The Safe Tank Alliance - Alliance Annual Report - April 13, 2010

ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
and the Safe Tank Alliance
April 13, 2010

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    March 29, 2004

    Dates Renewed

    October 2, 2006; May 29, 2008

    Overview

    Through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance, OSHA, API, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association (STI/SPFA) 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:

    Eric Lahaie - Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA), Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP)
    Russell Jones - Office of Small Business Assistance (OSBA), DCSP
    Tony Mapes* - OOSA, DCSP

    API:

    Phil Meyers - ChevronTexaco Technology Center
    William J. Erny - Senior Policy Advisor, Safety and Security Issues
    Karen Haase - Senior Regulatory Analyst

    NFPA:

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

    STI/SPFA:

    Wayne Geyer - Executive Vice President

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    July 9, 2009 - Implementation Team Meeting
    November 24, 2009 - Implementation Team Meeting

  3. Results

    1. Events and Products

      Outreach and Communication

      • 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

      API and OSHA Alliance-related Web Page

      The API and OSHA Alliance Web page has information on the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance. In addition, links to the "Fall Protection for Aboveground Storage Tanks Fact Sheet," and "Safe Tank Entry Fact Sheet," are posted on the Web page. Both resources were developed through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance.

      STI/SPFA and OSHA Alliance-related Web Page

      The STI/SPFA Web site has information on the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance along with links to OSHA's compliance assistance resources. In addition, the Web site has links to the "Fall Protection for Aboveground Storage Tanks Fact Sheet," and the "Safe Tank Entry Fact Sheet." Both products were developed through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance.

      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 OSHA Web site. It includes Alliance agreement, renewal agreements, news releases, products and resources, activities and events, and milestones and successes of the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance.

      OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages and eTool

      Representatives from API, NFPA, and STI/SPFA serve on the editorial boards of the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages and eTool, providing OSHA with their expertise and technical review:

      • Confined Spaces
        • Guy R. Colonna, P.E., Assistant Vice President, Fire Protection Applications & Chemical Engineering, NFPA, Quincy, Massachusetts

        • Brian S. Hope, CSP, Corporate Safety Manager, Caldwell Tanks, Newnan, Georgia

      • Emergency Preparedness and Response
        • Jim Clark, Distinguished Engineering Associate, ExxonMobil, Fairfax, VA

        • David Fritz, Crisis Management Coordinator, BP America, Inc., Naperville, Illinois

      • Fall Protection

        • Brian S. Hope, CSP, Corporate Safety Manager, Caldwell Tanks, Newnan, Georgia

      • Fire Safety

        • Guy R. Colonna, P.E., Assistant Vice President, Fire Protection Applications and Chemical Engineering, NFPA, Quincy, Massachusetts

      • Oil and Gas Well Drilling, Servicing and Storage
        • Ray Cook, Marathon Oil, Houston, Texas
        • William J. Erny, Senior Policy Advisor, Safety and Security Issues, API, Washington, DC

        • Lane Smith, API, ChevronTexaco, Houston, Texas

      • Oil and Gas Well Drilling, Servicing and Storage, Storage Tanks Module
        • David Breitigam, HES Professional, Marathon Petroleum Corp., Findley, Ohio
        • Guy R. Colonna, P.E., Assistant Vice President, Fire Protection Applications and Chemical Engineering, NFPA, Quincy, Massachusetts
        • William J. Erny, Senior Policy Advisor, Safety and Security Issues, API, Washington, DC
        • Wayne Geyer, Executive Vice-President, STI/SPFA, Lake Zurich, Illinois
        • Karen M. Haase, Senior Regulatory Analyst, API, Washington, DC
        • Michael J. Kotrick, Senior Safety Engineer, Chevron, Richmond, California
        • Phillip E. Myers, Standards Specialist, ChevronTexaco, San Ramon, California

        • Jason Underhill, HES Professional, Marathon Pipe Line Company, Martinsville, Illinois

      • Scaffolding

        • Brian S. Hope, CSP, Corporate Safety Manager, Caldwell Tanks, Newnan, Georgia

      • Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool
        • Ray Cook, Marathon Oil, Houston, Texas
        • William J. Erny, Senior Policy Advisor, Safety and Security Issues, API; Washington, DC
        • Joe Sologub, Marathon Oil, Houston, Texas

        • Lane Smith, ChevronTexaco, Houston, Texas

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

      ILTA Annual International Operating Conference, June 10-12, 2009, Houston, Texas

      Through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance, API and NFPA held a "Safe Tank Entry Workshop," June 10-12, 2009, during the ILTA Annual International Operating Conference in Houston, Texas. The workshop, presented by Guy Colonna, Vice President of Engineering, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), provided 20 attendees with information on confined space entry best practices in the petroleum industry.

      API/NFPA Safe Tank Entry Workshop, August 20-21, 2009, Webster, Texas

      Through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance, API and NFPA invited two OSHA staff to attend API/NFPA's "Safe Tank Entry Workshop," August 20-21, 2009, in Webster, Texas. As a result of API/NFPA's invitation, Tanya Hurlburt, Compliance Safety and Health Officer, Region VI, Houston South, Texas Area Office, USDOL-OSHA; and Donald Frost, Compliance Safety and Health Officer, Region VI, Houston South, Texas Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, attended the workshop. The workshop, presented by Guy Colonna, Vice President of Engineering, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), provided attendees with information on confined space entry best practices in the petroleum industry.

      • 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).

      Events

      12th Annual International Conference on Aboveground Storage Tanks, March 2- 4, 2010, Orlando, Florida

      On March 3, 2010, Matt Humphreville, Safety Specialist, Region IV, Tampa Florida Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, presented "Selected OSHA Standards Applied to ASTs - A Review" during the 12th Annual International Conference on Aboveground Storage Tanks in Orlando, Florida. The audience was comprised of 80 industry professionals associated with the storage of petroleum in large and small aboveground storage tanks, including owners, operators, regulators, consultants, and equipment manufacturers.

      • 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.

      • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

      Events

      2009 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 3-9, 2009, Washington, DC

      API, National Fire Protection Association, Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association and more than 55 other Alliance Program participants supported 2009 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers, an Alliance Program participant, and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The theme for 2009 NAOSH Week was "Safety Means Always Coming Home."

      NFPA supported the event through the following activities:

      • Linked the NFPA "Members Only" section of their Industrial Section Web site to the 2009 NAOSH Week Web page on ASSE's Web site.
      • Posted a 2009 NAOSH Week e-notice on the NFPA intranet.
      • Distributed copies of the 2009 NAOSH Week promotional poster at NFPA's headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts.

      • Provided OSHA with safety and health outreach materials which were inserted in the 2009 NAOSH Kick-off attendee bag.

      In addition, STI/SPFA emailed the link to the 2009 NAOSH Week Web page to the safety committees of their member companies.

    2. Executive Summary

      As a result of the Alliance’s successes in its first five years, the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance participants, API, NFPA, and STI/SPFA, continue to work together to increase employer and employee access to safety and health information. The Alliance has produced and implemented training resources on workplace issues including tank entry, cleaning, maintenance, rescue operations and work within and around petroleum and petrochemical liquid storage tanks. For example, through the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance, API and NFPA hosted a “Safe Tank Entry Workshop,” in Houston, Texas. The workshop provided 20 attendees with information on confined space entry best practices in the petroleum industry. The “Safe Tank Entry Workshop” was also given as a training session for OSHA Compliance Officers in Webster, Texas. In addition, Safe Tank representatives are sharing their expertise and technical review by serving on the editorial boards of the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages and eTool:

      • Confined Spaces
      • Emergency Preparedness and Response
      • Fall Protection
      • Fire Safety
      • Oil and Gas Well Drilling, Servicing and Storage
      • Oil and Gas Well Drilling, Servicing and Storage, Storage Tanks Module
      • Scaffolding

      • Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool

      Finally, as part of their outreach efforts, NFPA and STI/SPFA joined with 55 other Alliance Program participants to support 2009 NAOSH Week, May 3-9, 2009.

    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 the OSHA Web site Data Not Available
      API and OSHA Alliance Web page on the API Web site Data Not Available
      OSHA Confined Spaces Safety and Health Topics Page 7,665

      OSHA Emergency Preparedness and Response Safety and Health Topics Page

      		 86,523
      OSHA Fall Protection Safety and Health Topics Page 18,769
      OSHA Fire Safety, Safety and Health Topics Page Data Not Available
      OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling, Servicing and Storage Safety and Health Topics Page Data Not Available
      OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling, Servicing and Storage, Storage Tanks Module Safety and Health Topics Page Data Not Available
      OSHA Scaffolding Safety and Health Topics Page 64,170
      OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool Data Not Available

      June 10-12, 2009 - ILTA Annual International Operating Conference, Houston, Texas

      Speaker: Guy Colonna, Vice President of Engineering, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), provided an in-depth seminar on “Safe Tank Entry Practices” in the petroleum industry. The workshop included a live demonstration of confined space entry and rescue operations.      		 20

      August 20-21, 2009 - API/NFPA Safe Tank Entry Workshop, in Webster, Texas

      Speaker:Â Guy Colonna, Vice President of Engineering, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), provided an in-depth seminar on “Safe Tank Entry Practices” in the petroleum industry.       		 2

      March 3, 2010-12th Annual International Conference on Aboveground Storage Tanks, March 2-4, 2010, Orlando, Florida

      Speaker: Matt Humphreville, Safety Specialist, Region IV, Tampa Florida Area Office, USDOL-OSHA presented “Selected OSHA Standards Applied to ASTs-A Review”      		 80
      Total 177,229

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    In the upcoming year, the OSHA and Safe Tank Alliance Implementation Team will continue to work together to develop safety and health information and training resources for the petroleum and petrochemical liquid storage tank industries. For example, during the next reporting period, the Implementation Team will continue in the development of two best practices tri-folds, one on confined space tank entry and one on hot work in petroleum storage tanks.

    As part of the Alliance's outreach efforts, the Safe Tank Alliance participants will be joining with other Alliance Program participants to support 2010 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, May 2-8, 2010.

Report prepared by: Morgan Seuberling, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, April 13, 2010.