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FLETCHER, Okla., March 25, 2025 /3BL/ – Georgia-Pacific’s gypsum facility in Fletcher, Okla., is experimenting with artificial intelligence to help make sure people go home the same way they came to work.

Maintenance planner Jimmy Stewart is developing an AI-powered app to enhance employees’ connection to GP’s safe work permitting standard, Save My Life (SML). The app, called SMLGPT, is meant to be used alongside the SML thought process and the original SML app to help the facility identify hazards and protect employees and contractors.

“I built this in order to help train others, especially newer employees.” Stewart said. “If they’re working after hours or there aren’t any safety personnel around, SMLGPT can help them get the answers they need.”

The SML thought process is built on three key questions:

1. When this fails, what will kill me or change my life?

2. What controls are in place?

3. Is that enough?

The original SML app guides employees and contractors through that thought process with a digital work permit template. The goal of SML is to ensure that the necessary controls are in place before work starts, both to prevent failures and to mitigate the impact of failures when they occur.

However, what if people don’t have the experience needed to know all the potential hazards that need controls? What if it’s the first time the facility is performing a task, so even veteran employees aren’t familiar with potential hazards? What if people understand the hazards but don’t know what controls could prevent or mitigate failures?

“We always asked contractors, ‘What could kill you or change your life?’” Stewart said. “And a lot of them didn’t know how to answer that question.”

SMLGPT is being trained to help close those gaps.

Employees will be able to upload photos and videos of a work area to SMLGPT. Or they can simply describe it in a prompt, like, “What hazards and controls should I consider in an area that has MOPED interactions?”

Then SMLGPT will help identify common High Potential Conditions (HPCs) and High Potential Events (HPEs) based on the prompt and recommend controls to protect people.

Stewart said he usually has the original SML app open on a tablet as he walks through the permit process, with SMLGPT open on another device to help answer questions or identify hazards.

Safety and health manager Chris Brown helps lead the implementation of SML across GP facilities. He said hazard identification is one of the biggest challenges for facility employees as they try to use the SML thought process. That’s especially true for newer employees with limited manufacturing experience who may not know what risks to look for.

“If you can take some photos or a video of an area, and the AI tool can help you identify the critical hazards, that’s huge,” Brown said. “And we would absolutely want workers to verify what AI provides as guidance, but I think it does bridge that gap between hazard identification and the permit.”

The facility is also experimenting with using SMLGPT to generate quizzes to assess employees’ understanding of SML and to recommend controls based on GP safety alerts. Meanwhile, Brown said Fletcher’s work with SMLGPT has helped his team think through how AI could enhance future versions of the original SML app.

It’s a timely example of how Principle Based Management™ can help GP realize its commitment to safety as its top priority. Stewart’s willingness to experiment with emerging technology will improve his teammates’ lives and close gaps, all while helping ensure people go home safely.

View original content here.

Join the Paramount Veterans Network for an inspiring, monthly podcast-style panel discussion and interview that brings together military veterans, families, and advocates for powerful conversations and stories. Each episode dives into the rich backgrounds and experiences of our guests—whether they’re veterans, veteran service organizations, or military-themed creators. From behind-the-scenes insights into your favorite military-themed shows, to personal stories of resilience and camaraderie, this is your front-row seat to engaging with the military community in an impactful way. Grab your coffee (or tea) and connect with those who’ve served and those who support them. 

Mary Calvi, the Morning Anchor for CBS News New York, moderated the interview with special guest Austin Stowell, star of CBS’ “NCIS: Origins”

In this episode, Austin discusses his experience working on an iconic television series from the NCIS universe. He talks about what it is like to play the beloved character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and his secret sauce to success. Austin also shows his appreciation for our nation’s service members.

View other Paramount VetNet Coffee Chats here!

The automotive industry continues to evolve as the growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) continues to reshape the industry and global manufacturing supply chains. This transformation is not just about the vehicles we drive; it’s about a comprehensive overhaul of the entire manufacturing and logistics ecosystem.

Recent trends and forecasts underscore the magnitude of this shift. Reuters reports that globally, sales of fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids rose 25.6% year-on-year to 1.9 million in December 2024, totaling a record 17.1 million units sold for the year. In the U.S., EV sales reached 1.3 million units in 2024, marking a 7.3% increase from the previous year.

According to RMI, a leading think tank, EVs are projected to dominate global car sales by 2030, potentially accounting for 62% to 86% of all sales. This prediction aligns with data from Kelley Blue Book, which reported record-breaking sales of EVs in the U.S. during the first three quarters of 2023.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that, based on manufacturers’ targets, between 42% and 58% of global car sales could be electric by 2030. In the U.S., research indicates that EVs are on track to comprise 50% of new car sales by 2030, despite recent concerns about a slowdown in sales.

But the transition to EVs is complex – presenting both opportunities and challenges – and will impact manufacturing supply chains in several key areas across the board.

In this ever-evolving landscape, it’s crucial for stakeholders in the automotive and logistics sectors to understand and prepare for the changes that lie ahead. Here are four key areas that will be impacted by this transformation:

1.The Central Role of Batteries:

In the EV landscape, batteries emerge as the most critical and costliest component. This is driving focus on the proximity between battery production and EV assembly lines. The shift to EVs necessitates changes in factory infrastructure and logistics, along with specialized storage and transport solutions to address safety concerns and to accommodate the substantial weight and size of batteries.

2. Transforming Factory Floor Logistics:

Adapting to EV production requires substantial alterations in traditional car manufacturing facilities, such as new equipment for heavy battery handling. This includes a transformation in logistics, from traditional manufacturing processes to methods that accommodate the distinct nature of EVs. Including changes in storage, transport, and delivery to ensure safety and efficiency.

3. Changing Demands for Parts and Service:

Low-maintenance EVs offer a significant reduction in the number and complexity of parts and maintenance services compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. This evolution is leading to changes in supply chain and logistics practices, with a move towards more streamlined and efficient processes.

4. Integration of Circular Economy Principles: 

An interesting aspect of the shift towards EVs is the potential for a circular economy. The report emphasizes the importance of repurposing reusable minerals for new batteries, reducing dependence on imported minerals. This approach enhances supply chain reliability, reduces geopolitical risks, and aligns with our commitment to environmental sustainability.

The automotive industry will continue to evolve as it transitions towards EVs, and companies should be preparing now to navigate this transition. It’s imperative that stakeholders in the automotive and logistics sectors understand the implications today, so that they can plan for their supply chains of tomorrow.

DP World’s report, Navigating the Opportunities and Challenges of an Electric Vehicle-Centric Manufacturing Supply Chain, examines how the transition to EVs is impacting supply chains and offers valuable insights into how companies can navigate this transition, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities ahead.

To learn more, visit DP World’s website and download the report.

On this episode of BuzzHouse, hosts Don Bernards and Garrick Gibson talk with Kathryn Grosscup, housing tax credit manager for the Colorado Housing Finance Authority (CHFA), about Colorado’s innovative approach to addressing the middle-income housing gap. Listen in as Kathryn breaks down the newly launched Middle Income Housing Tax Credit (MIHTC) and how it aims to address Colorado’s affordable housing crisis.

Multifamily housing resources

For articles, webinars and additional resources for developers, housing authorities, property managers, state housing credit agencies and lenders, visit our multifamily housing page.

For more information on this topic, or to learn how Baker Tilly specialists can help, contact the team.

HIV infection and lung cancer have little in common from a disease perspective, but the stigma that surrounds both can negatively impact patients and their treatment. Now lessons learned from the HIV epidemic are helping people living with lung cancer and their loved ones.

During the first years of the HIV epidemic, some of the initial stigmatizing beliefs were that the virus only impacted men who have sex with men and that it was possible to contract it by sharing utensils or being in close confines with a person living with HIV. This helped contribute to acts of discrimination and an atmosphere of blame, and in some cases prevented people from getting diagnosed or seeking care.

People diagnosed with lung cancer face similar stigma challenges because of the known link to tobacco use – despite the National Cancer Institute’s estimate that 10-20% of people with lung cancer in the United States are non-smokers. As with HIV, the blame and stigma surrounding this disease can decrease the likelihood that someone experiencing symptoms will seek care.

“Stigma isn’t just a social issue; it’s a public health crisis.” says Marcus Wilson, Gilead Senior Director, U.S. Public Affairs, HIV Advocacy. “It determines the quality of care that people receive; whether they feel safe seeking care and, ultimately, their health outcomes.”

Gilead recently partnered with GRYT Health to host a New Lens on Lung Cancer workshop where people living with lung cancer and their loved ones shared their experience with stigma.

Rhonda Meckstroth’s husband, Jeff, who had no history of tobacco use, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015. “The first question was always, ‘Is he a smoker?’” she says. “We innately felt shame and guilt and would tell people he had been diagnosed with cancer, but we didn’t want to say lung cancer.”

“People project their ideas of why you have lung cancer,” says Aurora Lucas, who was diagnosed at 28 years old. “Within seconds they come up with absurd ideas.” She notes that some people speculated that it could be because she worked in a nail salon. Others incorrectly assumed it might be due to the building materials used in her childhood home in the Philippines.

As in the early days of the HIV epidemic, the lung cancer community quickly realized how important it is to advocate for themselves, both in and out of the clinic.

In Jeff’s case, his care was in a rural health care system where doctors weren’t always familiar with the latest research or the clinical trials available for lung cancer — or the fact that there are other risk factors besides tobacco use.

“Because Jeff didn’t fit the criteria for lung cancer, his diagnosis was delayed for about six months,” says Rhonda. “I quickly learned that instead of being angry when people asked me if Jeff had a history of tobacco use, I use it as a platform for education, and to put blame where it needs to be, which is on the tobacco industry.”

“We have so much to learn from the HIV community,” says Jeff Stibelman, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 after doctors also initially overlooked it on a scan he had done previously in 2017. “I remember a billboard, it was of all people: old, young, black, white, Hispanic, Asian. All it said was: ‘This is What HIV looks like.’ That’s what I want for our community.”

“Anyone with lungs can have lung cancer,” concludes Aurora. “It’s time to remove the blame.”

Originally published by Gilead Sciences