Jim Thompson

Email Jim at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com

In most jurisdictions, it is illegal to hold a cell phone while driving a car. Yet in most paper mills, one does not see this sort of restriction, indeed, anything close to it.

Should we have similar restrictions in mills? I think so...there is almost no place in a pulp and paper mill where a phone is appropriate.

Conference rooms--no. Pay attention to the conversation going on in the room.

Control room--no. Pay attention to the machine.

Operating floor--double no, this can be worse than driving a car while using the phone.

The argument that it is needed for communications is bogus. That is what radios are for.

Now, I am an old guy and for at least the first half of my career, there were no cell phones. We got along just fine without them. We set production records.

Paperitalo Publications has not started tracking cell phone accidents separately, but it is something we may investigate.

Beyond safety, there is the inefficiency that cell phones bring to the mill. This may actually affect setting production records. If I were operating the mill in which you work, be assured I would not be shy about interrupting you if I walk up to you and you are on the phone.

Phones have their places, but I'll go with the traffic laws on this one. In a work setting, phones are a distraction from both safety and efficiency points of view.

Now, I know a lot of people read our publications on phones. Please, do it in an appropriate place.

Enough said.

Be safe and we will talk next week.

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