(PRWEB) February 10, 2006 –- Missouri's Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund (PSTIF) has taken a bold step to help fuel storage system owners and operators understand their equipment. For a limited time, the Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund (PSTIF) is making training available to its insured tank owners and operators free of charge.
PSTIF insures over 3,000 facilities in Missouri and understands the importance of keeping fuel in the tanks and out of the ground as much as possible. Educating tank owners in the proper operation and maintenance of their equipment not only protects the environment but keeps insurance costs down.
“ The courses are offered via the Internet, so they are available everywhere on demand. ”
The key to preventing and detecting leaks is knowing how the equipment works. That is why PSTIF set out to solve the problem of educating the people responsible for fuel storage systems on how leak detection equipment functions and how to respond when an alarm sounds. “We needed good information that could be economically delivered on a state-wide basis,” said Carol Eighmey, executive director of PSTIF. “When the PSTIF Board reviewed the Petroleum Equipment Institute’s (PEI) online Learning Center, we knew we had our answer,” she continued. “PEI is the leading authority on petroleum equipment, so we know the information is right. The courses are offered via the Internet, so they are available everywhere on demand,” says Eighmey.
Educating underground fuel tank owners and operators about the management of their storage systems is a national issue. Missouri is the first state to tackle the problem by offering training directly to the people who need it. After reviewing PEI’s courses, the PSTIF Board of Trustees agreed to purchase courses in bulk and offer them free to insured tank owners. “If we succeed in preventing only one gasoline leak, we will more than make up the cost of providing the courses,” says Eighmey.
Recognizing that educating people to properly use the equipment supplied by its members is in everyone’s best interest, PEI has worked for the last year and a half to create the online Learning Center. The PSTIF Board was immediately impressed with how the admittedly “dry” subject matter is presented in an engaging and interesting manner. This is accomplished by using actors portraying tank owners and operators in realistic scenarios to convey the information.
Anyone responsible for fuel tanks insured by PSTIF can take courses for free by logging on to
www.pstif.org. People who are not insured by PSTIF may take courses for $79 each by going to the PEI Learning Center at
www.pei.org/learn.
