CANADA (From the Western Star) -- A workplace incident left a Corner Brook Pulp and Paper employee with serious burns earlier this week.

According to the paper mill's general manager Ric Tull, the man was cleaning out a large vessel when he was splashed with boiling hot pulp stock Monday night.

He suffered burns to his arms and back and had to be airlifted to St. John's for medical treatment.

Tull said the man's prognosis is good, but his recovery could take months.

"He and his family are going through a tough time right now," Tull told The Western Star on Thursday.

"We flew his family out to St. John's so they can be with him."

The mill is also providing counselling to the man's co-workers and supervisors who were affected by witnessing the accident.

The employee was working on top of a large vessel, which Tull described as cone-shaped and about 30 feet high. Tull said the man was correctly following a written, strict procedure when, for some reason, the hot pulp overflowed and came into contact with him.

"It would not take a big volume of stock to cause serious burns," noted Tull.

A full investigation into what happened has been launched and will include officers from the provincial Occupational Health and Safety Branch of Service NL.

Tull said measures have been taken to ensure there is no repeat of the incident.