OSHA Data Indicates Metalcaster Injuries Down Third Consecutive Year
The metalcasting industry recorded its third consecutive decrease in recordable injury and illness cases in 2007, according to the results of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) study.

The administration indicated that metalcasting facilities reported 11.8 injuries or illnesses for every 100 full-time employees. The number is only slightly down from 2006 (11.9) but has decreased 12.6% from 13.5 in 2005. The incidents also have remained below 2003 numbers, when only 13.1 incidents were recorded per 100 workers, the year before the 2004 spike to 14.

The OSHA statistics indicated that metalcasting facilities experienced higher rates of illness and injuries than other manufacturing plants as a whole, which reduced their numbers from 6 incidents per 100 full-time employees in 2006 to 5.6 in 2007. The metalcasting industry is also behind other primary metal manufacturers (8.1 incidents per 100 full-time employees). Both manufacturers as a whole and primary metal manufacturers experienced a greater rate of decrease from 2006 to 2007 than did metalcasters alone.

Non-investment steel metalcasters recorded the highest number of injury and illness in 2007 at 13.8. The plants were the safest among metalcasters in 2005. Nonferrous diecasters (excluding aluminum) managed the lowest number of incidents in 2007 at 6.1. The safest group in 2006, nonferrous non-diecasters (excluding aluminum) experienced the greatest rate of increase, jumping 83% from 6.4 to 11.7 incidents. Non-diecasting aluminum facilities recorded the greatest rate of improvement, lowering their 12.1 incidents by 26% to 9.

For more information, contact Fred Kohloff, AFS director of environmental, health and safety, at fhk@afsinc.org or 800/537-4237 x 230.

Be a Millionaire With Safety Awards that Highlight Significant Achievements
Entries for the 2008 AFS Millionaires Safety Award now are being accepted. The award is designed to recognize AFS corporate member firms that succeed in providing the highest level of safe and healthy workplaces.

This annual award recognizes facilities that accomplish increments of a million consecutive man-hours worked from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 without incurring an occupational injury or illness that results in days away from work or death. Candidates for the 2008 award must apply by Jan. 5, 2009. The awards will be presented at the 113th Metalcasting Congress, which will be held April 7-10 at the Paris Hotel, Las Vegas.

“AFS is committed to making workplace safety a top priority,” said Jerry Call, AFS executive vice president. “We are proud to recognize safety efforts made by our corporate members with this award.”

Applications can be downloaded at the AFS website by clicking here. For more information, contact Fred Kohloff, AFS director of environmental, health and safety, at fhk@afsinc.org or 800/537-4237 x 230.

Visit MetalcastingDesign.com Today
Have you seen all of the new features on MetalcastingDesign.com? In addition to an ever-growing library of design and purchasing articles to help casting users get the most of their engineered metal castings, the website now offers a comprehensive metalcaster directory, an interactive tool to help select the appropriate alloy and casting process for any application, blogs and audio clips. Click over there today, and see what you’ve been missing.

Google Search Enhances World's Largest Metalcasting Library
AFS announces the release of an updated and advanced library website located at www.afslibrary.com. The library website houses the world's largest collection of metalcasting reference material with more than 37,000 papers and articles available for purchase.

The new online AFS library utilizes state-of-the-art functionality and is powered by a Google search engine. The state-of-the-art Google functionality allows for articles the reader is searching for to be displayed in order, by most popular content. The updated interface of the website also will help users find articles easier, and allow for web-based downloads of AFS copyright material.

As an added incentive to promote the new library, AFS is offering a free article in exchange for your feedback in a brief survey. Simply browse the online library and click here to give us your feedback. Make sure to include which article you would like for free when taking the survey. We will contact you with details on how to receive your paper shortly after you submit your feedback.

For more information on the new library website, contact Katie Doherty, AFS information resource assistant, at kdoherty@afsinc.org or 847/824-0181.