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DA T E L INE CALENDAR OF EVENTS Rafael Moure-Eraso, chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB). Here is more from the chairman's statement marking the anniversary and reporting on the safety recommendations that resulted: I am pleased to report today satisfac- tory progress in the adoption of a number of important CSB recommendations made in our final report of September 2008, aimed at improving training requirements for propane technicians, and at improv- ing emergency response actions by on-scene technicians and 911 operators. The recom- mendations have largely been adopted and will result in lives saved. We recall with sadness that the explosion killed two emergency responders and two propane technicians and injured four clerks inside the store and two other emergency technicians standing by outside the store, which had not been evacuated. The store was leveled. The CSB's final report found that a junior propane service technician was pre- paring to transfer propane, unsupervised, to a new tank from an old tank located near an outside wall of the store—a location that violated state and federal regulations. The technician removed a plug from the liquid withdrawal valve on the old tank, but the valve evidently malfunctioned, causing an uncontrollable release of propane. Propane entered the store through the restroom ven- tilation system. The technician had only 45 days of limited on-the-job training with his supervisor. We issued twelve recommendations to a total of nine recipients and most have resulted in what the Board determined to be "Acceptable" action, or are being held as "Open Acceptable" because they are on the brink of completion. It's particularly gratifying to note that our recommendation to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) resulted in the issuing of a temporary standard pro- viding guidance for personnel who work with liquefied petroleum gas. This includes training with a defined curriculum and testing, actions which resulted in an "Open Acceptable" status determination in April 2011. I encourage the NFPA to permanently adopt the training and testing requirements for individuals who work with propane, helping reduce the loss of life and injury among propane workers and potential dan- gers to members of the public. Our recommendation to the governor and legislature of West Virginia—dealing with training and qualification requirements of propane workers—was closed as "Acceptable" in August 2010 when the State Fire Marshal's Office reported that the state fire code was updated earlier that year. This kind of action serves as an example for other states. The Board had r e c ommended that the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials develop a guide card for propane emergencies to assist 911 operators. The association moved promptly and within a year we determined this action to be "Acceptable." The National Propane Gas Association adopted our recommendation, and we closed it as "Acceptable Action," in 2010, as a result of NPGA's communication with OSHA and its work with the West Virginia 911 Council to develop emergency propane guidance for 911 operators. The West Virginia 911 Council on a similar recommendation received the same satisfactory determination from the Board following the council's action. The Board voted just last month, in December 2011, to close as "Acceptable" the response by Ferrellgas to our recom- mendation to establish and implement a comprehensive safety management system, as the company has improved its inspec- tion and auditing program to detect and correct safety deficiencies. For many years, Ferrellgas owned and serviced the existing tank, which had been installed in 1994 by another company directly next to the store's exterior back wall, in violation of West Virginia and U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. The CSB called on the Propane Education and Research Council—which has the criti- MAY AREE 2012 May 1 – 3, 2012 Atlantic City Convention Center Atlantic City, New Jersey www.areetradeshow.com Hedge Solutions' Women in Energy Summit May 17, 2012 The Radisson Hotel Manchester, N.H. Contact: Kris Magnusson 800-709-2949 or kris@hedgesolutions.com National Association of Oil and Energy Service Professionals (formerly NAOHSM) Annual Convention and Trade Show May 20-24, 2012 R.I. Convention Center Providence, R.I. www.naohsm.org JUNE NEFI Visions Conference June 5-6, 2012 Sheraton Framingham Hotel and Conference Center Framingham, Mass. www.nefi.com AUGUST PGANE Northeast Propane Show August 8-9, 2012 Holiday Inn Boxborough, Mass. www.northeastpropaneshow.com cal mission of determining procedures and certifying propane technicians—to revise its Certified Employee Training Program. This would include, among other things, guidance to emergency responders, and procedures for, or a prohibition on, transferring liquid pro- pane from tank to tank. While we were pleased with PERC's statement in 2009 that they would act on the recommendation, we had hoped for more expeditious action. However, we are retain- ing its status as "Open, Awaiting Response," because PERC has indicated it will submit its revised guidance documents by the end of this month. FUEL OIL NEWS (ISSN 0016-2396), Canada Publication Mail Agreement #1588621, is published monthly by Bev-Al Communications, Inc. 1030 W. Higgins Road, Suite 230, Park Ridge, Il 60068. Circulated free of charge to qualified individuals in the oil heating industry in the United States. Additional and/or personal copies are available on a paid subscription basis only. 1-year subscription rates: $28.00 USA. $40.00 Canada and Mexico via service postage. $90.00 other foreign countries via air-mail postage. Single copies: $8.00 U.S. via first-class postage. $12.00 other Canada/Mexico/Foreign via airmail postage. Payable in US currency. Periodicals postage paid at Park Ridge, IL and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2012 by Bev-Al Communications, Inc. Reproduction of any portion or portions of this publication is specifically prohibited without written consent. 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