A roadmap to propane safety compliance

Many propane marketers want to comply with safety requirements, but they aren’t sure where to begin.
A compliance assessment allows a fresh set of eyes to evaluate your facility and provide you with a roadmap to safety and compliance.

In this interview, I sat down with Paul Craver, the senior consultant of safety and training at P3 Propane Safety, to ask him about the compliance assessments he’s performed.

JODI MOORE (JM): Can you tell us about a time you were completing an assessment in the field and were surprised by something you saw?

Paul Craver (PC): One time, I asked a client how they were documenting their cathodic tests for underground tanks, and I learned that they didn’t know how to perform the cathodic tests in the first place, and therefore weren’t doing it. This was a huge issue that needed to be remediated immediately, so I set up a training the very next day with all of their team members. I showed them how to perform the tests using equipment I had on hand. Then we all went into the field so they could practice in a hands-on setting. Lastly, I helped the company place an order for the cathodic protection test kits they would need so they could keep up with this important inspection.

JM: Do you often switch gears and run trainings during these assessments?

PC: Yes, it certainly happens from time to time. That’s part of what I love about these assessments. If you’re going through the checklist and uncover something else that’s more important, it’s easy to switch gears and help the client get where they need to be.

I ran another class recently when we discovered that cylinder requalification training was overdue for every employee. I hosted a training. Then we went out to their cylinder requalification facility, and I performed a skills evaluation to make sure everyone had retained the information and knew how to do it properly and answer any additional questions. Lastly, the entire training was documented.

JM: Do you find that refresher trainings are often overdue?

PC: It can happen as the byproduct of a busy workplace – that doesn’t mean it’s right or OK, but it does happen. It’s easy to become blind to issues that you see every day. That’s where the third-party propane safety expert comes in – together, we can help uncover issues that you didn’t even know you had. I’ve been working in the propane industry for decades, which means I can efficiently evaluate a facility from an objective standpoint and help uncover any issues that may be slipping between the cracks.

JM: Can you tell us about some other highlights from your time performing compliance assessments?

PC: As part of an assessment in South Carolina, we were checking bobtails for meter creep tests and whatnot. We quickly identified one bobtail that was overdue for a five- to 10-year hydro test and should not be driven on the road (but was), and a second truck that was six months overdue for a federal safety inspection. The company had no idea, but I was able to help them get their bobtails back on the road (safely!) before the start of the heating season.

JM: Do you have any last highlights to share?

PC: Yes – one of the biggest successes recently was when I was helping a client with their monthly meter creep test. They didn’t know how to perform it at all, so I was walking them through the process. When it came time to inspect the hose, I had them unroll it all the way, which had not been done in quite some time. We were all shocked to discover that there was a huge gash in the hose. It was so deep that I am positive a catastrophic propane release was imminent. We were able to get the bobtail in the shop that day, fix the hose and prevent the headline-causing incident that was looming.

The next day, someone who had been in my training the day before checked the rest of the bobtail hoses that had been out making deliveries while I was there. He found another hose with a cut and remediated it immediately, which is an act that could have saved lives.

JM: Why isn’t everyone doing this type of compliance assessment?

PC: I wonder the same thing. It’s a low-time commitment – just a few days – and it can make a world of difference in your propane facility’s safety and compliance. I would recommend that every propane company get a third-party safety expert in to check out their operations and help guide them toward a safer and more compliant workplace for their customers, company and the reputation of the industry as a whole.

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Paul Craver can be reached at paul_craver@p3propanesafety.com. Jodi Moore is the marketing and brand strategy specialist for Consumer Focus Marketing.