Workers in the oil and gas sector continue to have one of the worst rates of workplace injuries and deaths among all industries. The risks might arise as a result of the demand for efficiency and the physical strain that the oilfield duties place on the personnel working in the oil and gas industry. As a result, it is critical for workers to put in place policies that prioritize the well-being of all their employees.
Workers are put under continual pressure to be more productive owing to the high cost of drilling projects, time away from home, long work days, and high physical demands. As a result, these issues can have an impact on worker safety by increasing the chance of human error, such as inconsistent practices and equipment abuse which can lead to an increased risk of accidents.
This emphasizes the need of reassessing safety procedures and behavior in order to more effectively address worker safety concerns and minimize the rate of injuries and accidents in the sector. Hence, to avoid such accidents and safety hazards, employers need to keep in mind the following tips.
Familiarize Your Workers To The Worksite
Ensure that everyone engaged in the jobsite, including employees, employers, and virtually anybody else, understands their position, the work risks that are a part of it, and all safety precautions that must be followed, sufficiently well before work begins. In the case of shift handovers or worksite changes, new personnel should be properly informed about the safety procedures and risks. Additionally, also ensure that all the equipment and signs are in their designated places to avoid confusion and safety hazards.
Prioritize Machine Maintenance
Your machines and equipment are your lifelines when you are working on offshore rigs and drilling platforms hundreds of kilometers from land. Workers should conduct frequent checks on machinery to detect potential problems before they grow and cause breakdown and malfunctioning of equipment at inconvenient times. This step is also highly instrumental to protect the safety of your personnel. Additionally, carbon steel valves and pipes are an excellent way to improve the life of your machines and prevent a lot of work hazards. Check valves made out of carbon steel are flame resistant and in case of acidic environments, do not corrode or rust.
Get Rid Of Superfluous Objects
To avoid fatal and hazardous accidents due to tripping and heavy objects falling on the workers, keep floors, walkways, and other work areas free of needless things. To effectively address risks, use visible signage that guides workers in the way to emergency and safety equipment. For example, in the case of a chemical or oil leak, provide spill kits to all problem locations.
Be Attentive of the Mental Health of Your Workers
Mental health should be one of the most primary focuses of any workplace. Workplace culture is a major element that has a detrimental impact on safety in the business. Promote a transparent and open environment to eradicate the time-worn stereotype that personnel in the oil and gas sector should always be rugged and strong. This may be accomplished by hosting and encouraging your employees to engage in a variety of training approaches and team-building exercises. Building a feeling of community and trust among employees will encourage them to seek help and advice, follow regulations, acknowledge mistakes, resulting in a happier and safe working environment.
Monitor Driving Habits of your Employees
The oil and gas business has the greatest number of overall deaths due to accidents involving driving or riding in a motor vehicle. The driving habits of the employees should be monitored carefully to identify problems and bad driving practices so that you can enhance your vehicle safety initiatives and employee training. This can be done by installing an In-Vehicle Monitoring System.
Maintain A Proper Visual Communication
Signs encounter a lot of environmental and physical forces due to the extreme conditions prevalent in the oil and gas industry and undergo changes. They often become illegible or misplaced. Hence, workers should always take care to maintain the signs continually and ensure that they are properly visible to everyone. Additionally, to communicate risks and safety requirements, use clear and dependable signs and labels to prevent misunderstanding and confusion. Hence, you should look for fading floor markings that need to be reapplied. To better explain instructions unique to individual work teams and job locations, you can also develop customized signage. Further, also replace worn-out, unreadable, and obsolete signs.
Employ Safety Programs For Your Workers
The gas and oil industry generally bears the brunt of the “rowdy men” stereotype and the workers mostly remain bereft of any programs for their improvement. As a result, a climate of free communication and respect must be promoted in order to eliminate such traditions. Adopt a personalized approach to safety training and set aside time for the staff to familiarise themselves with each other. When out in the field, making more meaningful personal relationships with coworkers will automatically foster trust and camaraderie, thus increasing overall safety.
Keep Your Local Emergency Response Community in The Loop
To ensure a greater degree of overall safety, develop alliances with local emergency response groups and build a regular flow of information. Emergency responders, rig workers, and drilling corporation’s safety and health specialists must collaborate to make the best use of their resources in order to respond to emergencies quickly and effectively. Discuss the unique health and safety dangers present at the drilling site and how to effectively support one another in these situations. Additionally, for better safety, take emergency responders on a tour of the drilling site or rig if feasible to give them a better understanding of handling potential problems.
Conclusion
Of course, you can never be careful enough. Although nothing can actually prepare you for all types of hazards, the intensity of these accidents can be regulated. By implementing these tips, you can be assured of your safety in the oil and gas industry.
