A construction firm was assembling a new furnace during a large-scale construction project at a local steel mill. The furnace would yield faster and more efficient bloom reheating, increasing the plant’s production speed substantially. However, because of the immensity of the project, the project owner and the construction company needed on-site safety support to help facilitate daily operations and manage a substantial manpower increase during one of their largest projects to date.

Working inside a working steel mill presented many hazards not often found in construction, which were intensified by an ambitious eight-month construction schedule. We orchestrated the maneuvering of more than 200 workers and oversaw all crane lifts for this project in a very congested, tight work area. At times construction took place within 10 feet of conveyors moving red-hot steel ingots around the actively-producing facility, and overhead work meant protecting workers on lower levels. Safety was paramount. RETTEW was also a liaison for the client and owner’s safety teams and fielded on-site safety questions and concerns. This level of support allowed foremen and supervisors to focus strictly on production and construction deadlines. In the end, RETTEW’s team successfully completed oversight and supervised more than 170,000 individual man hours on the project without a lost-time accident.