ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
South Texas Exploration and Production Safety Network (STEPS)

1. Alliance Background

   Signed October 20, 2004

   Alliance Overview

   The purpose of the STEPS Network / OSHA Alliance is the establish a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful workplaces in the oil and gas industry in South Texas through training, outreach, and communication.

   Implementation Team Members

   Marianne McGee, OSHA
   Rick Ingram, BP America Production Co.
   Javier Balderas, Halliburton
   Serena Starkey, TWCC OSHCON
   Charlie Moore, Smith Production Co.

   Contributors

   Karen Puckett, TWCC OSHCON
   John Buehrig, ExxonMobil
   Amador Garza, Conoco Phillips
   Armando Cantu, Shell
   Tony Jones, SANTOS USA
   Marc LaRocca, El Paso Oil and Gas
   Ted Reed, BJ Services

   Evaluation Period.

   October 20, 2004 through October 31, 2005

2. Implementation Team Meetings

   Team Meetings were held in person at WRMCA Office in Madison on the following dates:

   October 27, 2004	Teleconference
   February 16, 2005	Holiday Inn, following STEPS meeting	Person to person
   October 6, 2005	Halliburton Corpus Christi Office	Person to person and teleconference

3. Activities and Products

   Training and Education

   • Events

     The goal of delivering hazard recognition training was met through the STEPS Network monthly meetings. Approximately three training sessions were conducted at each of the 12 monthly meetings. The subjects include but are not limited to machine guarding, recording injuries and illnesses, OSHA inspection procedures, West Nile Virus, Africanized Killer Bees, restraining energized lines, root cause analysis, job hazard analysis, emergency planning and procedures, and noise in the oil and gas industry.

     A representative from OSHA along with a representative from OSHCON visited a worksite during a fracturing job to evaluate the lockout/tag out procedures commonly used during this task taking into account well control issues.

     Best practices such as hand safety, ergonomics, and safe driving were shared at the STEPS Network and subsequently posted on the website.

   • Products

     The STEPS Network has a website that consists of the meeting minutes and PowerPoint presentations of many of the topics presented at the monthly meetings. The website also contains safety alerts, recent incidents, best practices, etc. The website address is www.stepsnetwrok.com

   Outreach and Communication

   Events

   OSHA conducted training sessions including fall protection and machine guarding.

   Two STEPS Executive Committee members did a presentation on the STEPS Network and their Alliance with OSHA and Texas Worker’s Compensation Commission (TWCC) at the Texas Safety Summit sponsored by the TWCC.

   The STEPS President and an OSHA representative met with similar safety networks from Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma to discuss the possibility of working with together to further safety and health in the industry.

   One STEPS member submitted their application for Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) to the Corpus Christi Area Office. OSHA attended two orientation sessions for the contractors of this company and explained VPP program and process.

   Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health

   Events

   Many members of the STEPS Network are strong advocates for safety and health improvement in the oil and gas industry and actively discuss the issue at various meetings such as the American Petroleum Institute (API) local chapter meetings and the other industry meetings.

   The STEPS President and an OSHA representative met with similar safety networks from Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma to discuss the possibility of working with together to further safety and health in the industry.
4. Results

   The STEPS Network / OSHA Alliance has been very effective in creating an open dialogue between the local oil and gas industry and OSHA. OSHA receives numerous inquires from the STEPS membership regarding safety and health issues and injury and illness recordability.

   Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)	Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
   Training and outreach at the STEPS Network Monthly meetings (12)	Approximately 60 attendees each month
   Outreach to the local chapter of the API	40
   Outreach to the local chapter of the API	40
   Presentation to the Texas Safety Summit on safety and health in the oil and gas industry and the alliance	Approximately 400 attendees
   Outreach to similar networks throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma	30
   Outreach to BP contractors during orientation sessions (3)	20
   Training and outreach to Petroleum Education Council (PEC) training class	25
   Numerous presentations by the STEPS President, Vice-President and Secretary to industry representatives
   Confined Space Entry class taught by TWCC	20
   TOTAL	1355

5. Upcoming Milestones

   Monthly training and outreach meetings are planned for the next year to include seminar in conjunction with the Texas Oil and Gas Association. Quarterly training classes are scheduled to be taught by TWCC to include job hazard analysis, lifting, hazard communication.

   Due to the success it is recommended that this alliance be continued.