When you’re working in an oil field for the gas or oil industries, you’re expected to know that you’re working in an extremely hazardous environment. Accidents in oil fields aren’t uncommon. One little mistake can lead to the loss of lives and property. Aside from the natural hazards of unrefined oil and gas, there are hazards in the equipment and materials that are used for the effective functioning of the oil field’s processes and operations. It should come as no surprise that safety hazard warnings and safety features are very important in an oil field.
At present, the oil and gas industries have established safety standards for work in their oil fields. While the hazards are still present, there are several safety features at oil fields that are now in place to ensure a safer work environment. At the same time, human error is always a dangerous possibility.
To keep yourself alert for any possible dangers, it would be best to know some of the safety features that should always be present at oil fields:
01. Exploration And Production Safety
This group of safety features has to do with oil and gas exploration and production safety features. General drilling operations are now safer compared to earlier years, thanks to safety experts such as Oil field Chemicals. The exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas now include safety features that can be broadly categorized into two types:
- Offshore safety. This refers to the advancements in technology, innovative approaches, heightened industry safety hazards, and smarter regulations that are in place, all to improve the safety of offshore operations.
- Onshore safety. This pertains to the standards in place to increase security within the workplace through regular research, information transfer, and development of standards.
02. Codes for Vehicle Collisions
Oil fields are as vast as factories and construction sites, so you can expect these to be busy with vehicles. Employees need to use transportation to move from one end of the well to another as well as to transport equipment. At the same time, these wells are located in remote areas, so that means that a lot of traveling is needed. Every now and then, vehicular accidents can happen.As a result, there are several safety features in place to prevent vehicle collisions, including codes that require strict compliance, such as the following:
- There are videos to promote safe driving practices in oil and gas extraction environments.
- There are motor vehicle safety standards to enhance safety precautions for operations.
- There are transportation training modules related to oil and gas well drilling contexts to review all possible hazards that can happen during the transportation of employees and equipment.
- There are established work zone traffic safety rules.
- There are fact sheets for employers and workers regarding fatigue and best safety practices whenever they’re operating a vehicle.
03. Transportation Safety Features
Because there are many different forms of transportation that are being used in oil fields, there are also several safety features in place that are specifically designed for better transportation safety, including the following:
- Oil spill and emergency preparedness and response. This includes a set of emergency responses when a spill happens, first responder training, and oil spill prevention features, rules, and practices.
- Pipeline safety. Underneath all the roads is a complex network of pipelines, wires, and cables. If these are accidentally hit, this can lead to costly repairs, cause injuries and lives, and even disrupt the operation on the oil field.
- Rail safety. This is a set of best practices for oil fields that use a railway system in their operations.
04. Responsive Collaboration with Emergency Response Units
Today, oil fields have established relationships with local emergency organizations around their areas of operation. In this way, in the event of accidents, there is a more responsive collaboration with these response units. In addition, communication technology now makes it easier to ensure that emergency communication and response systems are faster and more efficient compared to the past.
With all these, a higher level of safety is now experienced in oil fields. Should an emergency happen, responses can be more efficient and successful so that damages, injuries, and death are minimized or avoided.
05. Caught-Between/Struck-By/Caught-In Features
In some worst-case scenarios, it can happen that employees collide with vehicles. In oil fields, these vehicles are big and very heavy. One little mistake can lead to an employee accidentally getting struck by or caught in between machinery, equipment, or transportation. Generally, such situations can happen in the following instances:
- High-pressure lines
- Moving vehicles or equipment
- Falling equipment
Thus, the following safety features should be present:
- Oil well stability rules
- Crane, derrick, and hoist safety standards
- Guidelines on the stability of well-servicing derricks
- Articulation of struck-by hazards
- Fatality prevention by struck-by accidents
06. Refinery & Plant Safety Features
Investment should be in place for training, programs, best practices, and safety equipment that result in better safety ratings of oil field operations. In this connection, some safety practices that should be in place include the following:
- Process safety. There should be safety features in place related to how business is conducted with the end goal of protecting the overall health and safety of all employees.
- Fire protection and safety. This is crucial for the very reason that one single mistake with fire can lead to severe explosions.
- Occupational safety. There should be safety features in place to ensure that processes and procedures all lead to the successful completion of critical tasks without any risk of danger.
When taken as a whole, all these mean that there should be a comprehensive safety program such as having an EHS management software that unites all the workers with a personal approach to safety. In this way, everyone is alert and conscious at all times that they are working in a highly hazardous environment and that they are constantly using best safety practices to prevent any possible harm to those around them.Conclusion
In comparison with other industries, the oil and gas exploration and production and drilling industry includes so much danger potential that, in the past, workplace accidents and deaths weren’t uncommon. In addition, employees there can be working under a lot of mental and emotional pressures. They work away from home, have long workdays, and complete physically demanding tasks.
As a result, the organizations that manage and enforce modern control standards have recognized all these stressors so that there are more safety features at oil fields. Today, working in oil fields is still hazardous. However, there are more protective measures in place. This article has summarized only the most common standards of safety measures and practices in oil and gas field operations.
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