Jim Thompson

Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com

Note: This column was written before the widely reported explosion at Nippon Dynawave in Longview, Washington on Tuesday, 26 May 2026. That terrible tragedy just puts more emphasis on the message in this column--Jim.

Sunday, 24 May 2026, I watched the sporting event of the year that I thoroughly enjoy--the Indianapolis 500. I was recalling the two times I have gotten to go in person--1970 and 2003. 1970 particularly sticks with me--I had my first co-op job, had a little money in my pocket and I went with a fellow student. We had infield seats in the grass that had cost us $10 each. In those days, the infield protection from the track was literally a farm fence. After all, out of control cars always fly outwards don't they? So, we sat right up next to the fence.

In the 1960s, there had been five fatalities at the Indy 500. In the 70s--3, 80s--1, 90s--2, and none since 2000. In the 1960s the average speed of the winning car was 146.7 MPH. The 1990s--155.6 MPH. The 2020s--173.1 MPH. This is an increase of almost 18% since the 1960s. In this year's running, on the backstretch, cars often reached 230 MPH.

I have been a passenger in a racing Corvette at about 140 MPH. It was about ten years ago and, at my age then, the speed was outrunning my reflexes. No wonder race car drivers are usually young. By the way, a shoutout to Sweden, your driver won this year by about 0.023 seconds. The competition is fierce.

The greatest auto race in the world has succeeded in seriously improving its performance and dramatically improving its safety record.

Why can't we do the same? In Paperitalo's publication, PaperMoney, we have a department, "Risks: Fires, Fatalities and Catastrophes." We started this chronicle of such events in 2017. There has been no discernible improvement in the nine years since then. Pulp and Paper Mills go around giving each other safety awards, yet the overall data says there has been little, if any, positive movement.

Why is this? Executives tell me they emphasize safety, but the record, in general, belies this statement.

I have a great interest in safety, even though I have had my share of safety incidents (invite me to share a safety talk with your mill and I will enumerate my experiences, starting with a strike in the head with a hoe, age 7, while my neighbor friend and I were digging an oil well in my backyard).

The rest of this month, we'll talk about improvements in safety that are taking place even today. I hope you will give us your full attention.

Be safe, and we will talk next week.

For a deeper dive, go here.

Safety and Performance in the Racing and Paper Industries: A Comprehensive Study Guide

This study guide examines the relationship between performance and safety as outlined in the article "Safety Month" by Jim Thompson. It focuses on the historical safety record of the Indianapolis 500 and compares these advancements to the safety culture within the pulp and paper industry.

Part I: Short-Answer Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences based on the information provided in the source text.

1. How does the author describe the spectator safety infrastructure at the 1970 Indianapolis 500?
2. What trend does the author identify regarding fatalities at the Indy 500 from the 1960s to the present?
3. By what percentage has the average winning speed of the Indy 500 increased since the 1960s?
4. What specific speed did cars reach on the backstretch during the current year's race?
5. How does the author characterize the margin of victory in the most recent Indianapolis 500?
6. What personal experience does the author cite as evidence that race car driving requires young reflexes?
7. What is the name of the Paperitalo Publications mentioned in the text, and what specific department does it feature?
8. According to the author, what is the discrepancy between mill safety awards and industry data?
9. How has the safety record in the pulp and paper industry changed since the "Risks" chronicle began in 2017?
10. What was the author's earliest mentioned "safety incident," and how old was he at the time?

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Part II: Answer Key

1. How does the author describe the spectator safety infrastructure at the 1970 Indianapolis 500? In 1970, spectators in the infield were protected from the track by only a farm fence. This was based on the assumption that out-of-control cars would always fly outwards away from the spectators.
2. What trend does the author identify regarding fatalities at the Indy 500 from the 1960s to the present? There has been a dramatic decline in fatalities, dropping from five in the 1960s to none since the year 2000. This improvement occurred even as the speed of the winning cars significantly increased over the same period.
3. By what percentage has the average winning speed of the Indy 500 increased since the 1960s? The average winning speed has increased from 146.7 MPH in the 1960s to 173.1 MPH in the 2020s. This represents an overall increase in performance of almost 18%.
4. What specific speed did cars reach on the backstretch during the current year's race? During the running of the race mentioned in the article, cars were frequently recorded reaching speeds of 230 MPH on the backstretch. This is significantly higher than the average winning speeds of previous decades.
5. How does the author characterize the margin of victory in the most recent Indianapolis 500? The author notes that the competition is "fierce," as evidenced by the slim margin of victory. The winning driver from Sweden won the race by only approximately 0.023 seconds.
6. What personal experience does the author cite as evidence that race car driving requires young reflexes? The author recounts being a passenger in a racing Corvette at 140 MPH about ten years ago. He realized at that time that the speed of the vehicle was outrunning his reflexes, leading him to conclude that race car drivers are usually young.
7. What is the name of the Paperitalo Publications mentioned in the text, and what specific department does it feature? The publication is titled PaperMoney, produced by Paperitalo. It features a specific department or column titled "Risks: Fires, Fatalities and Catastrophes" that chronicles industry incidents.
8. According to the author, what is the discrepancy between mill safety awards and industry data? The author observes that while pulp and paper mills frequently grant each other safety awards, the overall data does not reflect any real improvement. Despite executive claims of emphasizing safety, the actual record of incidents belies those statements.
9. How has the safety record in the pulp and paper industry changed since the "Risks" chronicle began in 2017? The author states that there has been no discernible improvement in safety in the nine years since the chronicle began. Unlike the auto racing industry, the pulp and paper sector has seen little to no positive movement in its safety data.
10. What was the author's earliest mentioned "safety incident," and how old was he at the time? The author's first safety incident occurred at age seven. He was struck in the head with a hoe while he and a friend were attempting to dig an "oil well" in his backyard.

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Part III: Essay Prompts

Instructions: Use the themes and data points from the source context to develop comprehensive responses to the following prompts.

1. The Paradox of Speed and Safety: Analyze how the Indianapolis 500 managed to increase average speeds by 18% while simultaneously reducing fatalities to zero. Contrast this with the author's view of the pulp and paper industry.
2. Data vs. Perception in Industrial Safety: Discuss the author's critique of "safety awards" in the paper industry. Why might there be a disconnect between the accolades mills give one another and the data recorded in the "Risks: Fires, Fatalities and Catastrophes" chronicle?
3. The Role of Infrastructure in Safety Evolution: Compare the "farm fence" of the 1970s Indy 500 to the safety measures required for modern 230 MPH racing. How does this physical evolution reflect a broader shift in the philosophy of risk management?
4. Human Reflexes and Industrial Risk: Using the author's experience in the racing Corvette as a starting point, discuss the limitations of human biology in high-speed or high-risk environments and the necessity for systemic safety improvements.
5. The Responsibility of Leadership: The author mentions that executives claim to emphasize safety, yet the records do not show improvement. Evaluate the role of corporate leadership in moving beyond rhetoric to achieve measurable safety outcomes.

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Part IV: Glossary of Key Terms

Term Definition

Backstretch The straight part of a race track on the side opposite the homestretch and the finish line.

Co-op Job A period of work experience that is part of an academic program, often undertaken by students to gain practical skills.

Infield The area inside the oval of a race track, where the author sat behind a farm fence in 1970.

Indianapolis 500 An annual automobile race held in Speedway, Indiana, often referred to by the author as the greatest auto race in the world.

Paperitalo The organization responsible for the publication PaperMoney.

PaperMoney A publication that tracks industry risks, including fires, fatalities, and catastrophes in the pulp and paper sector.

Pulp and Paper Mills Industrial facilities that process wood or other materials into paper products; the primary focus of the author's industrial safety critique.

Risks: Fires, Fatalities and Catastrophes A specific department within PaperMoney that has chronicled safety-related incidents since 2017.

Safety Record The documented history of accidents, injuries, and fatalities within a specific organization or industry.

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