Sappi Forests’ regional teams in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga achieved several record-setting lost-time injury (LTI) free milestones that Duane Roothman, Vice President of Sappi Forests, says reflect a deepened culture of care where open communication, leadership engagement and continuous improvement build commitment.

“These milestones are a reflection of what happens when safety becomes part of the culture, not merely a requirement”, Roothman states. “It is about leadership, accountability and the confidence to speak up before something goes wrong and preferably before it goes wrong”.

Sappi’s employees in the Zululand Coastal, KZN South, KZN Midlands, Highveld, Barberton, and Ngodwana areas have achieved multi-million-hour periods without LTIs, demonstrating what is possible when safety becomes embedded in day-to-day behaviour rather than limited to compliance checklists.

“These milestones are a reflection of what happens when safety becomes part of the culture, not merely a requirement”, says Duane Roothman, Vice President of Sappi Forests. “It is about leadership, accountability and the confidence to speak up before something goes wrong and preferably before it goes wrong”.

Sappi Forests attributes much of its progress to an evolving approach that combines targeted behaviour-change programmes with strong on-the-ground leadership. One of the most influential of these is the STBA (Stop and Think Before You Act) programme, a behavioural-safety initiative designed specifically for rural, multilingual teams.

Using relatable storytelling and clear reflection prompts, the programme encourages workers to pause and assess risks before acting, helping bridge language and barriers that often affect frontline safety communication.

Sappi combines expert technical insight with on-the-ground engagement across its forestry operations. By actively listening and incorporating workforce feedback throughout the process, the organisations fostered early ownership and embedded the principles of accountability and care from the outset.

Daily engagement practices have also strengthened safety ownership. The “Safety Walk, Safety Talk” method has been rolled out across operations to ensure that safety conversations become part of routine interactions among supervisors, employees, and contractors. These engagements are designed not only to identify risks in real time but also to foster shared responsibility in both the workplace and the home.

Leadership development continues to form another cornerstone of Sappi’s safety efforts. Through values-based interventions and reflective leadership sessions, operational leaders are supported in creating environments where safety conversations are encouraged, lessons are openly shared, and vigilance is promoted at every level of the organisation.

This culture is further reinforced by Sappi’s eight Life-Saving Rules, clear and non-negotiable standards developed through years of incident analysis, aimed at ensuring that both routine and high-risk activities are carried out safely and consistently.

“Safety is not a static concept; it evolves with our people, our environment and our industry”, says Roothman.

“We are committed to ensuring that every one of our teams feels supported, equipped and empowered to work safely. Recognising lead indicators remains paramount for driving continuous improvement and guiding proactive interventions. At the same time, positive reinforcement of the correct behaviour builds confidence and accelerates culture change. The success of behaviour-based safety culture is very visible when the same culture starts gaining traction at home and in communities”.

Roothman says the progress of the past year reflects meaningful steps forward, but not a finish line. At the core of a dedicated safety philosophy is a simple principle that everyone can relate to: every employee should return home safely at the end of each day.

Sappi is firm in its view that zero accidents is a very attainable goal, achieved through shared responsibility, consistent awareness and unwavering personal commitment.

“At Sappi Forests, we have learned that safety is never a destination. “It is a daily commitment shaped by accountability, reflection and shared responsibility. We are proud of what our teams have achieved, and we remain focused on doing more, because when safety becomes a shared value across the industry, everyone benefits”, he comments.