The Railroad Commission of Texas has partnered with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service on a new fire-prevention training program for its oil and gas field inspectors, the agency announced Aug. 3. The program is designed to give inspectors practical skills for identifying and mitigating wildfire risks and electrical hazards at oil and gas sites.
Thirty RRC oil and gas field inspectors from across the state attended the inaugural Electrical Transmission and Distribution course in Austin on Aug. 3 and 4, according to the commission. Executive Director Wei Wang welcomed the inspectors to the agency’s Austin headquarters for the session, which builds on internal training the commission implemented last year.
The course gives inspectors hands-on instruction in evaluating the operation and maintenance of electrical power lines at well sites and other oil and gas production facilities. The commission said the 10-hour program delivers comprehensive training in electrical safety principles and hazard recognition aligned with federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, and that participants who complete it earn an OSHA 10-hour card with a specialized transmission and distribution endorsement.
“Preventing wildfires starts with proactive, informed inspection in the field and our partnership with Texas A&M allows us to provide essential, life-saving training to our inspectors,” said Wei Wang, RRC executive director. “This effort highlights our strong commitment to protecting communities and natural resources throughout Texas, while also enhancing the responsible oversight that strengthens our state’s energy sector.”
The training supports enforcement of a provision of the Texas Administrative Code requiring that oil and gas operators’ electrical power lines be operated and maintained in compliance with the National Electrical Code, the commission said. The agency described the course as a response to heightened awareness of the issue, reflected in the passage of House Bill 143 during the 89th Texas legislative session.
The commission, established in 1891, is the state’s oldest regulatory agency and oversees oil and gas, alternative fuels safety, natural gas utilities, surface mining and intrastate pipelines. Agency officials said the collaboration will strengthen inspectors’ enforcement of the electrical requirements in the field.