Rusty Demeules Award Recognizes an Organization with Commitment to Excellence in Safety

The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA) and CNA announced AK Tube LLC of Columbus, Ind., as the winner of the 2018 Rusty Demeules Award for Safety Excellence. The award is presented annually by FMA, sponsored by CNA and created by FMA’s Safety Council to recognize a company with a demonstrated safety culture. The award is named in honor of Rusty Demeules, an outstanding volunteer contributor who made significant contributions to FMA while serving as the President of its Safety Committee from its inception in 1989 until 1996.

“FMA is pleased to present the Rusty Demeules Safety Award to AK Tube,” said Edward Youdell, President and Chief Executive Officer, FMA. “Beginning with its formal safety orientation program for new employees, dedicated record keeping, ongoing management commitment and the CEO’s signature on its safety policy, it’s clear AK Tube is a worthy recipient of this award.”

AK Tube LLC converts flat rolled steel into round tubes to be used in a range of applications. Their safety plan reflects the safety plan of its parent company, AK Steel.

Management commitment is evident within the program. Supervisors and managers conduct monthly toolbox meetings and participate in monthly safety meetings which have been converted into a game format which the employees enjoy. In addition to classroom training, the new hire on-boarding program includes hands-on training, which allows employees to experience their job without the expectations of production. Each new employee also receives OSHA 10-hour training, as well as environmental, quality and production training.

“We are proud to sponsor the Rusty Demeules Award and are very proud to recognize AK Tube as the 2018 Rusty Demeules Award recipient for their conscious work to create a culture of safety,” said Roger Wilson, Assistant Vice President and Industry Leader for Manufacturing, CNA.

AK Tube was honored at a dinner ceremony during FMA’s Annual Safety Conference held April 18 – 19 at FMA’s headquarters in Elgin, Ill. As the recipient, a representative of the company received complimentary registration, travel, and hotel accommodations to the conference.

CNA has been FMA’s endorsed business insurance provider for more than 30 years. The FMA/CNA insurance program offers asset protection tailored to the needs of metal manufacturing companies, dedicated customer service from an independent agent and industry-specific counsel. To learn more about the FMA/CNA insurance program, please visit www.cna.com/fma.