Page 54 - Best of 2019 English

Safety at the steelworks
At Salzgitter Flachstahl, the properties of steel save and protect employees – in combination with occupational health and safety
Steel protects people and materials in every industrial production facility. This applies even more so at a steelworks such as that of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH. When you
pass through the (steel!) plant gateway, you will notice this every step of the way as you move across the premises: steel crash barriers, posts and brackets secure paths and passages. High-pressure pipes and tanks are made of steel, as are fire stairs, fire doors and railings. The protective hand of steel is particularly visible at two points in the steel- works: the plant fire service and the coil store.
The cutter and the spreader are two powerful rescue tools used by the plant fire service. As we all know, cutters can be used to remove car roofs after traffic accidents. Interestingly enough, some
fire services have recently had to purchase
Chief plant fireman Robert Spelly demonstrates to STIL the LH-CU-a80 cutter, which has a maximum cutting force of 452 kN (kilonewtons). For comparison: A railway locomotive for heavy freight trains achieves a starting traction of 300 kN
54 STEEL AS A LIFE-SAVER
Photos: Carsten Brand