Daniel D. Babinsack
Ellwood Quality Steels
This summer, I completed my internship as a Safety Intern at Ellwood Quality Steels (EQS) in New Castle, Pa., USA. The experience provided me with an in-depth understanding of both the steel industry, and the role safety professionals play in supporting a successful operation. While I expected to gain valuable technical knowledge, what stood out most was EQS’s culture. From senior leadership to the newest team members, everyone treated one another with respect and genuinely cared about each other's success. EQS has built a family-oriented culture where safety is viewed as a shared responsibility rather than simply a requirement. It is the type of culture I hope to help create and sustain throughout my own career as a safety professional.
Before beginning my internship, I understood the importance of the steel industry but had never experienced the steelmaking process firsthand. Working at EQS gave me a new appreciation for the skill, precision and teamwork required to transform recycled scrap metal into high-quality steel ingots. Seeing this process firsthand reinforced the critical role steel plays in industries such as national defense, aerospace, power generation, and infrastructure, while highlighting the importance of safety and quality throughout every stage of production.
As a Safety Intern, I was trusted with responsibilities that directly supported EQS’s maintenance and exceeded The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards while promoting a strong culture of safety. Throughout the summer, I facilitated virtual-reality fire extinguisher training, conducted hearing conservation testing, assisted with new-hire safety orientations, reviewed job safety analyses (JSAs), and participated in daily safety walkthroughs across the facility.
These daily walkthroughs gave me the opportunity to observe work practices, identify potential hazards and build relationships with team members throughout the plant. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that effective safety professionals do more than enforce rules —they listen to team members, understand the challenges they face, and work together to find practical solutions. During the summer months, I also distributed cooling products and refreshments to team members working in high-temperature environments to help reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses. Those interactions reinforced that safety is built on trust, communication and demonstrating genuine concern for the people you work with.
One of the most valuable aspects of my internship was the mentorship I received from Adam Turner and Jay Gratzmiller. They taught me not only the technical aspects of occupational safety but also the importance of being present. They maintained a visible presence throughout the facility, regularly engaging with team members, answering questions and working alongside the team when needed. Their approach showed me that the best safety professionals do not simply enforce policies — they build trust by being accessible, approachable and invested in the people they serve. Watching how they interacted with Team Members and approached challenges has had a lasting impact on the type of safety professional I hope to become.
Beyond the technical experience I gained, this internship reinforced that safety is about much more than regulatory compliance. It is about protecting people, building relationships, earning the trust of team members, and creating an environment where everyone returns home safely at the end of the day. Those lessons cannot be learned from a textbook alone, and they have strengthened my confidence as I continue pursuing a career in occupational safety.
I am incredibly grateful to my family and my fiancée for their unwavering encouragement and support throughout my internship. Their belief in me motivated me to make the most of every opportunity and continue striving to grow both personally and professionally.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone at Ellwood Quality Steels for welcoming me as part of the team and providing an internship experience that exceeded my expectations. The knowledge, mentorship and friendships I gained this summer will remain with me throughout my career. I would also like to thank AIST for awarding me the 2026–2027 AIST Foundation Intern Scholarship and supporting the next generation of professionals in the steel industry. This experience has strengthened my passion for occupational safety and reinforced my desire to help create workplaces where safety is a shared value, strong relationships are built on trust, and every team member returns home safely at the end of the day.