PISTA BLOG#10 (May 2022) :IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY TRAINING, PLANNING & PREVENTION IN THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY.

  

IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY TRAINING, PLANNING & PREVENTION IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY. 

 A very large multitude of workers is employed in the oil and gas extraction and support industries as of 2022. These workers were engaged in many different industrial processes needed to successfully drill a well and then followed by other midstream and downstream activities. These processes frequently require the use of specialized equipment and specially trained work crews.

According to a report (after analysis) of the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (in the USA) from 2003 to 2010, more than 800+ oil and gas extraction workers were killed on the job — a fatality rate almost seven times greater than the rate for all other industries. The database also reports similar (sometimes even greater) fatality rates in many other countries since the early 1990s.

 To combat the increase in fatalities, many Safety Rules and Regulations have been implemented worldwide. Currently in the USA, for regions located in areas of significant oil and gas drilling, OSHA uses national, regional, and local emphasis programs to inspect oilfield worksites. Many hazards found on oil and gas well drilling and servicing rigs are common in virtually all workplaces. These hazards are typically addressed by implementing the Current Safety Standard as predefined by the Act and Regulations set forth by the Governments of the Country or Region.

Recognizing hazards is the first step in protecting employees working in oil and gas industry worksites.

IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDS:

Safety and health hazards and dangerous conditions that can result in fatalities for oil and gas workers commonly include:

•        MOTION RELATED ACCIDENTS
STRUCK-BY/CAUGHT-IN/CAUGHT-BETWEEN
FALLS
EXPLOSIONS AND FIRES        
CONFINED SPACES
CHEMICAL EXPOSURES

GENERAL SAFETY TRAINING:

General training for oil and gas workers often falls into the same category as for general industry and construction workers. Hazards common to many industries, including oil and gas, are 

• Falls from elevated platforms, 
• Slipping/tripping hazards, and
• Machine guarding hazards. 

 JOB-SPECIFIC SAFETY TRAINING:

However, the unique hazards and special work circumstances on oil and gas sites often require specific hazard training. Unique hazards include caught-in and struck-by hazards and well pressures (explosions, fire, and struck-by hazards). For employee protection, OSHA requires employers to provide employees with a safe work environment. To do that properly, an assessment of the work site for hazards must be made. That is where the identification of any unique hazards will be uncovered. Once hazards are identified, employers have to provide a way to control or mitigate them.

 IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING & PREVENTION:

Another aspect of Safety management is Effective Planning and Prevention. For process-specific and task-specific hazards and controls, many tools can help identify common hazards and possible solutions to reduce incidents that could lead to injuries or deaths. Each company involved in Oil and Gas activities should have its own safety program:

• Know and understand the hazards. Evaluate the hazards at the platform or rig. Many companies use the Job Safety Analysis Process (also referred to as a JSA, Job Hazard Analysis, or JHA) to identify hazards and find solutions. 

It is important to establish ways to protect workers, including planning, developing, and implementing safe practices for:

• CONFINED SPACE; EXCAVATIONS
• CHEMICAL HANDLING; EXPOSURE
• CHEMICAL STORAGE
• ELECTRICAL WORK
• EMERGENCY RESPONSE
• EQUIPMENT/MACHINE HAZARDS
• FALL PROTECTION
• FIRE PROTECTION
• HOT WORK, WELDING, FLAME-CUTTING OPERATIONS
• PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT USE
• ELECTRIC/POWER SOURCES (LOCKOUT/TAGOUT PROVISIONS, SAFE DISTANCE FROM POWER LINES)
• WORKING IN THE HEAT, LONG SHIFTS, AND OVER EXHAUSTION

Provide personal protective equipment (PPE). When engineering controls alone cannot protect workers' overexposure to chemicals, noise, or other hazards, the employer must provide PPE. Communicate the hazards, and train the workers.

 PISTA has been engaged in providing General Safety Training (OPITO Approved)for both new entrants and those returning to the Global Offshore Oil and Gas industry since 2018.