A three-step safety checklist from P3 Propane Safety

Safety is a critical priority in the propane industry all year long. Use this three-step safety checklist to make sure your safety program has all of the necessary elements to protect your company, your employees and your customers.

☑ Create and update a policies-and-procedures manual The procedures manual is a collection of individual task procedures that form the basic guiding document for the consistent completion of core responsibilities. The scope of written policies includes language to cover legal issues, customer and employee health and welfare, and/or ethical concerns. When policies and procedures are written, they may be communicated during orientation and regularly reviewed and updated. Your policies-and-procedures manual can help improve your company’s efficiency, prevent errors and conditions of conflict, and protect your company’s assets.

☑ Have a system for maintaining industry compliance Did you know that the average safety inspection of a two-appliance gas system has over 50 fields that need to be audited for accuracy and completion? Propane marketers aren’t just responsible for accurately completing these forms; they are also required to place containers correctly, requalify Department of Transportation (DOT) cylinders, provide cathodic inspections, replace regulators, perform and document operating system tests (like leak checks) and more. If you don’t have an organized system to keep up with these processes, you won’t be compliant.

☑ Stay compliant with employee training requirements To identify specific individuals and areas that need training, evaluate documentation completed by your team. Is there an employee struggling with flow and lockup documentation? Are regulator date codes being documented properly? Propane marketers must comply with DOT Hazmat, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and additional state and local training regulations. Understanding your training requirements and personnel performance will help to create a training plan that achieves safety compliance.

Jerry Schimmel is vice president at P3 Propane Safety. He can be reached at jerry_schimmel@p3propanesafety.com or 401-481-2281.