Tag Archives: oil and gas

Why Is Driving Risky Business for Workers in Oil and Gas Extraction?

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Recent survey results from researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health showed that long work hours and commutes, insufficient sleep and a lack of employer policies in these areas increased the likelihood of one or more risky driving events.
Recent survey results from researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health showed that long work hours and commutes, insufficient sleep and a lack of employer policies in these areas increased the likelihood of one or more risky driving events.

Long work hours, lengthy commutes and insufficient sleep contributed to risky driving among oil and gas extraction (OGE) workers, according to On the road again: a cross-sectional survey examining work schedules, commuting time, and driving-related outcomes among U.S. oil and gas extraction workers, a study recently published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. In addition, insufficient employer policies in these areas were associated with a greater likelihood of risky driving.

Compared to all U.S. workers, OGE workers were more likely to die on the job during 2003–2013, according to a previous CDC study. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related death in the industry, yet … Read more...

Best Practices for Managing Risk in High Hazard Industries

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Despite many improvements over the last century, serious injuries, work-related fatalities and property loss remain a significant global challenge in different high-hazard industries. Improved risk identification, control and management can reduce risks to employees, facilities and the surrounding area.

Our latest Expert Connection session, Managing Risk in High Hazard Industries, is designed to examine the elements of risk management, particularly in high hazard industries, and the technologies being used to mitigate risk. Panelists include Debra Koehler, Director, Solution & Industry Marketing, Intelex Technologies ULC; David D. Wagner, Director of Applications Engineering & Product Knowledge, Industrial Scientific; and Michael Wegleitner, Corporate Director of Health & Safety, Hecla Mining Company. They will review:

  • The elements of risk management, particularly in high hazard industries.
  • How risk is determined and measured.
  • The technologies being used to mitigate risk.

The live session is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2, 2021 … Read more...

How Digital Transformation Is Propelling Operational Excellence in Oil and Gas

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Digital Transformation Oil and Gas

Digital transformation plays an impactful role in shaping practices and processes in most industries, including oil and gas. From accurately forecasting the number of incidents to automating administrative tasks related to those incidents and process hazard analyses, the digitization of the oil and gas industry has contributed to worker safety, streamlined EHSQ and compliance processes and nurtured improved safety cultures.

While the oil and gas industry has not been at the forefront of innovation historically, it has, however, retained its position as a leading player in the economy as it continues to be the largest source of energy (in the U.S., it is the #1 source). As the source material for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, it is also used to make products including propane, asphalt and petro-chemical feedstocks as well as heavy and light fuel oil. On top of that, it is also used in producing many consumer products … Read more...

Leveraging ISO 45001:2018 to Build a Strong Foundation to a Sustainability Framework

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For over two decades, achieving sustainable practices has been top of mind for decision makers in many industries and the oil and gas industry is no exception. In fact, it appears that the need to meet this objective has become more critical because of volatility in the industry, a disrupted supply chain due to COVID-19 and falling prices. That’s not to say that it is not achievable – it just requires a strong framework, followed by thorough execution.

In the Insight Report, “Leveraging ISO 45001:2018 to Build a Strong Foundation to a Sustainability Framework,” author Chris Ward quotes Sun-Tzu, a Chinese military strategist, who shrewdly observed that “In the midst of chaos, there is opportunity.”

“This has never been so true; the way forward for the oil and gas industry is to provide sustainability through applied technology in an efficient and reliable way,” writes Ward, an ex-UK regulator … Read more...

Driving Progress through a Paradigm Shift: The Importance of a Strong Safety and Quality Culture to the Oil and Gas Sector

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In the business world, the word progress is commonly associated with technological advancements, as well as developments in processes and procedures. There are additional drivers to progress and their significance can also have powerful results.

In the oil and gas sector, studies have shown that for companies to be successful in the long run, it’s critical for them to incorporate a strong culture of safety and quality.

How about we take a step back to understand the full picture?

The Traditional View of How Oil and Gas Companies Should Operate


While traditionalists will claim that an industry strongly based on scientific processes and technology don’t need to focus on employee-centered processes or procedures, their thinking has since been proven to be antiquated and potentially dangerous.

How so, you ask? Well, empirical research has proven that high-reliability organizations (HROs), which by nature, have a labor-heavy component to their operations, have shown … Read more...

The Deepwater Horizon Disaster: Why it Holds Important Lessons for Every Organization

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Ten years later, the lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon incident remain important.

On April 20, 2010 at 9:49 pm, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers and injured 17. By July 15, five million barrels of oil had flowed from the ruptured well into the Gulf of Mexico. This caused untold environmental and economic disaster for the region, the effects of which continue to resonate to this day. 

Ten years later, the story of the Deepwater Horizon remains important. The Report to the President by the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling summarized the technology failures. On the face of it, these failures were responsible for the immediate disaster.

Significant Technology Failures

In summary, the most significant technology failure was that of the blowout preventer (BOP), which did not sever and seal the well … Read more...

Driving Next Level Safety Outcomes – Trends Oil & Gas Safety Professionals Need to Know About

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New decade, new perspective. Do you know the five major trends forecasted to hit the Oil and Gas industry in 2020 and how they might affect you, your safety management system, and your company?

During the webinar “Driving Next Level Safety Outcomes – Trends Oil & Gas Safety Professionals Need to Know About,” Bobby Bourque of Industrial Scientific Corp. and I will discuss actions you can stay on top of these trends while future-proofing your safety initiatives and operational performance overall. We’ll also cover ways to protect your organization against any negative impacts the trends may pose and discuss how solutions from Intelex, Industrial Scientific, and Predictive Solutions can play a positive role in your safety management system. Whether you’re a seasoned safety professional or new to the job, we’ve designed the webinar for EHS professionals looking to stay ahead of the curve through technological adoption and intelligent management.

Although … Read more...

Oil and Gas Explorer Encana Gains Compliance and Efficiency with EMS

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Environmental management effectiveness means achieving the obvious result of regulatory compliance, but for Encana Corp., it is essential to gain a good measure of organizational efficiency, too.

Efficiency is particularly important for a company like Encana, a Calgary-based oil and gas exploration and production company, that has a multitude of regulatory objectives to meet, many interdependent departments that exist across the company, and an operation that spans two countries.

Casey Rubin, manager of the environmental information team, says that, in his job of EMS management, he works with a variety of internal groups, including air compliance, field environmental groups, operations, plus regulatory and production coordinators.

In most large corporations it’s often typical to find many redundant efforts such as the collection of the same types of data and performing the same types tasks or processes, yet not having the necessary coordination to streamline across different operating areas or even in … Read more...

The Connected Worker Brings Many Benefits

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Connecting workers to electronic systems from their actual place of work allows companies to monitor their performance, health and safety and make real-time decisions to help them work as effectively as possible. The concept of the connected employee can take many forms, from giving workers devices that wirelessly connect to an EHSQ system to outfitting them with cutting-edge clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) with embedded sensors.

The issue was the subject of an EHSQ Alliance Conference session, detailing various approaches to drive adoption of these kinds of technologies. “The connected worker drives safety and compliance. It’s really about taking paper out of the system and getting information into it faster,” said a software director at a leading technology manufacturer, explaining that it can sometimes take three months to get paper-based reports into the system.

When EHSQ-related data can be entered into the system automatically, right on the shop … Read more...

Reducing Oil & Gas Methane Emissions: EPA Regulations & Data Collection

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U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently committed to specific reduction targets under the Paris Climate Conference, a legally binding agreement among 195 countries. A significant aspect of their ambitious goal is to reduce methane emissions by 40-45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025 in oil and gas operations. This target was reaffirmed on June 30 when Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto joined the commitment.

The U.S. has already begun acting on these commitments and this month the EPA issued a mandatory request for information that would help detect, measure, and mitigate emissions from the oil and gas industry. The environmental agency is also aggressively pursuing regulation of methane sources in the oil and gas sector. What does this mean for the industry, and how can companies engage effectively and prepare proactively?

To successfully address these mandates, oil and gas owners and operators must recognize that … Read more...