemented strict safety rules and we have spent more time on this than in any other project I’ve worked on previously,” says Heinonen. Since dozens of contractors and suppliers were to be involved in the PM3 project, a comprehensive occupational health and safety (OHS) plan was produced in the project’s

early stages and was distributed to every new supplier. An OHS team was set up consisting of five full- time supervisors, one nurse and one assistant. In order to improve safety levels and enhance safety awareness, the OHS team built a Safety Induction Training Room that could accommodate 60 people at a time. “All personnel involved in the PM3 project – from senior management to construction units and workers – had to undergo safety training before being approved entry into the construction area,” says Tony Liu , Occupational Health and Safety Manager of the Panda project. Every week, the OHS team also carried out several unexpected “safety walks”, inspecting the entire project site for full compliance with safety protocols. Violations were punished with fines. Old and new partners Heinonen andmost other people in the project teamhave many years of experience, andmany were already involved in the Changshumill’s PM1 project between 2003 and 2007. One of them is PM3 Project Manager Steve Masterson , who continued

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