The heart of our state-of-the-art Galvanizing Line no. 3 is the control room in its central section. Operators here monitor all quality parameters of the sheet - galvanizing, rolling and annealing cycle, plus adjust the line speed as needed. The major customers for galvanized sheets are car manufacturers.  They are used to manufacture visible car parts such as hoods, roofs, and doors, or they are used in interior parts that are not visible in the car. Therefore, the highest quality of sheet metal leaving our factory gates must be a matter of course.

Several operators work simultaneously in the control room, each monitoring different indicators and parameters on their screens. One of them is our young and ambitious operator Dušan Virostko. His profession, as well as that of his colleagues, is unique in Slovakia. A similar line exists only in our plant.

He did not think about choosing a profession for a long time. His father worked as a shift foreman at an "old" Galvanizing Line and often talked very enthusiastically about his work at home. So, his sons followed in his footsteps. Dušan's brother works at an ETL line. "Too bad that my dad didn't live to see retirement. We worked together in the ironworks for a while. When he came home from work and I was on leave, he would immediately report to me what was happening on our line, whether we had any downtime or issues."

Fast line – fast responses

“I have been working at U. S. Steel since 2014. I started my job at CGL3 and went through all parts of the line. I started at the head end section of the line. It's an unwritten rule that all newly hired employees start at the line head end, where they first learn something about production quantity, and then only they can move towards the process, to the process control room, from which quality is managed. I'm currently in charge of the galvanizing process; I have to supervise the coatings so that there are no scratches on the strip... "Who would want to buy a car with a scratch on the bodywork," says Dušan Virostko, adding: "I have very good colleagues, several of whom have been working here since the line was launched, and their personal experience has helped me." The line became more and more automated, with every employee trying to improve something to make their work easier. For example, we have a robot that helps us when something breaks down, so we don't have to pick it up manually. I came to find everything already done. .  However, some sections need upgrade.

Galvanizing Line no. 3 is very fast. It can run up to 185 yards per minute. So, the operators also have to be very fast and react quickly. If a defect appears on the surface of the sheet, the line will throw out hundreds of meters of sheet, basically scrap, in a few minutes, which of course means a loss. The line produces approximately 30,000 tons per month, depending on the type of material.  What Dušan Virostek enjoys about his work is that it is not monotonous, that responses need to be very fast, that there is always something going on: "There's always something to deal with.  Not like at the head end section, where you just prepare a roll, charge it, weld it, and it's basically the same thing all the time."

They get sweaty, especially in summer

While studying at the Metallurgical Secondary Vocational School in Šaca, he practiced in the company from the 2nd year and started at CGL2, where he became familiar with the cycle of the line. After starting work, he participated in a plant tour and visited all the plants on both the hot and cold sides of the company.  When he then started at CGL3, it was a "WOW" effect for him: "Everything is clean, new, modern..., there are little cars that regularly wash the floors.... Of course, we are in heavy industry here too.  It is demanding work. We don't just sit in the control room. Right across from us is a zinc bath in which the zinc is at a temperature of 460 degrees Celsius.  We must be careful because the liquid zinc can splash here and there, so we also have special coveralls that they don't have anywhere else in USSK. It is especially hot during the summer. It is definitely hotter on the furnaces, but we also sweat a lot here."

Dušan does and wants to continue to do his job responsibly. He is currently in the position of a substitute, so he must be able to stand in for and know the work of all his colleagues in detail. In addition, he knows how to drive a forklift and has the necessary tests and "papers" to work on a crane.

Athlete and blood donor

In his free time, Dušan is involved in sports. In the summer, he plays soccer and when he has time, he will compete in the DP Tin Mill & Coated Products and Packaging Division jersey at the U.S. Steel Košice Summer Sports Games. He prefers hockey over soccer:  "We are a good gang, and we play hockey very often. So, we decided to start playing in the CHL amateur league, with all the rules, referees...." You could see Dušan as a defenseman in the DP Maintenance team at the U.S. Steel Košice President's Cup Hockey Tournament. He sometimes goes to the gym, likes walking in the woods with his dog and picking mushrooms:  "In the forest, all my stress goes away, I come up with completely different ideas..." Dušan's father inspired his sons not only in choosing a profession:  "I have been donating blood regularly since I was 18, I have already donated 56 times.  And my brother also donates blood."

A new rhythm of life since October

In October, Dušan's life will take on a new rhythm: “I am getting married.” His future wife works as a programmer, and he sometimes envies her a little that she can work from home.  They both enjoy traveling and since his girlfriend is fluent in two foreign languages, they won't get lost in the world. Last year they took their dream vacation. On the 6th or 7th largest cruise ship in the world: "I would compare it in size to the CGL3 bay." When I stood next to that cruise ship, I felt like a little ant.  "We sailed for a week around the Mediterranean - through Barcelona, Ibiza, we visited Palermo, Rome, the Vatican City and Marseille." It was during this cruise that Dušan proposed to his girlfriend Simona.

Before the wedding, they are planning to explore Malta for 5 days. And the honeymoon? "We'll see when we add up all the expenses for the wedding, to which we invited around 130 guests. I believe we'll manage to travel somewhere warm for at least a few days in the winter."

Photo: Arpád Köteles and Dušan Virostko's archive