May 20, 2024

Insights from our Amarillo Work Safe, Texas Summit

On May 1, Texas Mutual hosted a Work Safe, Texas Summit in Amarillo. During the summit, attendees had the opportunity to hear from industry experts about disaster preparedness and compliance information as well as network with other business professionals in the area. More than 80 business owners, operations leaders and insurance agents attended the free, public event.

The summit featured panel discussions and one-on-one conversations with Amarillo-area employers and subject matter experts, moderated by Kristin Marcum, owner and CEO of ECPR Texas. The first panel covered disaster preparedness and featured:

• Delaney Pruett, regional emergency planner, Panhandle Regional Planning Commission
• Paige Goodell, local government services program manager, Panhandle Regional Planning Commission

The panel explored how local businesses can best prepare for a disaster that would impact business operations ranging from natural disasters to cyberattacks or other third-party factors. Pruett emphasized the importance of having an emergency plan in place so when an emergency does occur, the business is well prepared to handle it. Goodell similarly noted that testing emergency plans with safety drills is a critical component for ensuring a strong disaster preparedness plan.

The second discussion focused on compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and featured:

• Eric Bourquin, vice president of safety services, Texas Mutual
• Charlie Sanchez, certified OSHA outreach trainer, Amarillo College

From a safety services perspective, Bourquin discussed common misconceptions about OSHA, including the likelihood of receiving a visit and what to do if OSHA does show up. Bourquin stressed using OSHA as a resource for educational purposes for one’s business. Sanchez touched on the educational component of receiving guidance from OSHA, including taking OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour courses through Amarillo College.

Keeping people safe is at the forefront of what we do at Texas Mutual and our Work Safe, Texas Summits are just one way we help employers get the resources they need.