Jim Thompson (jthompson@taii.com)

I think there are more opportunities for accidents in pulp and paper mills this time of year as compared to any other. Why? Despite fewer participating than in the past, this is still the prime season for shutdowns around the world.

Engineers, contractors and general maintenance personnel descend on the mills in droves. At the bottom end of the hierarchy, unskilled laborers are brought in to do cleaning and other tasks.

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Listen to industry news on Pulp & Paper Radio International!

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Many people are in the mills that are not familiar with mill conditions. Many people who would rather be somewhere else but are here because of their job responsibilities or the possibility to earn significant overtime pay.

More important than anything else, they are distracted. They have their minds elsewhere in this holiday season. This means you, our faithful reader, must be ever more diligent and watchful about everything that is going on, if you are in the mill.

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The collapse of OPEC: Get out your calculators and spreadsheets ... Check out the latest edition of Strategic & Financial Arguments.

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Short and sweet this week...

Be watchful...

Intervene if you see a potentially dangerous situation...

We want you back next year as a reader!

You can own your Nip Impressions Library by ordering "Raising EBITDA ... the lessons of Nip Impressions."