The Industrial Safety Training Council (ISTC) was developed by Southeast Texas petrochemical plants and refineries to consistently apply a safety protocol to the contractor community. To meet the safety challenges of a semi-transient workforce, ISTC developed programs that include personnel surety, basic safety training, drug testing and, most importantly, customized site-specific training. The industrial community's commitment to the ISTC protocol has resulted in a 95-percent reduction in reportable incidents by area contractors.
Today, the same commitment to well-applied safety protocols has evolved. "The petrochemical plants are our owners, and their continually changing needs keep ISTC growing as well," said George Perrett, vice president of market development at ISTC. "We've proven that we can apply an effective layer of safety to contractor personnel; now we can also help those same contractors manage compliance."
One of the key areas of ISTC's success has always been its unwavering commitment to personnel surety. Contractor employees working at an ISTC badged facility have been vetted to meet or exceed government standards, such as TWIC and CFATS (Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards). Workers are required to have a completed background screen as well as physical identity verification and any other plant requirements before taking the company's site-specific test. Only after all compliance verifications are met can a worker be issued an ISTC badge. As new legislation and modifications to existing security rules are planned, ISTC is modifying its personnel surety protocols to meet pending requirements. For example, ISTC credentials currently align with CFATS risk-based performance standards, but the organization is developing methods to meet upcoming recurrent vetting requirements. "Initially, compliance meant safety training among safety councils, but as we matured, we found the need to, as Ronald Reagan put it, 'trust but verify' a variety of performance measures for contractors and their employees," reported Perrett.
New facilities and offerings
For 25 years, the safety council has been delivering a world-class safety training product from its offices in Nederland, Texas. In 2016, ISTC built a new facility south of Beaumont, Texas, to meet the growing demand for screening, verification and training of the industrial workforce. Everything on the new campus was designed to effectively manage a one-stop process, including over 750 computer workstations in the main lab as well as multiple classrooms to train on basic+, fire safety, OSHA courses and more. "On a typical day, our facility is simultaneously hosting over 500 people throughout the campus, taking physicals or drug tests, site-specific training, OSHA classes or attending industrial meetings in the conference center," said Savanna Geisendorff, conference center manager. "Additionally, we are the preferred off-site meeting location for area plants hosting numerous conferences, lunches and events."
Improvements are currently being slated for ISTC's Baytown facility as well. Located adjacent to the ExxonMobil refinery on Loop 330, the Baytown Training Center processes an average of 300 people per day in the training lab, classrooms and industrial medicine facility. The Baytown staff also provides on-site training events for contractors embedded at area plants. "Our team is perfectly accustomed to taking our show on the road, training contractors at their facilities and on their timelines," stated Aimee Parker, a seasoned ISTC instructor. "We recognize that maintenance and construction is on a 24/7 clock, and we are comfortable training to the customers' requirements."
ISTC's compliance and training curriculum has been spread around the country via distance learning. ISTC works with some of the nation's leading companies to train employees to the same standards as on its campus. "We've worked with our owners to develop the same training, to meet the compliance standards in remote locations," said Rob Gates, vice president of operations at the Beaumont center. "There's no reason that a remote plant in Arkansas cannot have the same exemplary safety and compliance record as a plant in Southeast Texas." ISTC's learning management system allows the council's partners to share the best practices enjoyed in Beaumont and Baytown with the rest of the country.
In addition to the distance delivery systems, ISTC has expanded its compliance offerings to include industrial medicine. ISTC's plants and contractors asked for a consolidated, one-stop location to complete the screening and training with minimum travel. Today, ISTC conducts all drug screenings, physicals and assessments on-site, allowing personnel to be ready for work as soon as possible. Partnering with industry leader Business Health Partners (BHP), ISTC expedites the pre-employment process.
"We're going to have a one-stop compliance for all the contractors and seated facilities. They're able to perform all of their pre-employment industrial or occupational medicine, all of their industrial medicine components and all of their safety training needs -- such as the basic and site-specific -- all at one site," said Bryan Hollingsworth, president of BHP. The new industrial clinic was battle-tested following Hurricane Harvey. Because ISTC and BHP understand the demands of the contractors and the job functions of the injured employee, the partners work with employers to get the injured parties back to the field once they can safely perform their duties again.
"This conservative approach to health care allowed workers to be treated and evaluated with full consideration of managing accidents or incident rates," Hollingsworth said.
Craft verification
ISTC's strict adherence to personnel compliance over the past 25 years has yielded innovative dividends not only to plants but also to contractor companies. Recently, several procurement groups were looking for ways to match craft certifications to contractor labor bills. Additionally, the safety department wanted the same information to verify skills prior to permitting work. Contractors were previously required to present skills certificates for each job, but many times that step was overlooked or circumvented, costing both procurement and safety departments thousands of dollars. ISTC listened to the requirements of area plants and contractors to develop craft verification. When employees at a particular location are processed at ISTC, crafts such as welding, electrical and rigging are captured, verified and placed on the badge. Plants can then generate craft reports to ensure the application of proper labor costs. The craft verification system confirms the person holding the ISTC credentials has completed:
- Background screen.
- Identity confirmation.
- Right to Work verification.
- Drug test.
- Physical exam (if required).
- Basic safety training.
- Site-specific training.
- Craft skills competency.
Craft badges are quickly becoming a "best practice" in the industry, saving money in labor costs while improving safety.
No compromises on safety
Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath exemplified the value of safety council services. Cleanup and restoration labor demands grew exponentially. Thankfully, ISTC plants did not have to compromise on safety. Facilities were up and running on an extended schedule as ISTC's employees -- like so many others -- were struggling to get their lives back to normal. The Beaumont facility saw the largest oneday volume in its history as area plants channeled restoration workers through the training classes. "Now is not the time to compromise safety" was the mantra among plant security.
ISTC processed thousands of background screens, physicals, drug tests and training protocols, getting people on-site as quickly as possible without sacrificing compliance. As many plants expedited their turnarounds due to storm restoration, ISTC kept up with workforce demands, holding on-site trainings and extending hours throughout its Beaumont and Baytown facilities. ISTC CEO Cliff Brittain, a 41-year veteran in industrial contracting, stated, "ISTC recognized the need for immediate restoration efforts following our experience with hurricanes Rita and Ike. We built our new campus to be opened as soon as possible following a disaster to help everyone rebuild without compromising safety or security."
For more information, visit www.istc.net or call (409) 527-3309.