Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Mills

What are the hazards associated with pulp, paper and paperboard mills?

The hazards associated with the pulp and paper manufacturing industry include those dealing with heavy pulpwood loads, being struck by equipment or loads, being crushed by heavy loads and working around heavy equipment. 

What can I do to protect myself?

Employees should ensure that they have been informed about any chemical processes in their work area(s) and know about procedures associated with changes to these processes. Employers are required to ensure that employees have been trained about the health and physical hazards of chemicals in their work areas and about any processes involving any high hazardous chemicals.

Employers are required to ensure that employees have been trained and have the proper equipment to prevent falls. Employees need to use the personal protective equipment provided for the varying job tasks.

Your employer is required to conduct a workplace hazard assessment, a part of which should include the identification of processes and materials that are capable of producing combustible dust. In addition, the employer is also responsible to inform employees about the physical hazards, as well as the health hazards, associated with any materials used in the workplace.

Before using any chemical, information on the label and accompanying information (e.g., safety data sheets) should be consulted in order to identify any personal protective equipment necessary to prevent direct contact through inhalation, splash or spatter to eyes, nose or mouth, or skin contact.

Make sure you know all of the appropriate procedures and precautions to take for entry into and exit from confined spaces. If there are hazardous confined spaces where you work, your employer is required to have a permit-required confined space program, permit system, emergency procedures, appropriate engineering and work practice controls and to provide you with training and appropriate personal protective equipment. 

What resources are available to assist employers?

Safety and Health Programs

The electrical safety-related work practices policy, lockout/tagout program, hazard communication, hearing conservation, process safety management plan, and confined space program can be downloaded and customized to fit the individual workplace. An example PPE hazard assessment is available and can be customized to fit workplace conditions. Employers are required to perform a workplace hazard analysis to determine what personal protective equipment is necessary to protect employees from continued exposure to identified hazards. Other example safety and health programs are available for employers to download and adapt to their specific conditions.

Training and Outreach Services

The lockout/tagout, personal protective equipment, electrical safety, hazard communication, hearing conservation and confined space presentations are available to assist employers in training their staff. Other example presentations are available along with pre-recorded webinars which can be accessed at any time. 

In addition, the education, training and technical assistance bureau provides free online safety and health training and outreach services (i.e., speaker's bureau requests, safety booths) upon request. 

Lastly, the NCDOL Library offers free safety and health videos (including streaming video services) and related research assistance on consensus standards (i.e., ANSI, NFPA, NEC).

Safety and Health Topics

Other related resources can be found on safety and health topic pages for lockout/tagout, electrical safety, machine guarding, hand and portable powered tools, logging, combustible dust, hazard communication, noise, sawmills, process safety management, confined spaces, flammable liquids, illumination and personal protective equipment for more information.

Consultation Services

The consultative services bureau provides free and confidential onsite consultation regarding worksite safety and health hazards.

Which standards apply?

OSH has adopted the following standards which are applicable to pulp, paper, and paperboard mills in North Carolina. This is not all inclusive.

Note: Please also check the standards information and activity webpage to see if there has been any recent or upcoming regulatory activity on this topic.

General Industry

• 29 CFR 1910.261 - pulp, paper and paperboard mills

Where can I learn more?

Industry Guides

• Industry Guide 49 - OSHA General Industry Standards Requiring Programs, Inspections, Procedures, Records and/or Training, provides requirements for standards related to pulp, paper and paperboard mills in general industry.

Compliance Documents

• CFR 155 - Pulp, Paper, Paperboard Mills provides the promulgation of the rule.
• Compliance Directive: CPL 03-00-008 establishes enforcement policy regarding combustible dust and identifies applicable standards and laws and an explanation of the application of these to ensure uniform enforcement.
• OSHA Technical Manual (TED 01-00-015) provides technical information about workplace hazards and controls to OSHA’s Compliance Safety and Health Officers.
• Compliance Directive - CPL 02-01-065 - Process Safety Management (PSM) of Highly Hazardous Chemicals, establishes enforcement policy and provides an explanation of the standard to ensure uniform enforcement.
• Compliance Directive - CPL 03-00-21, Process Safety Management (PSM) Covered Facilities, describes a National Emphasis Program for inspecting all facilities with highly hazardous chemicals in amounts at or above the threshold quantities listed in 29 CFR 1910.119 - process safety management of highly hazardous materials.
• Memo - Process Safety Management (PSM) Guidance: Appendix A Threshold Quantities, revised OSHA's enforcement policy on the concentration of a chemical that must be in a process to meet or exceed the threshold quantity (TQ) specified in Appendix A of 29 CFR 1910.119.

Hazard Alerts

• Hazard Alert on Combustible Dusts provides a fact sheet on combustible dust hazards.

Technical Assistance

• Inquiries about workplace safety and health requirements can be submitted to Ask OSH online or by phone at 919-707-7876.