Canadian Occupational Safety

16 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com O I L A N D G A S W esley O'Hara knows how dangerous it would be if the high- pressure hose he uses to pump river water suddenly blew out. And he knows if it happens, he'll have to handle it alone. A worker with a fl uid services com- pany out of Edson, Alta., O'Hara is employed to transport water to hydraulic fracturing sites. "We're usually alone for only about an hour at a time," he says. But disas- ter could strike in a fl ash. "I've heard stories where a water line blows off the truck or the tank and just starts swing- ing. We're pumping anywhere up to 10,000 litres a minute. If that line comes off, it's going to start fl ailing." If O'Hara is vigilant, he'll recognize the signs and cut the power to the pump before a blowout happens. "It's really just a matter of monitoring your line and keeping your eyes open." He knows what to do to avoid catas- trophe. But O'Hara certainly didn't enter his career with that knowledge. Colleagues, supervisors and safety managers played important roles in helping him come to grips with the risks of working alone in Canada's oil and gas industry. Lone workers in this high-risk industry need to use partic- ular equipment and develop special skills to stay safe. EQUIPMENT, ELEMENTS, ANIMALS Like O'Hara, many lone work- ers handle potentially dangerous machines, including drills, transport trucks and high-pressure lines, which they must learn to use safely. But proper equipment handling isn't the only challenge — think sharp teeth and claws. "You have to watch for wildlife," O'Hara says. "That's always a factor working in the woods." A surprised bear or wolverine could attack. "You have to make a lot of noise and make sure your presence is known." There's also the possibility that during the winter, O'Hara will fall through the ice on a river. "I try to veer as far as possible away from breaks in the ice. You have to be smart. Check it out in daylight to make sure the ice is thick enough to stand on." Another signifi cant concern for lone workers is travel, says Brad Bechtold, the Calgary-based director of oil and gas transformation for communica- tions equipment manufacturer Cisco Canada. "Because of the remoteness of oil and gas operations, people travel an inordinate amount of time in hazard- ous conditions, including in winter on poor roads at night." Lone workers need to be prepared before they head out on the job. Trans- Canada, an energy company based in Calgary, requires its service providers to have risk-assessment programs that enable the employees to size up poten- tial hazards. What's more, TransCanada expects its contractors' workers to be physically fi t. "They have to be able to carry a backpack for several miles. Our pipe- line right-of-way goes through two coastal mountain ranges and very dense brush. It isn't easy walking," says Dale O'Dwyer, the safety manager for TransCanada's Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project, a 900-kilometre pipeline to export liquefi ed natural gas from northern B.C. In addition, TransCanada's service providers must supply employees with fi rst-aid kits that they can carry with them as they trek through the bush and they must have had emergency medical training. O'Hara is trained in Workplace Standard First Aid Level C CPR/AED, which involves knowing how to use an automated external defi brillator (AED), and what to do in cases of head and spine injuries and sudden medical emergencies. He has learned the proper way to hold his arm if it's broken and how to apply a splint. Before he heads out to a water load station, his company gives him the precise GPS co-ordinates of the location. That way, if he does need to call 911, he can relay his position to the emergency response call centre representative. COMMUNICATION DEVICES MANDATORY New technologies help address lone worker risks. As per legislative require- ments in the provinces where oil and gas activities are prevalent, employ- ers must equip their lone workers with communications devices, such as satellite phones or text messaging Workers operating in isolation must know how to properly handle an emergency situation – from an animal attack to a medical issue LONE SURVIVORS By Stefan Dubowski 䰀伀一䔀 圀伀刀䬀䔀刀 䴀伀一䤀吀伀刀䤀一䜀 䌀䤀吀䤀䔀匀Ⰰ 刀䔀䴀伀吀䔀 䰀伀䌀䄀吀䤀伀一匀Ⰰ 䄀一䐀 䘀䄀䌀䤀䰀䤀吀䤀䔀匀 圀䠀䔀一 匀䔀䌀伀一䐀匀 䌀伀唀一吀 䔀洀瀀氀漀礀攀攀猀 昀愀挀攀 爀椀猀欀 攀瘀攀爀礀 搀愀礀 昀爀漀洀 椀渀樀甀爀礀 琀漀 瀀漀猀猀椀戀氀攀 栀攀愀氀琀栀 挀漀渀搀椀琀椀漀渀猀  愀渀搀 攀瘀攀渀 愀猀猀愀甀氀琀⸀ 䰀漀渀攀爀글 猀愀昀攀琀礀 洀漀渀椀琀漀爀椀渀最 猀漀氀甀琀椀漀渀猀 攀洀瀀漀眀攀爀 礀漀甀爀  漀爀最愀渀椀稀愀琀椀漀渀 琀漀 洀愀欀攀 愀 搀椀û攀爀攀渀挀攀 戀礀 爀攀猀瀀漀渀搀椀渀最 椀渀 爀攀愀氀ⴀ琀椀洀攀ᐠ琀漀 礀漀甀爀  攀洀瀀氀漀礀攀攀ᤠ猀 瀀爀攀挀椀猀攀 氀漀挀愀琀椀漀渀⸀ 䔀瘀攀爀礀 椀渀搀甀猀琀爀礀Ⰰ 樀漀戀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 氀漀挀愀琀椀漀渀⸀  夀漀甀爀 夀漀甀爀 漀瀀琀椀洀椀稀攀搀 攀洀攀爀最攀渀挀礀 爀攀猀瀀漀渀猀攀 挀愀渀 洀愀欀攀 愀 搀椀û攀爀攀渀挀攀 眀栀攀渀  猀攀挀漀渀搀猀 挀漀甀渀琀⸀ 䰀攀愀爀渀 洀漀爀攀 愀琀 戀氀愀挀欀氀椀渀攀猀愀昀攀琀礀⸀挀漀洀⸀

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