Page 9 - LA811 2022 issue 4

Board Member Spotlight
Molly Smith
At Kinder Morgan, our goal is People First, Safety Always. As the Damage Prevention Supervisor for South Louisiana at Kinder Morgan, my
team and I work daily to ensure the safety of
our facilities, the excavating community working around our facilities and the members of the public who live
and work around our facilities. Damage Prevention and Public Awareness go hand in hand at Kinder Morgan to ensure that we are sharing the message about 811 Call Before You Dig and Safe Excavation Practices around
all underground utilities and protecting our Natural
Gas facilities from damage due to excavation activities. While my team and I are responsible for the Natural
Gas facilities in South Louisiana, Kinder Morgan also
has other pipelines transporting a variety of products throughout the state of Louisiana, which makes it critical for us to share the message about Louisiana 811 and the Dig Law in Louisiana. Each year my team and I focus a large amount of our time on meeting with members of the public through liaison meetings as well as meeting with first responders and public officials to partner in the goal of zero underground damages. Farmers and Excavators
in South Louisiana are an important part of our outreach program as they are always working, regardless of the time of year or weather, and are amazing ambassadors
for Louisiana 811. I am honored to be able to represent Kinder Morgan as a member of the Louisiana 811 Board of Directors. Through my position on the board, I believe that I have the unique opportunity to be on the leading edge of the Louisiana 811 Call Before You Dig (or Click) campaign and to help in the continuous improvement efforts of the Louisiana Dig Law.
Every job, every time.
CenterPoint Energy training is focused on making sure your leadership and field personnel understand the 811 state laws, safe digging best practices, and other tips to help your projects be completed damage free without the delays and expenses of cutting a natural gas line. Most importantly, it is critical we cover how to stay safe in the event of a cut natural gas line.
Our training also covers the steps to prevent natural gas ignition, explosion, and inherent risks should blowing gas from a damaged pipeline occur in your community.
To schedule your training session, email
PublicAwareness@CenterPointEnergy.com