Articles Tagged with ''safety in the oil and gas industry''

A train transporting crude oil exploded in a giant fireball yesterday in North Dakota after hitting another train that had derailed. No injuries were reported, although the accident sent more than 2,400 people living within a five mile radius of the crash site to hastily set up shelters in Fargo.

An explosion in June at a Louisiana gas company that killed two workers and injured 80 people has resulted in $99,000 in fines for the company. Williams Olefins LLC in Geismar, La. was cited for six process safety management standard violations, including one willful.

In a recently released draft report, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) proposes recommendations for substantial changes to the way refineries are regulated in California. Entitled “Regulatory Report: Chevron Richmond Refinery Pipe Rupture and Fire,” the CSB draft calls on California to replace the current patchwork of largely reactive and activity-based regulations with a more rigorous, performance-based regulatory regime – similar to those successfully adopted overseas in regions such as the United Kingdom, Norway, and Australia – known as the “safety case” system.

Reconfirming the need for strengthening oil and gas industry education and training is the “The 1ppm (parts per million) Hydrogen Sulfide Threshold: Are you prepared?” survey completed by Dräger, an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology, in association with the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the world’s oldest professional safety society.

An oil and gas industry group has produced a new guide that offers practical advice on how human rights can be integrated into environmental, social and health impact assessments (ESHIAs) for oil and gas sector projects.

A new bulletin just published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) covers the latest of several standards developed or strengthened as a result of post-Macondo task force recommendations. API Director of Standards David Miller said the publication bulletin for well construction interface will help the oil and natural gas industry produce energy safely and in an environmentally responsible manner.

Recent high-profile incidents of workplace violence have helped confirm its status as a significant hazard, one that can take its place among others that can threaten worker safety, such as vapor releases and fires.

Human error is often cited as the main cause for up to 80 percent of all incidents and accidents in complex high-risk systems that exist in the aviation, petrochemical, healthcare, construction, mining, and nuclear power industries, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (www.nerc.com).

Next week’s iSHN Virtual Safety Expo, a free online EHS convention, will be chock full of exhibits, presentations from industry experts and networking opportunities. Here are a few tips to help you maximize your experience:

Lincoln Electric introduces Lincolnweld® 842-H™, a submerged arc flux designed to meet the specific welding requirements for the offshore construction industry. Great for typical offshore welding joints with narrow groove angles and heavy wall thickness, Lincolnweld 842-H has excellent slag detachability, superior bead profile and smoothness.