LIBERTY Ostrava 

Thirty degrees in winter and up to sixty in summer. Regardless of the ambient temperature, a melter at a blast furnace wears a classic, fire-resistant silver jacket, special footwear, a helmet with protective shield and fire-resistant gloves. In the past these workers used to wear a silver hat, which made the protective clothing look kind of posh.

During a shift, the melter handles two to three cycles of hot metal tapping, during which they have to direct the flow of the melt in the trough, and if needed burn its surface so that no crust is formed and the hot metal is well separated from the slag. While this is happening molten metal at temperatures of up to 1.500 degrees Celsius is sprayed around. With each tapping, about 400 tonnes of hot metal are produced; hot metal is the basis for steel without which modern civilisation could not survive. However, hot metal is produced just as it was two centuries ago. It involves physically difficult and at the same time responsible work in demanding conditions. If there are still truly tough men working anywhere, then it is undoubtedly at the blast furnaces.    

Photo: Lukáš Kaboň









Company profile

Career

Open positions