Experts say that more than a decade of research — including two new studies out of California, and one on a Texas community — has made it clear that current setback distances, in states where they exist, are inadequate to protect public health. Now, political pressure to push oil and gas wells about half a mile from homes and other buildings is peaking across the country, over industry alarm that such measures could amount to a de facto ban on drilling.

OSHA recently issued guidelines for oil and gas workers and employers during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While similar to guidelines issued previously by various governmental authorities, this guidance is specific to oil and gas industry workers and employers. 

The risk of gas leaks has been a common concern for decades in many industries, including oil and gas, petrochemical, utilities, mining, public safety and beyond.

Blackline Safety Corp., a global leader of gas detection and connected safety solutions, has partnered with NevadaNano, a developer and manufacturer of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based gas sensors, to add the new Molecular Property Spectrometer^TM (MPS^TM) Flammable Gas Sensor to its G7 lineup of connected safety wearables.

Honeywell announced a new software solution to help industrial facility operators and safety managers monitor workers’ exposure to gas, weather and certain physiological conditions in real time to help prevent incidents and quickly respond to emergencies.

According to OSHA, arc flash burns are one of the top three most common hazards when working with energized electrical equipment. Every day in the U.S. there are up to 10 arc flash incidents, totaling more than 3,600 disabling electrical contact injuries each year.

Now that flame resistant (FR), arc rated (AR) fabrics have lightweight and breathable performance features which can greatly benefit workers in the oil and gas industry, the first quarter is a good time to consider incorporating innovative FR/AR fabrics into your personal protective equipment (PPE) program.