The CEO of Gerdau, Mr André B Gerdau Johannpeter, accepted the "Safety and Health Excellence Recognition 2011" award from the World Steel Association for the company's safety practices on October 11.

The company was recognized for the project "The Molten Steel Path," which aims to ensure safe procedures during the melting process, refining and transportation of liquid steel.

The award was presented during the association's 45th annual meeting, which took place October 9-12 in Paris, France. The event brings together the leading companies in the steel sector.

The Molten Steel Path" is a safety policy that was developed to ensure the safety of persons and equipment in the stages where the operations with the liquid steel are carried out. Its formulation process involved those people responsible for all the company's industrial operations with a thorough review of procedures, which, as a result identified technological solutions to reduce, eliminate, and control all risks involved in these processes.

The project began to be implemented in 2007 in Brazil's operations and is currently being implemented in all of Gerdau's steel mills. The guideline was also included in the Gerdau Safety Management System and has been the basis for the dissemination of knowledge to all the company's operations. For Gerdau, no situation of emergency, production, or financial performance can compromise the health and safety of its employees.