Safety & Training Activities The Council has made great progress in safety and training by making important information and training programs available to consumers and propane employees across the country. Here are a few accomplishments that helped get the message out about propane safety: Propane Regulatory Compliance Program The Propane Regulatory Compliance Program is a straightforward, easy-to-understand compilation of all the federal compliance regulations from DOT, OSHA, and the EPA that apply to propane marketers. It consists of two key components: a guidebook developed by the National Propane Gas Association, and an accompanying curriculum handbook developed by J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. The guidebook takes the information set forth by OSHA, DOT, and the EPA and puts it into simple, concrete explanations of what is required of propane marketers for regulatory compliance. The training handbook, along with an interactive CD, educates and trains propane marketers and their employees on the handling and transporting of propane in accordance with OSHA and DOT regulations. After an initial distribution to 6,000 marketer headquarter locations, additional copies of the program are available at no cost by calling 877-304-9358. Safety & Training Roadmap The Safety and Training Roadmap outlines an integrated strategy for achieving the highest levels of safety for the propane industry over the next ten years, with an overall vision of "ensuring a high level of public confidence in the safety and value of propane". Its development was funded with the Propane Education & Research Council, with valuable guidance and input from the National Propane Gas Association, the NPGA's Education, Training and Safety Committee, the Council's Safety and Training Advisory Committee and various other industry leaders. It may be downloaded at http://www.propanecouncil.org/Files/st_roadmap_0302.pdf Propane Emergencies The award-winning Propane Emergencies program, developed by the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) with funding from the Propane Education & Research Council (Council), is growing. The Council and NPGA have released new program enhancements including an expanded Web site, www.propanesafety.com, a student workbook and note-taking guide, and a CD-ROM with 10 interactive tactical scenarios. With help from program authors Mike Hildebrand, Greg Noll and Mike Callan, we have taken the program to the grassroots level where hundreds of people including firefighters, government officials and propane industry members are learning how to train others using the program. Installing Propane Vapor Distribution Systems The "Installing Propane Vapor Distribution Systems" video has been developed and distributed by NPGA with funding from the Council. NPGA Propane Marketer Newsletter This resource, distributed free to industry members with the Council’s In Touch newsletter, provides the industry with important regulatory updates on a OSHA, DOT, EPA, and other recognized standards setting organizations, to help you stay in compliance. It also includes valuable question and answer articles and checklists to help propane retailers stay informed about the latest issues related to safety and training. Incident Data Collection The Council has funded the initial phases of a propane incident database. The goal of the project is to provide accurate, credible and up-to-date national and regional data to the industry, fire safety professionals and local community officials about the number and types of propane incidents. It will also serve to provide data needed for the industry to measure the effectiveness of its safety efforts and for the Council to determine which programs should and should not be funded and at what levels. PROPANE EDUCATION & RESEARCH COUNCIL