Essity mill in Oakenholt marks over 2,000 accident-free days
The Essity Oakenholt paper mill in Oakenholt, Flintshire, has recorded more than 2,060 consecutive days without a reportable workplace accident.
The site, which produces high-quality paper for Essity brands such as Cushelle, Tork and Plenty, has now gone over five and a half years, equating to more than 49,000 hours, without a serious accident.
The last reportable incident took place before the COVID-19 pandemic, and according to Health and Safety Executive data, manufacturing continues to have one of the highest rates of workplace injury in the UK.
Graham Nutter, safety specialist at Essity Oakenholt, said, “Achieving this major milestone reflects the innovative approach and commitment to health and safety of everyone at our Oakenholt site. To go this long without a reportable accident in a high-paced, complex environment like ours positions Essity as an exemplar for the industry. Nothing is more important than making it home safely at the end of every day.”
The site’s safety culture has been supported by targeted initiatives, including a campaign film starring employees’ children.
Opening with a young girl speaking Welsh and using British Sign Language, the film reinforced procedures such as removing jewellery, wearing PPE and responding to alarms, ending with the message, “these rules exist to keep mums, dads and grandparents safe”.
The film won the gold award for health and safety at the Confederation of Paper Industries Gold Awards and in May 2025 the Oakenholt site won an internal health and safety award and the Team of the Year award across all Essity manufacturing sites in Europe.
The Oakenholt site has operated since 1875 and remains one of North Wales’s major manufacturing employers.
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