In safety, like any other business, repetition counts. Companies constantly repeat or reinforce messages to ensure the consistent application of a process. Lately, for industry the message seems to be all about compliance. There are multiple levels of compliance with governmental agencies OSHA, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, EPA and so on. Then there is compliance with corporate policies regarding security, finance, auditing, public affairs and safety. Industrial plants routinely set compliance standards, issue them to the affected parties and hope for the best. Certainly there are routine audits and, unfortunately, when accidents occur, prayers are said not only for the injured but for contractor compliance records to be complete.
Fortunately in Southeast Texas, the Industrial Safety Training Council (ISTC) has kept up with the changing demands of area petrochemical plants, taking contractor compliance to a whole new level. ISTC has continued to create, compile and maintain contractor compliance data since its inception in 1991. "ISTC was developed by the petrochemical plants, our owners, to lessen the burden on contractors by providing a reciprocal, one-stop location for background checks, drug screening and safety training," stated CEO Cliff Brittain. Brittain, a former contractor and ISTC board member who has been with the council since its inception, maintains a wealth of institutional knowledge regarding the demand and evolution of safety councils. Brittain reminds employees "the standards used today for ISTC possibly resulted from an accident, near-miss or, unfortunately, a fatality."
To ensure top-level compliance in today's fluid workplace, ISTC remains committed to the process of requiring physical identity verification, comprehensive background checks and an updated drug screen from vendors approved by area plants before training begins. ISTC's adherence to strict criteria assures plants their contractors are who they're supposed to be, are drug- and drama-free, and can withstand most corporate and current governmental compliance audits.
As DHS expands audits of CFATS (Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards) risk-based performance standards throughout the petrochemical community, ISTC plants and contractors are reasonably assured their workers meet the criteria regarding personnel surety. ISTC verifies and validates everyone's personnel surety requirements, maintaining a secure database of available workers throughout the safety council system. Additionally, as new rules are established, ISTC is poised to provide area plants and contractors with the protocols necessary to ensure a supply of competent workers for industry.
According to George Perrett, ISTC's vice president of market development, "As more and more plants are inspected for CFATS RBPS [risk-based performance standards] 12(iv) compliance, the value of our strict adherence to personnel surety programs becomes apparent."
As Brittain explained, "We have always maintained the highest commitment to the safety and security of our plants and contractors and will continue to provide measures designed to exceed the highest level of workforce compliance."
For more information, visit www.istc.net or call (409) 527-3309.
