Historically, the oil and gas industry has had unique safety concerns unmatched by other sectors. For instance, the Society of Petroleum Engineers says 14.5% of fatalities recorded in 2013 were caused by explosions. Award-winning companies like Renegade Wireline Services have dedicated resources to create safe working conditions. Here’s a practical 4-point checklist to ensure a safe working environment in wireline service operations.
Implement Safety Training and Certification
The more training one has, the more they can identify incidents quicker. Training should be done regularly and with a model that encourages evaluation. The oil and gas company should have a department responsible for training field operators and support staff. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that workers with fewer years of experience and working alone are more likely to suffer a fatality. Training workers together helps reduce these fatalities by encouraging cohesion and trust.
Conduct Regular Inspection and Maintenance of Equipment and Tools
Faulty equipment and rusty tools are quick tickets to fatal incidents. The CDC reports that contact injuries accounted for 24% of all injuries in the oil and gas industry in 2017. Inspection picks up problems before they escalate into more significant issues. On the other hand, maintenance keeps equipment from breaking down in the middle of operations. The best way to start is to draft an inspection and maintenance plan that addresses the most critical safety components. The company should maintain detailed documentation of all safety inspections to enable continuity.
Encourage Clear Communication between all Personnel
Clear communication is one of the most effective approaches to maintaining a safe working environment for everyone. In a survey by Safety Culture, 45% of respondents said poor communication was the underlying reason for workplace injuries they or someone they knew endured. Clear communication enables coordination, especially in emergencies. Communication protocols prevent double meaning and misunderstandings, so each company should have a standard way of conveying messages. For example, all workers could agree that red means danger.
Craft an Effective Emergency Plan
All oil and gas companies should work for zero-incidence workplaces. Yet ignoring emergency plans gives incidents a higher chance of causing fatalities. Responsible companies work hard for zero incidents but plan for them anyway. Not only should a company have an emergency plan, but they should involve everyone in the plan. Bringing everyone together opens the floor for brainstorming various scenarios to make the response plan comprehensive.
Most oil and gas wireline service operations incidents are avoidable with the proper safety culture and practices. Organizations in the industry have a mandate to keep everyone safe, whether on the field or in offices. The above four checkpoints are the first step towards ensuring healthy workers, safe workplaces, and, ultimately, higher profit margins.