Last September, for what we believe is the first time in our company’s 93-year history, one of our employees was killed in an accident at one of our facilities.
Bryan Dodge was a local hero. He was a husband to his wife, Amy, father to four children and friend to many. With the guidance of Crisis Chaplaincy Services, we met with those affected to provide what support we could. Ultimately, no support can replace a husband, father or friend.
An Aug. 6 article in the Statesman Journal questioned our family’s business practices and safety record. The article inappropriately reopened a wound and did nothing but add confusion and erroneous information. It warrants a response.
In regard to the accident, we don’t know why company procedures weren’t followed, why the safety equipment wasn’t used or why Bryan was where he was that night. The reason behind his death will forever be a tragic mystery.
What we do know is that safety is our No. 1 priority at Freres Lumber and our history supports that fact. According to the state of Oregon, our lost workday incident rate is 30 percent lower than our peers on average.
From the Statesman Journal: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/08/13/freres-lumber-co-responds-article/31650909/