PPE for Employees of the Gas and Oil Industry and Why
The Oil and Gas industry is a vital sector that supports many workers and economies. It is also no secret that working in the oil and gas industry, particularly in production and the field do have its safety concerns. There are many areas of the industry that are hazardous to employees and is the reason why it is important for both employer and employee to take the necessary precautions in order to ensure safety at work.
With an effective PPE clothing program, workers at the job sites would be protected against hazards and injuries.
The following are some important guidelines for workers in the Oil and Gas Industry:
Review the job Hazards
Different jobs in the oil and gas industry come with exposure to different kinds of hazards and potential dangers. This is the reason employers are required to conduct a hazard assessment of the different work environments. When the assessment is completed only then can the appropriate personal protective equipment PPE be provided to help protect the workers from the job safety hazards. Only a proper assessment would be able to reveal all hazards that the worker might face.
The following are just some of the activities that present dangers to workers:
- Working and surveying at drill sites
- Constructing well foundations and tanks
- Adding chemicals to wells as required
- Working the wells in day to day operations
These activities could possibly result in the following injuries and hazards:
- Slips, Trips and falls
- Fire hazards such as flash fire
- Hand and eye injury
- Damage to the ears if not properly protected with the correct level for the hazard
- Exposure to harmful chemicals, gases, vapors and fumes
Recognize The Safety Requirements
Only after a company had performed its assessment would it know its worksite safety requirements. The assessment needs to done every year, as work conditions and the hazards could have changed within the year. For this reason a company would possibly need an adjustment in the PPE programme.
In the United States, OSHA requires oil and gas companies to be responsible in ensuring that their employees, contractors, and visitors have access to the appropriate PPE and for all involved to have an understanding of their proper usage.
Based on the assessment, employers might need to provide protection for several or all areas such as the eyes, head, body and the extremities.
The company will need to provide any or all of the following PPE as required
- Dust Masks and Face Protection
- Safety glasses and goggles
- Face shields
- Hard hats and helmets with visors if applicable
- Protective clothing
- Respiratory devices such as half, face, full face or air supplied
New Developments In The Industry Need to Be Understood
You might have sufficient hazard protection in your PPE program but you should still make sure that you know the advancements in your industry and in the area of PPE. Newer models might offer greater protection or comfort to your workers, making it easier for workers to perform their tasks.
Also the newer models or brands of PPE might have improvements in terms of the ease by which workers can take the gear off and reapply various equipment during the day. They might also have made use of better technologies making them safer or better fitting. Advancements in PPE can also lead to greater efficiency for the worker as they would feel better and be in a good mood.
Know the Industry Hazards
OSHA has set the following recommendations for PPE for every industry hazard. Do note that aside from wearing the right PPE, it is important to know how to wear them properly. Make sure that they are also properly cared for and do not have cracks, fray holes or breaks as they could compromise the safety of your equipment.
There needs to be a pre-work inspection process for the PPE to be worn so that any problems that could lead to a possible safety hazard can be detected.
Following are some areas of concern and recommendations of how to deal with them.
- For Chemical Handling
The following PPE are recommended for use when dealing with chemicals: goggles, gloves, long sleeves, and respiratory protection. If you work with lime or caustics, make sure you also have a face shield and protective clothing in addition to the breathing apparatus.
- For Welding and Fabrication Work
For welding jobs, the most important gear to wear would be the appropriate welding gloves and helmet that are made specifically for the type of welding being performed.
Welders are exposed to a wide range of hazards such as scalding, respiratory issues and radiation exposure so only protective gear made specifically for welding will do.
- For NoiseOil rig workers get exposed to noise hazards and need to wear hearing protection such as ear muffs or earplugs depending on the exposure. Make sure that you know the proper use of earplugs as incorrectly wearing them could still result in hearing damage. This could be just as bad as not having hearing protection because you believe you are protected when really you are not.
- For Confined SpacesUse necessary instruments such as gas monitors to test the atmosphere in confined spaces before you enter into it. It is also important to note that you might need ear protection when working in a confined space because noise from your equipment might be amplified due to the confined space.
- For air born and falling form height objects
Wear hard hats, steel toe work boots, eye protection, gloves and protective clothing to prevent injuries.
Terry Smeader
Safety Protection Warehouse
Ph 888-440-4668
www.coverallsale.com
www.coverallsale.ca
Terry Smeader
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Tags: Job Hazards, Oil & Gas, PPE, Safety
