Region 6 - Alliance Annual Report - October 18, 2018
ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Corpus Christi Area Office
Texas Department of Insurance (OSHCON)
And the
South Texas Exploration and Production Safety Network
October 18, 2018
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Alliance Background
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Date Signed
The original alliance was signed October 20, 2004, and the latest re-signing occurring April 19, 2017.
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Evaluation Period
October 2017 – October 2018
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Overview
The STEPS alliance was formed to establish a collaborative relationship between the oil and gas onshore exploration and production industry and the OSHA Corpus Christi Area Office (CCAO) to improve the safety performance in South Texas. Through the years, the alliance has expanded its effect beyond South Texas and Region VI and has fostered the formation of similar networks in Oklahoma, West Texas, East Texas, Fort Worth, Houston, South Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, Wyoming, Illinois, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Dakota, Montana, California, Utah, and New York.
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Implementation Team Members
OSHA
Marianne McGee, Compliance Specialist / Corpus Christi Area Office
OSHCON
Jimmy Hudson, Texas Department of Insurance, OSHA Consultation
Alliance participant
Chris Williams, Kennedy Wire Rope and Sling and the President of the South Texas STEPS Network. In addition, other officers and executive committee members of the South Texas STEPS participated in the implementation meetings.
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Implementation Team Meetings
- November 15, 2017
- February 21, 2018
- June 20, 2018
In addition to these formal meetings, the Alliance coordinators from both groups maintained regular contact throughout the reporting period to monitor the Alliance's progress and results.
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Results
The following table summarizes the Alliance's activities in support of the goals in the Alliance agreement.
Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives: Goal 1: Share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs, regulatory agenda and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process. Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached Training CAS presented information at a meeting of the STEPS Network on the rulemaking process and the opportunity for making comments and providing input. Oil and Gas 50
Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives: Goal 2: Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards including rights and responsibilities or workers and employers. Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached Training CAS presented information at a STEPS meeting on the new silica standard, electronic submission of records, and reporting requirements. Oil and Gas 60
Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives: Goal 3: Participate in forums, roundtable discussion or stakeholder meetings on safety and health hazards in the oil and gas industry to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or provide input in safety and health issues. Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached Meeting CAS participated in the National STEPS Network Emerging Issues meeting. Oil and Gas 70
Meeting CAS participated in the NIOSH NORA council for Oil and Gas Extraction meeting Oil and Gas 40
Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives: Goal 4: Promote participation in the OSHCON program. Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached Training The Texas OSHCON group presented to the STEPS meeting Oil and Gas 30
Training and Education: Goal 1: Develop effective training and education programs for STEPS members regarding various safety and health hazards in the oil and gas industry, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers. Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached Training CAS presented information at a STEPS meeting on the new silica standard, electronic submission of records, and reporting requirements. Oil and Gas 60
Training and Education: Goal 2: Deliver effective training for STEPS members to promote understanding of workers' rights, including the use of the OSHA complaint process, and the responsibilities of employers and to communicate such information to workers and employers. Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached Training CAS presented at the STEPS meeting on the inspection process, worker rights, and employer rights/responsibilities. Oil and Gas 50
Outreach and Communication: Goal 1: Speak, exhibit or appear at oil and gas conference, local meetings, or other significant events. Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached Other Served on the NIOSH NORA Oil and Gas Extraction Council Oil and Gas 40
Other Served on the planning committee for the 2018 OSHA Oil and Gas Safety and Health Conference. Oil and Gas 1,200
Outreach and Communication: Goal 2: Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding best practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures developed by the participants. Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached Other Arranged for a training class for the compliance officers in the Corpus Christi Area Office with the Association of Energy Servicing Companies on the servicing aspect of the industry. Training was also provide on hydrogen sulfide. Oil and Gas 6
Alliance Product Participated in writing the Ground Disturbance hazard alert. Oil and Gas 5,000
Outreach and Communication: Goal 3: Work with other STEPS networks throughout the nation to share information. Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached Other Shared information with all the STEPS Networks on the National Safety Council's distracted driving campaign, the NIOSH Science blog, and the new silica regulation. Oil and Gas 2,000
TOTAL [8606]
Evaluations
Due to low meeting participation over the last several years, the network is moving to quarterly meeting rather than monthly meetings. The network continues to make a large impact on occupational safety, and health and has expanded outside the upstream oil and gas industry and now includes electronic manufacturing, various county agencies, and construction companies.
Upcoming Milestones
The South Texas STEPS Networks plans to continue participating on the planning committee for the 2020 OSHA Oil and Gas Safety and Health Conference as well as on the NIOSH NORA Council and the National STEPS hazard alerts
Report prepared by: Marianne McGee, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Corpus Christi Area Office, October 18, 2018 (completed February 4, 2019).