STEPS Network Meeting August 18, 2004

Purpose: The South Texas Exploration and Production Safety Network, commonly known as the STEPS Network, promotes safety, health and environmental improvement in the exploration and production of oil and gas in South Texas . The STEPS Network fosters a work environment that relies upon open communication and trust.

Vee Redden, OSHA Assistant Area Director Corpus Christi Area Office

• 6 fatalities since June 15, 2004
• Electrocution following crane contact with overhead power line
• Release of pressure during plug and abandon operation
• Struck by 18 wheeler while setting traffic cones
• Trench collapse
• Crushed in compactor
• Electrocution from contact with live conductor while disconnecting oil pump unit
• 2 of the above were in the oil and gas industry
• 18 fatalities reported to the Corpus Christi Area Office since October 1, 2003 (3 non work-related heart attacks and one off duty drowning)

Sharing of incidents:

A network member was traveling on the highway and saw a vehicle with several children not seat belted and a DVD player on the front dash. DPS was contacted. DPS pulled over the vehicle and later called the member and thanked him for calling. This officer had recently been called to an accident where numerous family members died and the children were not wearing seat belts

A network member's employees were servicing split rim tire and the retaining ring blew off and hit an employee in leg. This could have been a very serious incident.

A network member's employee was moving drums and got his finger caught fracturing the finger.

A network member relayed a recent incident involving soil disturbance and hitting lines in the process. Don't forget the one call requirement.

A network member's employee was racking pipe and got his finger caught. They did root cause analysis. Contractors should consider participating in the root cause analysis at a client's site as it would improve the analysis.

A network member stated employees were working on rig that was getting ready to move. A boom was being lowered over supervisor's head and when he stood up he hit his head on the boom. Crane operator had not been properly trained and instructed not to place the equipment over employees.

A network member relayed information regarding a vehicle incident where the vehicle had low tire pressure and as a result did not handle as it normally would. The vehicle tipped off road.

Cindy Holler, TE21: Complimenting training with computer based training.

• Multimedia training. Must appeal to all styles of learning

Dave Taylor, Industrial Scientific: Gas Monitoring in the field, general information:

• Oxygen and Lower Explosive Limit (O2/LEL) meters: Bump test of equipment versus calibration. Manufacturers (usually) recommend monthly calibration. With a bump test you only confirm that the sensor detects the gas, you do not confirm how accurate the equipment is. In measuring the gas. Calibrating does not shorten the life equipment sensors.
• OSHA guidelines on calibration of equipment (available at www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib050404.html )
• Personal monitors, (the ones you don't calibrate) have an internal microprocessor that boosts gain to help insure accuracy over their lifespan.
• LEL sensors can sit unused and not lose effectiveness. CO, O2, H2S sensors will degrade over time.
• Poisoning sensors: Silicone vapors are the worst culprits and poison sensors. If a sensor is poisoned it won't calibrate.
• Manufacturers recommend calibrating with pentane because pentane is difficult to detect therefore is gives the least amount of error. If a sensor is poisoned, the first gas that will not be detected is methane. If the equipment is used primarily to detect methane it is recommended you use methane to calibrate and bump test.
• LEL sensor requires oxygen to detect gas. If you have an oxygen deficient atmosphere you can use a dilution tube on equipment to mix air so the sensor can respond to gas.

John Keswick, Innovative Medical Technologies: Automatic External Defibrillators:

• AEDs are designed to analyze and if necessary, shock the heart of a victim of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). They will not shock of the person does not need to be shocked. They are designed to be used by anyone (with minimal training).
• A victim of SCA must be resuscitated within 10 minutes to survive. Every minute in SCA shows a 10% decrease in survivability. If paramedics arrive with a defibrillator after 10 minutes of arrest, the victim has 0% chance of being revived.
• Adopting an on-site AED program does not increase an organizations' liability. Texas legislation in the Good Samaritan Law affords liability exemption to organizations and individuals who properly implement AED programs. Federal legislation strengthens state legislation.

Business Meeting - Officer Elections:

• Rick Ingram was unanimously elected President for the STEPS Network
• Charlie Moore was unanimously elected Vice President for the STEPS Network
• Javier Balderas was unanimously elected Secretary for the STEPS Network
• Executive Committee was elected and will consist of
• John Buehrig
• Mando Cantu
• Amador Garza Jr.,
• Tony Jones
• Marc LaRocca
• Ted Reed.

The next meeting will be held September 15, 2004 at 8am at the Holiday Inn Airport in Corpus Christi .