Essential Safety Tips in Oils and Gas Industry

Oil and gas industry employees work in some of the toughest situations. They are regularly exposed to harsh weather and severe working conditions. Therefore, their safety should be the top priority on every employer’s list.

To ensure their safety, employers must provide these workers with personal protective equipment (PPE). This equipment includes fire-resistant clothing, fall protection, etc.

Workers must be correctly trained to use their personal protective equipment daily. Wearing proper PPE minimises the extent of accidents and injuries. Here are some of the safety equipments commonly used

FIRE-RESISTANT CLOTHING

Catching fire is one of the major concerns when working in an oil and gas industry. To protect the employees from such risks, fire-resistant clothing is required. These clothes are designed to self-extinguish, which means it won’t continue burning even if an employee gets exposed to fire. Such clothing drastically reduces the number of workplace deaths and injuries every year.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FIRE-RESISTANT CLOTHING

There are several factors you need to examine:

• Optimal protection features

• Comfortable to wear 

• Durable material

Oil and gas industry employees work on heights. They often have to climb tall equipment, like drilling and service rigs and the risks of a slip, trip and fall are extremely high. To prevent that, fall protection gear is necessary. Whenever an employee is working at the big heights of 4 feet or above, they should use fall protection gear that can help them keep safe.

ANCHOR

A suitable anchor point is crucial for fall arrest systems. It must support at least 5,000 lb load capacity. Anchor points must be situated at various locations in an oil rig. The anchor point chosen must be compatible with the structure it is attached to. Anchor points should only be attached by a professional. 

BODY HARNESS

It is essential for employees who wear fall protection equipment. The harness must be worn the entire time when an employee is working on heights. The worker must put them on before leaving the ground.  

CONNECTOR

A connector is needed to secure body harness to an anchor point. For proper fall protection, the harness should be attached to an anchor point.

OTHER PPE FOR OIL AND GAS WORKERS

In addition to flame-resisting and fall protection, other protective equipments are required for total protection of workers in an oil and gas industry. Following is some common personal protective equipment that is used by oil and gas industry workers.

SAFETY GLASSES

Eyes are one of the most sensitive parts of the human body. Oil and gas workers are at high risk due to constant exposure to dirt, sand, grease, oil, and other flying debris. Protection of eyes is necessary and to ensure that safety glasses are a requirement.

SAFETY SHOES

There are lots of heavy devices and accessories that get dragged around on site and raise the risk of damage to the feet. Safety shoes, like steel-toed boots, need to be worn at work.

HARD HATS

Hard hats or safety helmets must be used in industrial workplaces. It protects operators from falling objects and other unplanned events. They are a perfect solution to protect employees from significant damages. These hats should be comfortable and lightweight to wear.

GLOVES

Oil industry workers also need protective gloves. Speciality gloves for welding, cutting, handling, chemicals, or other odd jobs are widely available in the market.

Working in an oil and gas industry is a very difficult job. You need to be aware of the dangers and precautions to stay safe. One must take proper precautions for such situations.

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