The Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) Foundation and the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) are proud to announce the second-year recipients of the newly established Don B. Daily Memorial Fund to Promote Steel Industry Safety and Health. This fund was created to commemorate the life and industry service of Don B. Daily, a compassionate man who truly cared about the safety of all employees working in the steel industry. His enduring mark on the steel industry of North America has been the establishment of numerous safety and health initiatives that have significantly improved the workplace.

"Following a successful inaugural year for the Don B. Daily Memorial Fund projects, the AIST Foundation and SMA have the distinct pleasure to award for 2013 the safety improvement grants to our university recipients," said Thomas J. Russo, AIST Foundation president, and president of Trusscon Inc. "The 2012 safety improvements implemented by last year’s university recipients and their steel industry mentors have provided the positive momentum that all future grant recipients will have to emulate. Congratulations to our 2013 university recipients. I am confident that with the support of their steel plant mentors, their safety projects will provide long-lasting contributions to our Industry workplaces."

The 2012–2013 recipients are as follows:

• Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Atlanta, Ga., USA, Dr. Jochen Teizer, mentored by Matt Moore, Gerdau Cartersville Mill, "Field Trials of Real-Time Proactive Warning and Alert Technology"
• Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio, USA, Mr. Duncan Estep, mentored by Jon V. Lessard, Republic Steel, "Customizing Occupational Safety Training for the Steel Industry"
• Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee, Wis., USA, Dr. Joseph C. Musto, mentored by Kevin Burg, Charter Steel, "Design of an Active Warning System for Fall Protection"
• University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala., USA, Dr. Elizabeth H. Maples, mentored by Michele Dykes, CMC Steel Alabama, "Preventing Hand Injuries in the Steel Industry Through Assessment, Awareness and Training"
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, Va., USA, Dr. Alan P. Druschitz, mentored by Lynn Akers, Steel Dynamics, Inc. Roanoke, "Fall Prevention Systems for Flatbed Trailers, Phase 2 — Implementation and Evaluation"
• West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va., USA, Dr. Daniel E. Della-Giustina, mentored by George Whalen, Greer Steel, "An Effective Safety and Health Program Through Total Quality Management to Assist Safety Professionals in Mitigating Risk of Injury to Upper Extremities (Hands and Arms) Within Steel Mill Operations"

The Don B. Daily Memorial Fund challenges North American university teams (students and professors) to submit proposals for grant funding in the theme area of safety and health awareness within the steel manufacturing industry. The dual objective of the fund is to promote a safe workplace for the steel manufacturing industry and to increase the number of students studying health and safety awareness relative to the manufacturing environment.

"The SMA membership continues to be very enthusiastic regarding the Don B. Daily Memorial Fund," said Thomas A. Danjczek, SMA president. "Last year’s participation and results contributed to improved safety for our industry’s employees, and 2013 has the potential to be even better. We are appreciative of the generous support of the industry to provide a safer workplace." 

The AIST Foundation is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation organized for charitable, education and scientific purposes that seeks to attract technology-oriented professionals to the steel industry by educating the public about the high-tech, diverse and rewarding nature of careers in modern steelmaking. Scholarships are awarded on an annual basis to talented and dedicated students to encourage the pursuit of a career within iron- and steel-related industries. Through this industry support, the AIST Foundation awards in excess of US$500,000 in scholarships and grants annually. The AIST Foundation is part of AIST, an international professional and technical association of more than 15,000 professional and student members from 70 countries. For more information about the AIST Foundation, visit AISTFoundation.org.

The SMA consists of 35 North American companies that operate 130 steel plants and employ approximately 60,000 people. The SMA is the primary trade association for scrap-based electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers and rerollers, representing approximately 80% of domestic steelmaking capacity. The SMA also has 129 Associate Member companies who provide goods and services to the steel industry. SMA members are widely dispersed across North America, with 30 located in the United States, three in Canada and two in Mexico. The U.S. companies are represented in the United States Congress by 125 Congressional Districts in 37 states.