Midland College Petroleum Professional Development Center (PPDC) partners to meet safety needs of Permian BasinAugust 03, 2022

The Midland College Petroleum Professional Development Center (PPDC) will participate in Excavation Safety Day presented by the Damage Prevention Council of Texas.  The date of August 11 (8/11) conveniently coincides with the phone number to call (811) before you dig.  The safety day will be held in Monahans, TX at the Ward County Event Center, 1525 E Monahans Pkwy, starting at 8:00 a.m.  It is open to the public, and there is no cost to attend.

The PPDC will present information about the Center’s Risk Management Institute safety courses and will have information available regarding Permian Basin STEPS (Service, Transmission, Exploration and Production Safety) network.  The PPDC hosts monthly STEPS meetings on the Midland College main campus in the Scharbauer Student Center Carrasco Room at 8:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.  Permian Basin STEPS representatives will be present at the safety day event in Monahans.

“Partnering with Texas811 for Excavation Safety Day is a great opportunity for the PPDC to extend our community outreach with the Damage Prevention Council of Texas and STEPS while bringing our safety and risk management classes to the public,” Erin Van Evera-Welch, director of the Midland College PPDC, explained.  “Our classes are open to the Permian Basin community, and we provide continuing education for everyone—not just those who work directly in the petroleum industry.”

Midland College PPDC
The Midland College Petroleum Professional Development Center (PPDC) provides high-quality, timely and pertinent continuing education opportunities regarding the Permian Basin regional energy industry and related topics.  The PPDC facilitates dynamic interaction between the community, the college and the industry through strong collaborative efforts with local professional societies.  Staff at the PPDC also administer the Midland College Risk Management Institute, which provides safety training to individuals, businesses and organizations throughout the West Texas area.  For more information, contact PPDC staff, via email or phone, (432) 683-2832.  Course information also available online via the MC website.

Texas811
Texas811 is nonprofit and member-driven, including over 2,000 utility and municipal members.  It serves all 254 counties in Texas by providing around-the-clock bilingual availability to notify member companies of planned excavation near underground utility lines.  More information available on the Texas811 website.

Permian Basin STEPS (Service, Transmission, Exploration and Production Safety)
Permian Basin STEPS works cooperatively with the energy industry and OSHA to accomplish one common goal—“Incident Free Work Place.”  Meetings center around lessons learned, best practices and updates from OSHA concerning regulation.  Presenters cover a cross section of information pertaining to energy industry safety.  Visit the Permian Basin STEPS website for more information.