Safe Tank Alliance - Alliance Annual Report - April 11, 2007

ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and
Safe Tank Alliance
April 11, 2007

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    March 22, 2004

    Date Renewed

    October 2, 2006

    Evaluation Period

    March 29, 2006 - March 28, 2007

    Overview

    Through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance, OSHA, American Petroleum Institute (API), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Steel Tank Institute (STI) are promoting safe tank entry, cleaning, maintenance, and rescue operations and work within and around petroleum and petrochemical liquid storage tanks. The workers include, but are not limited to, tank owners and operators, tank maintenance and repair workers, tank contractors and rescue personnel.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:

    Jess McCluer
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    Terry Meisinger*
    Office of Small Business Assistance

    API:

    William J. Erny
    Manager of Safety Programs, Regulatory Affairs Department
    Karen Haase
    Senior Regulatory Analyst

    NFPA:

    Guy R. Colonna
    Assistant Vice President, Fire Protection Applications & Chemical Engineering

    STI

    Wayne Geyer
    Executive Vice President

    Contributors

    Kristi Dearing
    Contractor for OSHA, Salt Lake Technical Center (SLTC)

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    March 30, 2006
    Draft Fall Prevention for Aboveground Storage Tanks Fact Sheet, Teleconference
    September 6, 2006
    Implementation Team Meeting, API, Washington, DC
    October 26, 2006
    Safe Tank Entry Best Practices Seminar, Teleconference
    January 18, 2007
    Safe Tank Entry Best Practices Seminar, Teleconference
    February 20, 2007
    Safe Tank Entry Best Practices Seminar, Teleconference
    March 20, 2007
    Developing Joint Products with the OSHA and Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) Alliance, Teleconference

  3. Results

    1. Events and Products

      Outreach and Communication Goals

      • Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA's, API's, NFPA's and STI's Web sites) to employees and employers in the industry.

      Products

      OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance Web page

      OSHA is continuing to update the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance Web page that is posted on the Agency's Web site. It includes the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance renewal agreement, in which STI was added as a signatory; news releases; activities and events and milestones and successes.

      API Web site (www.api.org)

      The API Web site has information on the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance. During the reporting period, API posted the Fall Prevention for Aboveground Storage Tanks Fact Sheet, developed through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance, on its Web site.

      STI Web Site (www.steeltank.org)

      The STI Web site has information on the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance along and links to OSHA's compliance assistance resources.

      Publications

      Information on the activities of the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance has appeared in publications such as ehSuite and Partnerships in the Oil and Gas Industry. For more information on the articles, see the "Alliance Program Reach".

      OSHA's Electronic Assistance Tools

      API and NFPA staff and members are continuing to participate on the editorial boards of the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages and eTools:

      Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Safety and Health Topics page:

      • Ray Cook, Marathon Oil; Houston, TX
      • Bill Erny, API, Washington, DC
      • Lane Smith, Chevron Texaco; Houston, TX

      Confined Spaces Safety and Health Topics page:

      • Guy R. Colonna, P.E., NFPA, Quincy, MA

      Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool:

      • Bill Erny, API, Washington, DC
      • Lane Smith, Chevron Texaco; Houston, TX
      • Ray Cook, Marathon Oil, Houston, TX
      • Charlie Curlee, Marathon Oil, Houston, TX
      • Joe Sologub, Marathon Oil, Houston, TX

      Draft Storage Tank Module for the OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Safety and Health Topics page

      Through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance, API, NFPA and STI members and staff reviewed and provided comments on the draft Storage Tank module for the OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Safety and Health Topics page. After the module is posted on the OSHA Web site, the Topics page will be renamed Oil and Gas Well Drilling, Servicing and Storage Safety and Health Topics page.

      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA or industry conferences such as the API/NFPA Safety Tank Entry Workshop.

      STI Pressure Vessel Conference, November 15-16, 2006, Houston, Texas

      On November 16, 2006, Chuck Williams, Director, Region VI, Houston, Texas South Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, updated 40 attendees on the revised Hexavalent Chromium Standard during STI's Pressure Vessel Conference November 15-16, 2006 in Houston, TX.

      2006 National Safety Congress and Expo, November 5-9, 2006, San Diego, California

      On November 7, 2006, Lee Anne Jillings, Director, OOSA, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP), USDOL-OSHA; Bill Erny, API; and John Howell, Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA), an Alliance Program participant, spoke to 10 attendees about training products developed through the Alliance Program in a workshop, "Success of the Alliance Program: Best Practices," during the 2006 National Safety Congress and Expo November 5-9, 2006 in San Diego, California.

      NFPA World Safety Congress and Exposition, June 4-8, 2006, Orlando, Florida

      On June 6, 2006, Lee Anne Jillings, Director, OOSA, DCSP, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation on OSHA's cooperative and compliance assistance resources focusing on the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance, to 35 attendees at the NFPA World Safety Congress and Exposition, June 4-8, 2006 in Orlando, Florida. Mat Chibbaro, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation, "Combustible Dust in Industry" to over 100 attendees on June 6, 2006.

      • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry and safety and health professionals regarding API's, NFPA's, and STI's best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by API, NFPA, and STI and through OSHA- or API, NFPA and STI - developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars and lectures (or any other applicable forum).

      Products

      Fact Sheet: Fall Prevention for Aboveground Storage Tanks

      Through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance, the implementation team developed a fact sheet, "Fall Prevention for Aboveground Storage Tanks." It describes general safety tips to help prevent fall-related injuries for those working in and around aboveground storage tanks. The fact sheet was completed and posted on API's Web site in November 2006 and a link to the fact sheet was added to the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site.

      OSHA Potential Flammability Hazard Associated with Bulk Transportation of Oilfield Exploration and Production Waste Liquids Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB)

      API reviewed and provided OSHA with comments on the Agency's revised draft Potential Flammability Hazard Associated with Bulk Transportation of Oilfield Exploration and Production Waste Liquids SHIB.

      • Promote and encourage the petroleum and petrochemical industry's participation in OSHA cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Programs, and Consultation and its Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program.

        The OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance Implementation Team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.

    2. Executive Summary

      OSHA and the Safe Tank Alliance original signatories, API and NFPA agreed to continue the Alliance and signed a renewal agreement on October 2, 2006. The Steel Tank Institute was added as a signatory to the agreement. Through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance, OSHA, API, NFPA, STI are continuing to work together to promote safe tank entry, cleaning, maintenance, and rescue operations and work within and around petroleum and petrochemical liquid storage tanks. This positive relationship has led to the development of products that the team is sharing with the public, including:

      • "Fall Prevention for Aboveground Storage Tanks" fact sheet that describes general safety tips to help prevent fall-related injuries for those working in and around aboveground storage tanks. The fact sheet was completed and posted on API's Web site in November 2006 and a link to the fact sheet was added to the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site.

        In addition, OSHA, API, NFPA and STI representatives are sharing their expertise through participating on OSHA's electronic assistance tools' editorial boards and speaking and exhibiting opportunities. For example:

      • API and NFPA members and staff are continuing to serve on OSHA's Confined Space and Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Safety and Health Topics pages' and Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool's editorial boards.

      • API and NFPA provided comments on the draft Storage Tank module which will be added to the OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Safety and Health Topics page.

      • Chuck Williams, Director, Region VI, Houston, Texas South Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, updated 40 attendees on the on the revised hexavalent chromium standard during STI's Pressure Vessel Conference.

      • Lee Anne Jillings, Director, OOSA, DCSP, USDOL-OSHA; Bill Erny, API: and John Howell, ILMA spoke to 10 attendees about training products developed through the Alliance Program in a workshop, "Success of the Alliance Program: Best Practices," during the 2006 National Safety Congress and Expo.

      • Lee Anne Jillings, OOSA, DCSP, USDOL-OSHA gave a presentation on OSHA's cooperative and compliance assistance programs, with a particular focus on the Safe Tank Alliance, to 35 attendees at the NFPA World Safety Congress and Exposition in Orlando, Florida. In addition, Mat Chibbaro, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation titled, "Combustible Dust in Industry" to over 100 attendees.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site 7,387
      Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Safety and Health Topics page 22,729
      Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool 27,269
      Confined Spaces Safety and Health Topics page 73,729
      February 2007 - "OSHA Alliances," OSHA Up To Date Data Not Available
      November 16, 2006: STI Pressure Vessel Conference, Houston, Texas

      Speaker: Chuck Williams, Director, Region VI, Houston, Texas South Area Office, USDOL-OSHA      		 40
      November 8, 2006 - "OSHA Renews Safe Tank Alliance to Advance Safety and Health at Petroleum and Petrochemical Liquid Storage Sites," ehsSuite Data Not Available
      November 7, 2006, 2006 National Safety Congress and Expo, San Diego, California

      Speakers:
      Lee Anne Jillings, Director, OOSA, DCSP, USDOL-OSHA
      Bill Erny, API      		 10
      October 1, 2006 - OSHA includes information on the Fall Protection for Aboveground Storage Tanks Fact Sheet in QuickTakes 52,805
      Summer 2006 - "The Alliance Program's Safe Tank Alliance," Partnerships in the Oil and Gas Industry Data Not Available
      June 6, 2006, NFPA World Safety Congress and Exposition, Orlando, Florida

      Speaker: Lee Anne Jillings, Director, OOSA, DCSP, USDOL-OSHA      		 35
      June 6, 2006, NFPA World Safety Congress and Exposition, Orlando, Florida

      Speaker: Mat Chibbaro, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, USDOL-OSHA      		 100
      TOTAL 184,104

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    The OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance Implementation Team has discussed a number of activities that will be undertaken in the upcoming year. For example, OSHA and the Safe Tank Alliance will hold a one and a half day Safe Tank Entry Best Practices Seminar April 17-18, 2007 at the Houston Area Safety Council's NASA facility in Webster, Texas. The seminar will include one full day of technical presentations on safe tank entry topics including rescue operations and fall protection. In addition, a half day presentation focusing on best practices in atmospheric monitoring will also be delivered.

    The OSHA and Safe Tank and OSHA and ILMA Alliances are discussing the development of joint products addressing aboveground storage tanks safety issues e.g. safe tank entry, confined space and hot work. The OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance invited representatives from the OSHA and ILMA Alliance to attend the seminar in Webster, Texas.

    NFPA will complete the draft safe tank entry hot work and confined space brochures and share them with OSHA for feedback. API will also develop the next Safe Tank Entry fact sheet focusing on cleaning and maintenance.

    In addition, the Alliance's representatives from API and NFPA will continue to be members of OSHA's Confined Space and Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Safety and Health Topics pages' and Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool's editorial boards and will review and provide comments on the resources. In addition, the draft Storage Tank module that the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance implementation team assisted in developing will be posted on the OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Safety and Health Topics page by Summer 2007.

    The OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance will continue to promote the activities of the Alliance and provide information on OSHA's cooperative programs through presentations. For example, on June 5, 2007, Lee Anne Jillings, Director, OOSA, DCSP, USDOL-OSHA, will make a presentation on OSHA's compliance assistance resources and cooperative programs, with a particular focus on the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance at the NFPA World Safety Congress and Exposition, on June 3-7, 2007, in Boston, Massachusetts.

    Finally, API and STI will continue to promote OSHA's compliance assistance materials and outreach resources and the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance through posting information on their Web pages.

Report prepared by: Jess McCluer, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, April 11, 2007