LP Gas, January 2012

COLUMNIST JAY JOHNSTON Change in the new year Learn from the past and adjust your actions to affect propane safety O nce again we close the old year and ring in the new It has been my personal experience over the past 59 years that you cant change the past and regret is a wasted emotion That said we can learn from the past and adjust our actions and inactions to affect change How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb Only one but the bulb has to want to change And so it is with you and me my friends to affect change we have to want it When I was 25 years old my insurance agent father told me to get rid of my charcoal Weber and promptly delivered a propane grill in a box He said We insure propane dealers and we cook on propane Never having put a grill together I did my best thought I had tightened everything and was on my way to charcoal free cooking I lit the grill and went inside the house for the hot dogs Imagine my surprise when I came out to find the hose burned off at the tank and a jet of flame coming out of the 20 pound cylinder After a few seconds of panic I evaluated my options I could call the fire department but would it get there in time Then I remembered the slide shows before video for our propane clients where firemen were holding streams of water on a tank as they walked in and turned off the valve I ran into the house and grabbed an oven mitt then grabbed the hose I held the water on the flame and walked in to turn off the valve It worked My heart was in my throat and I had developed a firsthand experience in dealing with a propane emergency Since that experience My heart still goes to my throat every time I feel the roar of a simulated burn I have donned a fire suit and walked into at least 10 simulated live training situations My heart still goes to my throat every time I feel the powerful roar of a simulated burn Over the years I have had many propane experiences that changed the way I think about propane In the early 1980s I purchased a specialty Ford Granada that ran only on propane For two years I pumped my own gas at customer key stop locations That spitter valve sprayed a lot of vapor on my overcoat and I had to learn that was a good thing in properly filling the fuel tank Because I worked downtown and parked in an underground garage I would turn the tank off Some might say that was a needless precaution but I did it out of respect for all stakeholders involved As an insurance agent specializing in propane marketers over the past 35 years I have been involved with about every propane related accident and allegation of wrongdoing I learned from each experience and continue to learn from each experience every day Most insurance agents and some propane companies file those experiences under the phrase stuff happens However I choose to be actively involved in accident prevention and safety education in the propane industry I continually go for rides with drivers and service techs to experience the real world when it comes to dayto day propane delivery and service exposures I have evaluated hundreds of marketer loss runs to look for patterns and weak links I continuously challenge management to inspect what they expect to achieve compliance and profitable results You cant change the past but you can shape the future Every week I chase articles on propane accidents to determine probable cause and explore safety solutions I usually will share those conclusions and observations in this column and in my monthly newsletter to marketers My answer to critics who suggest those who can do and those who cant teach I do both While it has never been my goal to be a driver or service tech in the propane industry it is my unabashed goal to teach train and sell propane safety to all who are open to change If you want to achieve safe and profitable results in the industry you must want to change I would like to challenge you to learn from the past and adjust your actions accordingly when it comes to respecting the importance of propane safety Lets all work together to make the new year a safe one LPG Jay Johnston www thesafetyleader com has 35 years of experience as an insurance executive safety management consultant and inspirational safety speaker in the propane industry Jay is publisher of The Safety Leader newsletter and author of the book The Practice of Safety He can be reached at jay@ thesafety leader com or 952 935 5350 32 LPGas January 2012 www LPGasmagazine com