The new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and dozens of other major infrastructure projects nationwide are being built with foreign steel and manufactured materials. The sad fact is that there are workers here in America who could have crafted those materials with pride and precision.

Check out www.shouldbemadeinamerican.com

We are excited to be the proud owners of a new 80,000 lb Kettle.

The Story of Our Campaign

Real stories from people across the U.S. talking about how they help “make America” and how important the manufacturing industry is to their community. Show your support at www.IMakeAmerica.com and tell Congress you want U.S. manufacturing policies that create jobs here in the U.S.

Congratulations to our 10 year employees …

Jose G. Mares – Pickle Technician 
Jose (Chino) Mares – Kettle Technician
Dennis Rains – EHS Manager 

We wish you many more.

From left to right: Jose G. Mares, Dennis Rains, David Ware, Chino Mares

Photo by: David Riley, Jasper Journal

“Zinc Saves Kids” is an initiative of the International Zinc Association (IZA) to improve the survival, growth and development of undernourished children by funding UNICEF-supported zinc programs around the world. IZA has committed to raise three million US$ over a three-year period from the global zinc community. The campaign will involve IZA member companies, zinc industry customer groups, suppliers and employees. The funds will be used to support zinc supplementation programs for children under the age of five who are most impacted by micronutrient deficiencies. 450,000 children under the age of five die annually due to zinc deficiency, and many who survive suffer lifelong repercussions from early childhood micronutrient deficiencies.

Zinc deficiency is a major health threat for children in low-income countries but it is one which can be readily addressed with cheap, simple and existing tools such as zinc supplements. A number of local zinc supplementation programs are already being implemented in some countries with excellent results, especially in the treatment and prevention of diarrhea. Diarrhea constitutes the second most common cause of child deaths worldwide. Two million children under the age of five die from diarrhea every year.

“Children are our greatest resource, we can’t allow that millions of them die every year, especially when zinc is part of the solution,” says Don Lindsay, President and CEO of Teck Resources Limited and Chairman of the International Zinc Association. “I strongly encourage our industry to help solve the global problem of malnutrition by donating to the Zinc Saves Kids campaign.

To find out more go to http://zincsaveskids.org/

“Now that you have specified galvanizing, see how socially responsible your galvanizer is.”

Ask your galvanizer these questions:  

1. Do You Have A Verifiable, Audited, Environmental Management System?

• Please Provide A Copy Of This Management System.

2. Do You Operate Bag Houses On Your Galvanizing Kettles?

3. What Grade Of Zinc Do You Use?

• Special High Grade _____
• High Grade _____
• Prime Western _____
• Please Provide A Bath Metal Analysis

4. Do You Put A Hexavalent Chromium Post Treatment On Products You Galvanize?

5. How much hazardous waste do you dispose of every year?

Would You Like To Download This Checklist As A PDF Document?

• Environmentally Friendly Galvanizing Checklist 5.88 Kb

The final rule recently published by OSHA states that employees must be notified of all Hexavalent Chromium exposure in the workplace.Under the new rule, effective June 15, 2010 – employers are required to provide their employees with this information even if Hexavalent Chromium levels are below the Permitted Exposure Limit (PEL).As you may be aware, many (but not all) galvanizing companies utilize a Hexavalent Chromium Quench (Post Treatment) on products they galvanize.

This post treatment is not called for in ASTM specifications and it does nothing to improve the galvanized coating. It does, however, prevent wet storage stain and allows the galvanized product to stay in a “shiny” state for a longer period of time.Eventually the Hexavalent Chromium washes off the material onto the ground and the material takes the characteristic dull gray appearance of weathered galvanized steel.My motivation for writing this letter to you is to make you aware of this rule so that you might evaluate if your organization is better off by requiring Hexavalent Chromium free products be delivered for use by your employees.

Testing and monitoring for this unnecessary hazard would seem to be an unneeded expense. In some cases, companies, like Tennessee Galvanizing, that do not use a Hexavalent Chromium quench system are excluded from galvanizing for certain companies because the products do not stay “shiny” as long as Hexavalent Chromium using company products do.

Hot-Dip galvanizing is a superior form of corrosion protection and can play a prominent role in sustainable design and development. Hexavalent Chromium is not required and can be specified out of your purchases.

For employers to properly check for Hexavalent Chromium on Hot-Dip Galvanizing, follow the procedures outlined in ASTM D6492-99 (2003) – Standard Practice For Detection of Hexavalent Chromium on Zinc and Zinc/Aluminum Alloy Coated Steel.

Regards,

David S. Ware, Sr.
President/CEO