As most of our readers know, in our May issue ofStone World, we published a photo in a Fabricator Case Study that wasn’t up to code. It was a regrettable oversight that we included a photo demonstrating unsafe shop practices.

Of course we support safety in the fabrication shop, and we want to be a source of information on the latest standards that are taking place. We have built a loyal following over the years, so it is understandable that so many of you were upset and concerned when seeing this photo in our magazine.

If anything good can come of this, it is that we now realize how much our readers are paying attention to what we print — and that means a lot to us. It also is good to see that so many of you do care so much about safety and our industry. And most importantly, it is good to know that you aren’t afraid to tell us when we make a mistake. Open lines of communication are important. We value what our readers think, and we want to produce a magazine that is respected.

Another thing that this makes us realize is that there are still shops out there that aren’t providing a safe environment for their employees. Education is one of the best ways to drill the importance of this issue home to those that haven’t jumped on board yet. Hopefully, if we use our magazine to promote safe practices and as a vehicle for organizations such as the MIA to promote safety standards, everyone will soon realize how important safety is when running a fabrication shop.

In our June issue, we featured a fabrication shop that takes safety seriously. YK Stone Center, Inc. of Denver, CO, makes sure that its employees wear the proper safety gear when working in the shop. We hope that every shop has safety procedures in place, and from now on, we will only be featuring companies that do. We want the articles we publish to set an example and inspire others with their stories.

Recently, I visited a large-scale shop in the Boston area that definitely takes safety practices seriously. In addition to employees wearing the proper safety attire, the owner installed a customized air filtration system. He explained that he believes strongly in investing in safety. The fabrication shop will be featured soon as a Fabricator Case Study in an upcoming issue.

We want to continue hearing from our readers. We love that you care. It only helps us make Stone World the best it can be. So whether you have a comment or suggestion on something that we have published, or you have an idea for a story or would like us to write about your shop, please don’t hesitate to let us know.