hrough wind, snow, heat, rain and sleet, oil rig work-
ers often grapple with another obstacle: elevation.
Whether they are changing light bulbs, working on
blowout preventers or greasing motors and pulleys,
they conduct various tasks above ground level.
Even for crews that are properly trained and
equipped, sometimes accidents happen because of a sudden change they didn't
account for. Equipment moves fast and things happen quickly.
Fortunately, the Canadian oil and gas sector has a strong safety culture at
the industry level.
"It's a highly collaborative industry especially when it comes to safety and
the sharing of best practices," says Erin Hoover, senior channel marketing
manager, oil, gas and chemicals at Honeywell Safety Products in Pasadena,
Texas. "Everyone wants to know lessons learned, look out for their backs and
the backs of each other."
"Sometimes maybe if it's not a written law, it's about what your neighbour is
doing and what you are not doing," says her colleague at Honeywell, Jack
Miedema, business development, oil and gas, in Calgary. "There's always
opportunity for improvement."
Oil rigs are, without question, high risk places to work.
"The work environment is the greatest challenge oilfield companies face,"
says Marc Harkins MSA's product group manager, fall protection, in
Cranberry Township, Pa. "These companies work in environments where
surfaces are slippery due to hydrocarbons, weather and many other hazards.
They work in extremely stressful situations when working at heights."
Every rig is different. Except in the case of "sister rigs" where two or three
are built the same, rigs have many different configurations so fall protection
systems must be customized. A risk assessment, conducted by a third-party
expert, is the critical first step, and the only sure way to identify where
the hazards lie.
T
climbing,
rotating
equipment,
man lifting
present
fall-related
risks
DOWNS
OF
OIL RIG
FALL
PROTECTION
By Michelle Morra-Carlisle
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