2024 - 2025 AIST Foundation Steel Intern Scholarships - Don B. Daily Safety
Robin I. Wehman
I worked for Cleveland-Cliffs Coshocton Works this summer as a safety intern. Cleveland-Cliffs is well-known at Slippery Rock University for its forward-thinking approach to safety. My experiences this summer directly reflected this proactive approach in the projects I was a part of.
Hazard Mapping 2024 Safety Initiative was my main focus. This project involved mapping out and documenting all the primary and secondary shutoffs for each type of energy used in machinery and processes across the facility. The main goal of the initiative was to reduce the time it would take to respond to future emergencies. We were able to identify areas where modifications and controls will be needed to mitigate hazards surrounding these critical access points. I hope that this information will serve as a tool that helps reduce response time when and if an emergency presents itself.
My second project, the gas utility locator tool was borne out of the Hazard Mapping project. I had found that listing out shutoffs in a traditional manner could be challenging to interpret in a time-sensitive scenario. I first took the existing gas line maps for natural gas, nitrogen, and hydrogen that the plant had been using and merged them into one. Investigating valve location and identity was a good challenge for me; I got a chance to work with many operators, supervisors, maintenance and environmental professionals throughout the project. The tool that was created as a result of these combined efforts is interactive and contains pictures and verbal illustrations of valves and issues that may arise in accessing them. Special thanks to everyone who helped in making this idea a reality. I hope everyone’s efforts in these projects enhance the team’s ability to respond swiftly and effectively when emergencies present themselves.
One of my favorite things I did during my internship was climbing up onto the roof of the tallest building of the plant with my mentor, Russell Maroni, as we escorted contractors preparing for future work up there.
My time at Cleveland-Cliffs Coshocton Works was very educational and rewarding. I truly do hope to find my future in steel.