MAYSVILLE, Ky. (From the Ledger Independent) -- International Paper's Maysville mill recently achieved a significant safety milestone by surpassing an entire year without an Occupational Safety and Health Administration recordable safety incident, company officials said.

"Safety is the top priority at our Maysville mill," said Steve Braun, mill manager. "As a team, we work together to accelerate safety initiatives to maintain a safe work environment."

International Paper's Maysville mill focuses its safety efforts on such initiatives as safe observations and safe work pre-planning, officials said. All team members use the observation process to help each other identify unsafe trends and acknowledge job tasks being done safely. The Maysville team always looks to taking the necessary steps to eliminate all safety incidents, according to information from the company.

Braun added, "I am very proud of the leadership and commitment of all our 166 team members in operating a safe mill. It takes focus, compassion and hard work to keep ourselves and each other safe every day. Congratulations to our entire Maysville team."

International Paper's Maysville team also attributes their safety success to education and training, a focus on housekeeping, safety audits and, most importantly, safety leadership among all team members.