Help in coping with the recent heat wave was appreciated by the steelmakers arriving for work on Thursday, August 2, when they were each given a bottle of water on entering the plant for the afternoon shift. USSK GM OSH and REACH Mark Salo together with his colleagues took over for a short time the task of refreshment detail at Gate 2A. It was no different at the other steelworks entrances, where other groups of managers offered bottles of water and reminded the employees of the importance of maintaining their fluid intake. At three gateways a total of 3000 75cl bottles of water were made available.

Handing them to the employees and wishing them a good shift was a modest gesture on the part of the Company managers. At the same time though it was an important preventive warning about the danger of heat stress. In hot weather it is risky to neglect the intake of sufficient fluids, particularly with regard to hard work in the difficult environment of the steelworks, where everyone loses substantially more fluids through their breath and especially their sweat and perspiration.