Here at the Acme Steel Company - Chicago Plant, safety is a top priority. Steel making can be an inherently dangerous endeavor considering the massive amount of moving machinery and equipment, high temperatures, and naturally dangerous materials used in the process. But we believe that everything we do, can be done safely.

Chicago Safety Committee:

Ed Reinders - Coordinator
Eileen Hunter - Chairman
Gus Wilson - Co-Chairman
Joe Markovich
Charles Johnson

W. Gillam - Alternate
J. Brewer - Alternate

At Acme, established policies and procedures and a great safety mindset help us to be among the leaders in safety in the industry. There are many important tools that help us to get the job done safely, time and time again. From the always-active Chicago Plant Safety Committee to the ongoing departmental safety and health training, Acme always has safety on its mind.

At Acme, we believe that there are several keys to making Acme a safe place to work. By no means are these keys all-inclusive of our safety program, but they are areas where we always maintain a clear focus.

Education. We feel that safety and health awareness is key number one to the success of our program. In order to raise awareness, we are constantly sharing our knowledge through training. Whether training be formal, such as hiring an outside expert to conduct on-site training, or informal, such as daily shop-talks, weekly crew safety meetings, or monthly supervisor safety sessions, education is a major piece of our safety program.

Employee Involvement. Getting people involved in safety is key number two. Acme has a very active safety committee that meets regularly to discuss current safety events, training needs, housekeeping items, and incidents that may have occurred. The committee regularly leads departmental audits and incident investigations to make recommendations for corrective actions. The committee feels that there is no greater source for safety-related issues, than the employees who spend all of their time in that department. They are the experts of their area and we draw from their knowledge.

Safety Programs. Excellent written programs and procedures are key number three. OSHA-mandated respiratory protection, emergency response, and fire protection are a few of many governmental-regulated programs that are followed every day. In addition to the mandatory programs, written safety procedures have been developed for many of the jobs in the plant. Acme is constantly working to better itself. Learning takes place every day. Finding safer ways to do things, putting it on paper, and sharing it with employees is important to our safety program.

Self-Audits. Making sure that established procedures and OSHA regulations are being followed is key number four. The safety committee is instrumental in this area. Departmental audits are ongoing. Every month, the committee chooses a department or two and goes to it. No stone is left unturned during these audits. We observe people working and make recommendations on how they could do things more safely. We look at facilities and equipment and point out things that may lead to accidents. Either the maintenance department or the department which we are auditing respond quickly and effectively by correcting any problems that we may find.

All of the keys to our safety program help us remain among the safety leaders of the industry. Safety is a joint venture and requires the assistance of all members of the Chicago Plant team. In the end, it all comes down to this.  Every Acme employee should leave the plant at the end of the day, in the same condition in which they came.