Manual work replaced by automation
Is U. S. Steel Kosice going to take on young "reinforcements"? That was one of the questions put to President David H. Lohr by selected employees from the Production Support and Secondary Products sections at their joint lunch on Wednesday, September 5th. The guests' questions were answered in turn by David Lohr and Vice-president Human Resources Martin Pitorak. The Company is carefully monitoring the demographic curve of its workforce, and adapting its employment of young steel-makers to that. USSK is in cooperation with all the schools preparing students for the steel-making profession. Promotion of studies in the metallurgical branch is done in elementary schools themselves, where the pupils are shown that a substantial proportion of manual work has been replaced by modern automaion and computer technology in the steelworks as well. So that elementary pupils can see with their own eyes how things look in the modern steelworks, a short film about the Kosice works is being prepared for them, showing them the production process at the works. U. S. Steel Kosice also offers young employees various benefit packages, including further education in specialist and foreign language fields.
Another step with employees' safety in mind
The project for monitoring employees entering areas with increased danger of carbon monoxide occurrence, which has been trialed since February in operations at Blast Furnace 1, is presently being extended to workplaces at Blast Furnaces 2 and 3. Before entering the blast furnace area, all employees, whether company or external, are under obligation to check themselves into the system at one of the entry control points located in portacabins at the entrance to each blast furnace. These points are marked with signs reading Blast Furnace Entry Control Point. When registering and checking in, everyone must follow the instructions of the staff in charge of the system, indicating the specific part of the blast furnace they will be working in. On leaving the blast furnace it is the duty of each employee to check out of the system at the same point where they checked in. As Ocel Vychodu was told by safety manager P. Vascak, similar entry control points will gradually be set up around the other primary plant areas.
USSK and Metallurgy School agree on further cooperation
The competition for the best drawings illustrating occupational safety and health protection, which will make up the Company calendar for 2008, was announced for the seventh time now by the staff of GM Safety in January of this year. Pictures will be accepted by the competition organizers until November 16th 2007, so the remaining weeks are an opportunity for all those who have not yet decided to do so, to pick up their crayons and draw a really nice picture. The creators of the two best pictures in each category will be rewarded by the organizers with attractive prizes.
Kosice Peace Marathon approaches
Our thanks go to U. S. Steel Kosice for their assistance in organizing the Kosice Peace Marathon, were the words of introduction to the first KPM press conference from Marathon Club President Stefan Dano. For seven years now the Marathon Club has been working with USSK in preparing this important sporting event. The start of the 84th edition of the Peace Marathon in Kosice is approaching, planned for Sunday, October 7th. This year the KPM event also incorporates the Slovakian Marathon Championships, as well as the Police Corps and Customs Service Marathon Championships.
