The name SAFER is an acronym for "Safety Advisory Foundation for Education and Research. The council was created by three parties as a ways and means to foster a collaborative forest industry based preventative safety program. FIR, the IFLRA and the USW agreed to develop SAFER as part of the Master Collective Agreement that was negotiated back in 1988, of which the employers contribute 1/2 cent for every employee-hour worked. Since SAFER is funded independently by its member companies, it has been able to pursue initiatives that are responsive to the employer / employee community, reflecting real operational needs.