New Safety Resource Launched for Propane Companies

Press Release

New Safety Resource Launched for Propane Companies: PropaneSafetyPro.com

PropaneSafetyPro.com is proud to announce the launch of their new safety resource for propane companies. This innovative platform allows propane companies to have their Safety Plans reviewed, updated, and revised, including their critical Policies and Procedures, Security Plans, and Operations-Maintenance manuals.

Safety is a top priority for propane companies, and PropaneSafetyPro.com provides a convenient and comprehensive solution for ensuring that all necessary safety measures are in place. The platform’s team of experts has extensive knowledge and experience in the propane industry, making them well-equipped to provide valuable insights and recommendations for improving safety protocols.

“We are excited to offer this new resource to propane companies,” said Eric Leskinen, National Safety Expert at PropaneSafetyPro.com. “Our team is dedicated to helping propane companies maintain the highest level of safety possible. With our platform, companies can have peace of mind knowing that their safety plans are up-to-date and in compliance with all industry standards.”

In addition to reviewing and revising safety plans, PropaneSafetyPro.com also offers a range of safety-related services, including remote monthly compliance and technical support, onsite training and emergency response planning.

Propane companies need to keep all aspects of their operations up to date on the latest National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 58 regulations for several reasons.

First, according to NFPA 1, the storage, use, and handling of liquefied petroleum gases (LP-Gas) must comply with the requirements of NFPA 58. Therefore, it is very important for propane companies to stay up to date on the regulations outlined in this code to ensure that their products and services are in compliance.

Additionally, NFPA 58 is constantly undergoing development, with new editions being released periodically. The latest edition of NFPA 58 is the 2023 edition, which has undergone revisions and is currently in the public comment period. Staying up to date on the latest edition of the code can ensure that propane companies are aware of any changes and can take the necessary steps to comply with them.

Furthermore, the latest edition of the code has changes which may impact the procedures and maintenance checklist for propane companies. It is important to review these changes to ensure that the procedures and checklists are revised accordingly.

In conclusion, propane companies should stay up to date on the latest NFPA 58 regulations to ensure compliance with the code and to be aware of any changes that may impact their procedures and maintenance checklists. Keeping every manual, process and operation up with the latest edition of the code can help ensure the safety and compliance of the company’s products and services, and ultimately lead to business growth and success.

For more information about PropaneSafetyPro.com and the services they offer, visit their website at propanesafetypro.com.

The Importance of Policies & Procedures

A Guiding Document for Training Employees Online and In-Person

When it comes to establishing a solid safety training program, Policies & Procedures are the first place to start. Policies & Procedures are critical because they help companies meet compliance requirements and reduce liability, but their valuable role in training employees cannot be overlooked. Policies & Procedures are essential to promote a culture of safety in the workplace and offer a standard for all employees to follow. As blended learning between online and in-person training becomes more common in our industry, it is more important than ever to have a Policies & Procedures Manual that serves as a guiding document for all employee training needs.

The propane industry is guided by codes and regulations that can be federal, state, or local. Several key industry stakeholders recommend Policies & Procedures to help propane marketers maintain proper employee training and stay compliant with these codes and regulations include:

• Propane Education & Research Council (PERC)
  PERC creates training materials used by propane marketers across the country and have just expanded their offerings to include The Learning Center which provides online training opportunities. Since January 1, 2021, more than 5,000 propane professionals and partners have logged into The Learning Center to complete any of the 400-plus available courses online. With more and more propane professionals training online, like taking CETP courses, it is critical that propane marketers have a clearly defined set of Policies & Procedures to support online and blending learning materials. Source: PERC Update, The Propane Education & Research Council, April 2021
  For example, CETP 1.0 states in Module 2: “Know your company Policies & Procedures for documenting safety-related contacts with the customer. Be sure to document the question or concern that has been raised along with your response.”
• DOT and OSHA Regulations
  Policies & Procedures help companies maintain compliance and ensure employees are properly trained to meet DOT and OSHA roles and requirements.
• Insurance Underwriters
  Many insurance underwriters affirm that propane marketers should have a Policies & Procedures Manual in place for many tasks, including handling gas leak calls as well as interruption of service calls.

Keeping Policies & Procedures Up to Date

Think about it, you aren’t training new employees to follow outdated training guidelines. Make sure your Policies & Procedures Manual is current so that it can do what it does best, keep daily operations running smoothly and reduce risk. It’s critical that your Policies & Procedures Manual is a living document and that it is updated as your company and code requirements change, and should be reviewed on an annual basis to include these changes. This will allow your team to discover and remediate shortcomings. If you have Policies & Procedures, when was the last time you reviewed them? Do you provide training to all employees regularly and to new employees as a part of the onboarding process? If you already have Policies & Procedures, or once you complete your first manual, it is important to recognize that this isn’t a “one and done” deal. For example, recent changes to the OSHA Crane Rule have deeply impacted the way many propane marketers conduct business. Your Policies & Procedures should reflect this new rule and employees should be trained according to your Policies & Procedures so that they are aware of the new crane rule and how it applies to their tasks.

If your company does not yet have a Policies & Procedures Manual, you should have one. Plain and simple. It is crucial in order to train employees, uphold a successful safety program, meet regulatory codes and requirements, and avoid dangerous scenarios or expensive fines. And if you already have Policies & Procedures in place, make sure you review your manual at least once a year and make updates as code requirements change. Working with a safety professional can make reviewing and updating your Policies & Procedures Manual simpler and more convenient, and will ensure that your manual is up to date with industry code changes.

Eric H. Leskinen, executive vice president of Propane Safety Pro, has over 30 years of experience with career progression from field operations to corporate direction. He has designed, managed, and executed safety training and compliance programs for multi-state companies with up to 1100 employees.

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UP-AND-COMING APPS

More petroleum marketers and c-store operators are benefiting from cutting-edge technology in the form of innovative apps that handle everything from geo-location, on-site promotions, safety inspections, Sales improvements, marketing automation to instant proposals and invoices.

It’s no wonder that propane companies throughout Canada and the United States invest so much time training employees on gas safety checks, leak checks, safety concerning the delivery and dispensing of propane and propane installation safety, among many others – technical and nontechnical – involving this industry.

Now is the time for technology to meet the safety needs of companies, clients and workers alike. For example: Automation and documentation not only protect companies from accidents and lawsuits, this same technology makes it easier for technicians and drivers to do their respective jobs with greater speed and convenience. For that technology ensures consistency of quality, and offers the necessary reliability regarding propane installation, service calls and quick record keeping on behalf of customers large and small.

That also means we have a duty to innovate, so we can free these people from the sea of paper – the tickets and receipts, the work orders and memoranda, the invoices and order slips – that threatens to prevent them from doing the very things they need to achieve and their clients expect to receive. Without technology that solves this problem, and absent the time to manually spot check every assignment and confirm the safety of every project, there is no way to ensure standards do not weaken or procedures do not worsen.

The risks are too great – and the liabilities are too substantial – for companies to leave customers so vulnerable to danger. Now is the time, therefore, to maximize the power of technology through the principal sources of technology: The mobile devices we use every day, in which a single application – call it the Ultimate Safety App – eliminates the drudgery of paperwork, identifies potential safety and maintenance challenges, enables a technician or driver to do a gas check or find a leak, and notifies a professional when a test is wrong or a client’s safety system fails.

This app should also alert management about specific safety matters, filing – and storing – all relevant paperwork as a digital record. That means there is no chance documents will go missing, or legal materials will suddenly vanish.

Picture, too, an interactive dashboard that highlights areas of trouble or instances of failure – and creates a schedule about those things requiring repair now, tomorrow, next week or next month. This digital safety manager would track everything, from doing and confirming spot checks during the course of other work a driver or technician may oversee to checking individual propane tanks, so everyone – such as owners of propane delivery companies, drivers, managers, operators and clients – can enjoy an unprecedented degree of safety.

There would even be records of each location, complemented by images of signed documents and ancillary materials.

This technology exists – we use this technology across Canada and the States – because it is the result of research by and from experts within the propane industry. Put another way, I feel – my colleagues feel – the collective pain of an environment that is too prone to error, too subject to threats, too open to danger, too risky overall.

Now is the time to put safety first.

Now is the time to advance the strength of the propane industry.

Now is the time to do an audit of this business, for the good of all, because the technology is available – the technology is affordable – for owners, drivers and technicians, in addition to clients both residential and commercial, who deserve the best.

The translation of that summons to safety is an opportunity for communication to thrive and collaboration to flourish, thanks to the power of technology that is easy to use, reliable to access and protective of the files people need.
This emphasis on safety through technology is at the forefront of how the propane industry can make mobile devices an indispensable part of safety. Indeed, the future of one depends on the proliferation of the other. That is, the more often we use these devices – and we use them a lot already – the more seamless the

transition will be, within our business, toward improved safety and efficiency.
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​We must seize this moment, since the dividends are too many to ignore and the immediate rewards are too substantial to deny.
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The future is now.

You don’t have to know anything about the propane industry to recognize that Tank Spotter could be an incredibly useful app for anyone in that line of business. It can help a sales staff find and manage new customers and help installation techs meet the stringent government safety requirements.

The app was developed by Bill Stomp, a war veteran who said he drew on his experience in military intelligence.

Tank Spotter’s home page presents a series of options for dealing with a company’s existing accounts and with potential new clients.

Let’s say an employee or manager is driving around their home area and they see a property with one or more propane tanks. Is it one of theirs? Does it belong to a competitor? Maybe it’s an opportunity to make a new sale.

To “spot” the tank, they open their mobile phone or tablet and click to the Tank Finder page. This page is the heart of the app. It lists the actions you can take when you have eyes on a tank. Users can log it as a sales lead, a safety or maintenance issue, or record it as one of your tanks and update the details associated with that installation.

A delivery driver or maintenance tech can use similar features for logging safety issue or a maintenance issues. The data is either sent immediately to the company’s central database or stored until the phone is within cell phone range, a useful feature in remote areas where many propane customers are located.

A section called View Tanks Spotted presents a map showing all the collected tanks, with color-coded pins to match the different types of reports. A competitor’s tank get one color, other colors are assigned to safety issues or sales prospects. The map can help the company plan and schedule sales calls or safety inspections to focus on a specific area.

Another useful feature is the Tank Docs section that lets users create digital versions of the various forms that a propane dealer has to fill out, file and store. An Estimator section includes tools for estimating pricing for a new account or create an invoice for a new or existing client. Users can also record meter readings leak checks and safety inspections.
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Tank Spotter is a well-designed app that anyone with basic data-entry skills will be comfortable using. And, it’s an excellent example of how mobile technology can be put to work helping even the smallest business.

Tank Spotter is available to download in the Google Play Store For a closer look at how the app works, visit the Tank Spotter website and watch my video review below.

Online Source:GizmoEditor

A point of qualification about technology and the economy: We have a mobile workforce, not a mobilized one.That distinction is critical because, despite the tens of millions of smartphones and tablets that Americans own or operate, despite our appetite for gossip concerning the latest iteration of a particular device, despite our addiction to consumer electronics in general, despite all this – and more, including our collective change in posture, where we lower our heads and thumb our way through news stories, emails, and sundry likes and followers – we have yet to liberate ourselves from an actual office.

We may not be in a physical office, but that does not mean we are free of the office and its trail of paper, since we carry a collection of tickets, records, contracts, invoices, checks and receipts.

Nor are we more aware of information involving our respective assignments. We have our phones, yes, but that is not necessarily a more efficient way for our bosses or coworkers to reach us.

A barrage of calls and text messages is not a safe or effective solution, when a company has drivers making deliveries, or navigating the busy streets or congested highways of New York or Southern California.

What these employees need, and what their individual employers deserve, is an application that provides real-time intelligence without an iota of manual entry.

Picture, for example, a smartphone as a transponder. Think of it as a tool for relaying data, where all those ones and zeroes reconstitute themselves into a detailed map; where that color-coded series of routes and deliveries, in addition to the whereabouts of each driver and updates about their movement (or lack thereof, because of traffic or some other issue), gives managers a better perspective about how to improve service; where clients can sign every contract, and consummate every transaction, without a pen or a piece of paper.

That scenario is more a matter of scientific fact than science fiction. Or: Search long enough, and read enough search results, and an answer will reveal itself.

According to Bill Stomp, a mobile field management tool for the liquid fuel, propane and fuel delivery industries:
“Real-time intelligence is the difference between a business owner thinking he has a productive enterprise and knowing he has one.

“It is a total system – an interactive resource, too – that removes speculation about how successful a company is, in terms of its ability to make deliveries without delays or disruptions. That is the power of a mobilized workforce, thanks to the power of mobile devices.”

I agree with that assessment not because I am an employee of Vertrax, Digital Dispatcher, Base Engineering, Fleet Navigator or one of the other 30 in cab device companies, which I am not.
Rather, I second that sentiment because real-time intelligence can transform our smartphones and tablets into indispensable tools.
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No longer toys for playing games, or a medium for the transmission of memes or movie clips, mobile devices can strengthen how companies do business.
That fact is cause for celebration.

Online Source:The Huffington Post

It is a rare occasion that we are so pleasantly surprised by an app that works on both Apple and Android devices as all the best apps do. A newer app was recently recommended to us and we are excited to share it with you because it does some very important things. To say that it is a safety app designed to automate safety, risk management and all forms of inspections or safety paperwork is part true, but then it is also designed to spot-check the safety inspection itself while the inspection is going on, alerting the user and office staff of a safety issue. That’s great because it is destined to save lives especially since it is used in the flammable fuel industry, but then to the elation of users it automates the filing and clerical paperwork formerly associated with these tasks.

While the fact that this app will help save lives is in itself enough, the app also automates the sales process. So company sales reps can enjoy many of the same benefits that company safety and service techs get. These include less paperwork, an app that knows what forms and documents they have to fill out everyday, and then help to fill it out completely, file it, send it, and track it so they can do more sales every day and every week.Though the fuel delivery industry is a specialized industry, it is easy to see that every fuel delivery company owner, manager and sales rep will be enthralled with how this new app will streamline their work, eliminate safety risks, increase sales, and instantly file their paperwork for them as they ride home early every day.

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier not more complicated. This new app that is connected to their office all the time is what technology is supposed to be; easy to use, reliable, and truly helpful. If you are in the fuel delivery industry and are not yet using Tank Spotter then get it now, don’t be the only one left behind with inefficient and costly practices.

TankSpotter is already being used in several countries, is recommended by several fuel related insurance companies, is getting recognition by individual states in the US and in countries for their inspectors.

Available from TankSpotter.com, Apple App Store and Google Play.
Online Source BREAKAWAY DAILY