El Paso, Texas, October 18, 2024 – The El Paso Community College (EPCC) Risk Management Institute successfully hosted its Hands-On Excavation Safety Festival today at the Mission del Paso Campus. The event drew a diverse crowd of industry professionals, emergency responders, and community members, all eager to learn about safe excavation practices and trench safety.
The festival featured a series of live demonstrations that vividly illustrated the dangers associated with excavation work. Attendees witnessed simulations of trench cave-ins, pipeline ruptures, and electrical contact incidents, providing them with a realistic understanding of excavation-related hazards. These demonstrations were complemented by training sessions led by industry experts, focusing on trench safety, emergency response, and hazard identification.
“The goal was to not only to give a learning experience but to give people an opportunity to connect , do some networking, and everyone really seemed to enjoy the festival,” Cecy Maurer, EPCC Risk Management Institute Coordinator, said.
One of the highlights of the event was the opportunity for attendees to greet the pilots of the El Paso Fire Department Fire STAR Air Methods Helicopter, and also engage in hands-on activities and real-time emergency response drills. This practical approach allowed participants to gain valuable experience and confidence in handling excavation-related emergencies.
“It’s been amazing, the community response just shows the support that everyone has for the college, and it’s great for the college to be at the center of such an important event like this, really demonstrating the need for training and safety,” Blayne Primozich, EPCC Associate Vice President of Workforce and Continuing Education, said.
Networking was a key component of the festival, with area utility and pipeline operators, emergency responders, and industry professionals connecting to discuss best practices and innovations in the field. The event also provided information on Texas and New Mexico’s “call before you dig” laws, emphasizing the importance of safety and compliance in excavation projects.
The festival was made possible through the collaboration of several partners, including El Paso Community College, UTEP, OSHA, Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC), T & T Staff Management, Inc., El Paso Water Utilities, Lower Valley Water District, El Paso Electric, Texas Gas Service. Generous sponsorship from companies such as Sunstate Equipment, 4-Rivers, United Rentals, Little Big Inch Pipeline Co., Equipment Share, Jordan Foster Construction, ZTEX Construction Inc., Sundt Construction Inc., Union Pacific, and Marathon Petroleum played a crucial role in the event’s success.
The EPCC Risk Management Institute trains an average of 4500 workers per year, and offers free classes on digging safety and many other classes on workplace safety. Find out more at https://www.epcc.edu/Academics/ContinuingEducation/RiskManagementInstitute.
Photos courtesy: Rudy Gutierrez/EPCC.
A helicopter from EPFD STAR Shock Trauma Air Rescue on display
Firefighters carry away a dummy while simulating a rescue of a worker inside a trench during Excavation day Friday at Mission del Paso campus
Karla Lopez, Tejano Jack, Dr. Blayne Primozich, Cecy Maurer and Alexandra Luna
Navi Sanchez, right, and Ivan Gardea, center, both EPCC Electrical Tech students get a demonstration on a DeWALT hand tool from Cesar Macias, representative for DeWALT
