What does rap music and industrial safety have in common?

Three employees of ITT Corp. in Morton Grove, Ill., found a novel way to communicate a message about workplace safety. Their first song about safety, Industrial Safety Rap, is playing on MySpace and has garnered more than 35,000 hits.

Bob Allen, Leo Bartoski, and Tim Ryan of ITT Corp. have a combined 60 years of industrial experience; however, it only took them about one hour to write the lyrics. Now, the trio might be able to claim the country’s No. 1 song on the HVACR charts.

Allen is a production supervisor in the Domestic Pump Factory and a member of the emergency response team. Ryan serves as the UAW Local 890 safety representative at the ITT Morton Grove facility in addition to his duties as warehouse attendant in the Domestic Pump Warehouse. Bartoski is also a UAW Local 890 member and an electro mechanical assembler in the Domestic Pump Factory.

Bartoski knew that they did not have the skills to put the words to music so he asked his nephews to arrange and record the catchy little ditty. It is less than three minutes in length, and worth a listen.

It reminded me a bit of Saturday mornings in the late 1960s. In keeping with the old American Bandstand ratings system: I like the beat; I could dance to it; I’d give it a 93.

Now, all the group needs is a music video to go with their safety masterpiece. Call me.

You can hear “Industrial Safety Rap” at www.myspace.com/industrialsafety.