Karra Van Der westhuizen

Dedicated and experienced Supervisory Professional with over 30 years in the steel manufacturing and rolling industry. Proven ability to lead large teams, manage high-pressure production environments, and enforce strict safety and operational standards. Skilled in coordinating shift operations, maintaining quality control, and ensuring that all finished steel products meet customer specifications.

Recognised for strong communication, leadership, problem-solving and hands-on technical knowledge of long steel products and finishing processes.

Supervisor at ArcelorMittal South Africa (1995-04 – 2025-10)

Steel Rolling Finishing | Shear Operations | Long Steel Products

• Led and supervised daily operations in the steel rolling finishing area, ensuring seamless production flow and adherence to strict operational deadlines.
• Managed a team of 30–50 employees, providing direction, performance monitoring, coaching, conflict resolution, and skills development to maintain high productivity and discipline.
• Oversaw shear operations, including blade installation, blade changes, and ensuring correct blade types were used for specific steel grades and thicknesses.
• Set up and adjusted cutting lengths based on client specifications, engineering drawings, and production schedules, ensuring that each batch met dimensional accuracy and quality requirements.
• Conducted constant quality checks on finished products—such as verifying weight, length, surface quality, bundling integrity, and correct product identification before dispatch.
• Ensured that no cross-contamination or mixing of steel grades occurred, maintaining strict material traceability and compliance with ISO and internal quality standards.
• Coordinated closely with management, operators, dispatch teams, and maintenance personnel to resolve production bottlenecks, breakdowns, and urgent customer requirements.
• Completed comprehensive shift administration, including production reports, downtime logs, attendance registers, incident reports, safety observations, and handover notes for the next shift.
• Implemented and enforced Occupational Health and Safety (OHS Act) regulations, conducted toolbox talks, and ensured full compliance with PPE requirements at all times.
• Identified safety risks and took immediate corrective action to prevent accidents, equipment damage, or production delays.
• Supervised the coil area, including coil movement, storage processes, safe lifting practices, and monitoring of crane operations to ensure safe, smooth workflow.
• Participated in training and skills development as an assessor, assisting with employee evaluations, competency assessments, and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Provided technical support in troubleshooting mechanical or operational issues with cutting equipment, conveyors, bundling machinery, and monitoring systems.
• Played a key role in shift planning, staff allocation, and resource coordination to optimize production efficiency.
• Maintained a high level of communication with team members to promote teamwork, ensure safe operations, and create a productive working environment.
• Ensured all customer information, order details, and quality requirements were double-checked and adhered to before products were released for dispatch.

Matric Certificate – Amajuba High School (1993-12)