The West Virginia Commission on Oil and Natural Gas Industry Safety met in late August for its second meeting. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin formed the commission earlier this year to review state and federal regulations regarding safety in the oil and natural gas industry.
The American Petroleum Institute says it welcomes the federal government’s effort to align regulations for offshore well control with industry standards, but with a caveat: a warning that the unintended consequences of some elements of the proposed rule could make offshore operations less safe.
An open-flame heater on the floor of a rig likely sparked the fire that killed three natural gas drillers and seriously injured two others in a December 2014 drilling rig fire in Coalgate, OK, OSHA has concluded after an investigation.
OSHA offers best practices on avoiding injuries and illness for the oil and gas industry. Even though you may be wearing protective gear to prevent slips, trips and falls, they still happen. The following guidelines should be used to either prevent slips, trips and falls or to minimize the consequences if they should happen.
There are many hazards that can occur during oil and gas extraction activities. A few of the most common hazards, according to OSHA, are detailed below: Vehicle collisions: Workers and equipment are required to be transported to and from well sites. Wells are often located in remote areas, and require traveling long distances to get to the sites.
Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) President and CEO Barry Russell released a statement in June after attaching support to a letter sent to President Barack Obama by a number of companies, organizations and associations.
OHSA’s Hazard Alert discusses the health hazards associated with hydraulic fracturing and focuses on worker exposures to silica in the air. It covers the health effects of breathing silica, recommends ways to protect workers, and describes how OSHA and NIOSH can help. Workers and employers need to be aware of the hazard that silica dust poses.
In February OSHA announced that employers engaged in crude petroleum and natural gas extraction, drilling and related support activities are engaged in “high hazard” activities and will be subject to OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
Although a worker in Yorkshire, England still suffers physically and mentally from a severe chemical burn at an oil refinery, co-workers were able to get him quickly to an emergency shower, and after that, to a hospital for treatment.