SHIELD Contractor Safety Network

Relying on the principle that the sum is greater than the parts, SHIELD has united a group of core contractors at AK Steel/Middletown into a group know as “The Network.”

The SHIELD Safety Network is composed of approximately 20 safety professionals from an assortment of crafts and backgrounds to fight the common enemy – workplace hazards. As often happens, workers find themselves in an unfamiliar location doing work that is new or different. Instead of declining the work, or, even worse, proceeding without full understanding of the environment, the safety representative can get in touch with another network member who may be more in tune with the situation. The result is a job completed properly, with all employees leaving the same way they came.

Competing contractors forego business interests in this environment, striving instead for the greater good.

The Network is funded in large part by an annual golf outing that brings together hundreds of workers from many fields. All funds raised by this are funneled into an account that provides three annual scholarships for children of contractors who plan to attend college or a trade school, monthly training sessions (ranging from fire watch, to forklift, to aerial work platform and OSHA sessions from 10-hour all the way up to the 500 and 501 trainer courses) and annual sponsored holidays for area families that have faced adversity during the year.

The group as a whole meets once a month, and subcommittees gather periodically to get particular projects in motion. “The Network” is a constantly evolving endeavor, with new projects constantly coming to head.

For more information on becoming a member of “The Network” contact the SHIELD office (513) 217-4471.