U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
El Paso Area Office and Lubbock Area Office
and the
The Permian Basin Services, Transmission, Exploration and Production Safety
Network
(PBSTEPS)

1. Alliance Background

   1. Date Signed

      September 9, 2008; September 14, 2010; September 11, 2012, September 9, 2014 and re-signed on September 13, 2016.

   2. Evaluation Period

      September 1, 2015 through August 31, 2016

   3. Overview

      The purpose of the Alliance is to promote safe and healthful working conditions for workers that are engaged in the oil and gas industry, as well as to assist Permian Basin small business owners to improve and grow their companies. Provide employers with information, guidance and access to training resources that will help them provide to their employees knowledge of safety and health hazards of construction and general industry with a focus on topics germane to the oil and gas industry in the Permian Basin of West Texas and SE New Mexico.

   4. Implementation Team Members

      OSHA
      Diego Alvarado Jr., Area Director (A.D.), OSHA El Paso Area Office
      Elizabeth Linda Routh, Area Director (A.D.), OSHA Lubbock Area Office
      Abraham Arzola, Compliance Assistance Specialist (CAS), OSHA El Paso Area Office
      
      The Permian Basin Services, Transmission, Exploration and Production Safety Network
      Andy Cobb, President, PBSTEPS
      Brad Norton, Vice President, PBSTEPS
      Terri Slaughter, Secretary, PBSTEPS

2. Implementation Team Meetings

   09/08/2015
   10/13/2015
   11/10/2015
   12/08/2015
   01/12/2016
   02/09/2016
   03/14/2016
   04/11/2016
   05/10/2016
   06/14/2016
   07/12/2016
   08/09/2016

3. Results

   The Permian Basin STEPS network has enjoyed great success. Our PBSTEPS website was updated in this review period and anyone can download available presentations. Companies involved sponsor the meetings and refreshments monthly. Involvement is the cornerstone on which the PB STEPS network was founded and each month people involve themselves in the business of keeping employees in the Permian Basin safe. The majority of attendees are safety personnel from the various partnering companies, and the information/training that they receive is then taken back to the employee population of each company. In this way, the safety message is then spread to countless numbers of employees at the partnering companies. Additionally, during this review period the group obtained non-profit status, and has changed their venue, from the Midland Center in Midland, Texas to the Saulsbury Student Center, which is located on the campus of Odessa College. Attendance during the current review period has increased approximately 30% and PBSTEPS has been able to include Odessa College students that are enrolled in the Occupational Safety and Health Program to sit in on their meetings.

   Events and Products

   Training and Education

   Events – Presentations and training provided at the PBSTEPS monthly meetings:

   • September 8, 2015: Bees and Bee Safety, Spill Prevention, and ENMU safety program highlights
   • October 13, 2015: Weather Safety and Oil Industry Outlook
   • November 10, 2015: A Non-Surgical, Non-Opiate approach to Pain Management, Occupational Eye Health, OSHA El Paso Area Office Speech and Odessa College Safety Program Overview
   • December 8, 2015: El Nino Weather Pattern for Weather in 2016, Midland College Continuing Education Program Overview, STOP the Hurt Award Winners and Christmas Banquet
   • January 12, 2016: Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) Occupational Hand Safety Program and Influenza 101
   • February 9, 2016: Permian Basin Safety Day overview, "Hey Good Lookin' What's Your Number," an overview of employee health statistics and the "OSHA STEP Up for Safety" overview
   • March 14, 2016: Active Listening, Wild West Survival Guide; Heart Health and follow-up of Permian Basin Safety Day activities
   • April 11, 2016: Managing Safety in the Oilfield During the Downturn and Severe Injury Reporting guidelines
   • May 10. 2016: "Legal High" Designer Drugs and Emerging Natural Substances, Permian Basin Road Coalition presentations and OSHA Updates by Area Director Routh
   • June 14, 2016: Vendor Day and a presentation on Behavior Based Safety by OXY, OSHA El Paso and Lubbock Area Offices Publication Booth
   • July 12, 2016: Situational Awareness Training and Heat Related Issues
   • August 9, 2016: Leadership and the Role it Plays in Motivating People and a DOT E-Log presentation
   • Products: PowerPoints for the presentations are available for download on the PBSTEPS (www.pbsteps.org) website, when made available for public dissemination by the presenter.
   Outreach and Communication
   • Events: All of the events (meetings) that occur monthly have some element of outreach. An OSHA representative is made available to provide an OSHA Update.
   • No "products" have yet to be developed under this Alliance. However, the concept of this network has grown throughout Region VI as well as other OSHA regions. The Southeastern New Mexico STEPS (SENMSTEPS) group is a direct birth from the Permian STEPS network. We believe the Permian Basin STEPS is the most attended meeting in the United Sates consistently.
   • The group has continued to implement a program called "Stop the Hurt" where employees are encouraged to stop work in the event they believe that something, or someone is doing something unsafe. Companies have donated money to be presented to an employee that has stepped up and stopped work because of an unsafe work practice. "Stop the Hurt" awards are presented twice a year in June and December.
   Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health
   • This network enjoys a large attendance each month; average attendance for the review period averaged 174 with over 100 companies involved in oil and gas. New people attend every month and a large percentage of people attend monthly.
   • This network strives to provide topics relevant to daily operations in the Permian Basin. The lessons learned and best practices segment allows voluntary participation by attendees to share stories regarding experiences or practices employed by participating companies that could benefit all attendees.
    

   Type of Activity(Refer to II for topic information	Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
   Monthly STEPS Meetings	Total Employees Affected
   1. September 8, 2015	1224
   2. October 13, 2015	1570
   3. November 10, 2015	1860
   4. December 8, 2015	1230
   5. January 12, 2016	1180
   6. February 9, 2016	1880
   7. March 14, 2016	1750
   8. April 11, 2016	1830
   9. May 10, 2016	1640
   10. June 14, 2016	1650
   11. July 12, 2016	1730
   12. August 9, 2016	1600
   TOTAL	19,144

4. Upcoming Milestones

   The Permian Basin STEPS Network continually strives to bring relevant information at its monthly meetings to assist and promote safe operations in the Permian Basin area of West Texas. The network conducts a food drive every December to benefit the West Texas Food Bank.

   The network will continue to promote the "Stop the Hurt" campaign as long as interest remains. The campaign focuses on encouraging employees to speak up and know they are able to stop work or call attention to dangerous situations, not only at work, but in the public arena as well.

   When topics relevant to the community-at-large are presented at the STEPS meeting, the community is invited to share in those opportunities.

   This network looks forward to continuing their association with the El Paso Area Office and the Lubbock Area Office.