Practice for Occupational Safety for Onshore Oil and Gas Production Operation

Practice for Occupational Safety for Onshore Oil and Gas

Production Operation

Oleh: Bayu Nurwinanto

SAFETY PRACTICES

Personnel shall be properly trained in relation to their job duties. Additionally, pre-job safety meetings that include all affected personnel, including contractors, should be held to review responsibilities for the operation(s) to be performed.

Personnel should receive instruction in correct work methods to reduce chance of injury to themselves or fellow personnel.

A safety program should be established and maintained. The following elements should be considered when developing a comprehensive safety program :

No	SAFETY PROGRAM
1.	Confined Space Entry
2.	contractor safety
3.	Electrical Safety
4.	Emergency Response
5.	Pre prevention and protection
6.	First aid
7.	General Safety Rules
8.	Hazard Communication
9..	Hazardous Environment
10.	Hot Working/Welding
11.	Housekeeping
12.	Hydrogen Sulfide And Sulfur Dioxide
13.	Lifting
14.	Lockout/Tagout
15.	Other Equipment Safety (Hoists, Cranes, Etc)
16.	Periodic Reviews
17.	Personal Protective Equipment
18.	Personnel Training
19.	Production Equipment Safety
20.	Roles And Responsibilities
21.	Safe Use Of Hand Tools
22.	Safety Meetings
23	Transportation
24	Trenching And Excavation

Unsafe and potentially dangerous conditions should be eliminated immediately, if possible, or reported to the supervisor in charge for corrective action.

The offgoing supervisor shall inform the incoming supervisor of any known special hazards or work in progress that may affect the safety of the crew. Incoming personnel shall be alerted to work in progress that could affect their safety.

HAZARD COMMUNICATION

A Hazard Communication Program that evaluates the presence and potential hazards of chemicals found in the workplace. 

Shall be established for onshore oil and gas production operations. Workers shall be provided with information concerning the hazard of chemicals and appropriate measures to protect themselves while working with hazardous chemicals. The program shall be written and include information about hazard evaluation, labeling, material safety data sheets, employee training and methods to review and update changes in the program based on chemical usage.

Elements of a program include :

Hazard Evaluation an inventory of all the hazardous chemicals in the work area shall be completed. An evaluation of the potential hazard of a chemical should be conducted before the hazardous chemical is handled. Generally applicable measures including engineering controls, safe work practices and PPE should be considered for safe handling and use of a hazardous chemical. This information shall be communicated to the worker.

Labeling a labeling system shall be developed that warns of the potential hazards of working with a hazardous chemical. Hazardous chemicals shall identify (at minimum) the material or substance and the physical and health hazards.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) Chemical manufacturers are normally responsible for developing MSDSs. A MSDS shall be available and readily accessible for each hazardous chemical used in the workplace. A system to collect, maintain, and inform workers about the chemical hazard information found on a MSDS shall be part of the program.

Training Personnel should be provided hazard communication training upon :

• Initial assignment to a work area.
• When a new chemical has been introduced.
• A new physical or health hazard has been identified or a process change has occurred that involves a hazardous chemical. 

At minimum the training should include :

• Information regarding the method and observations that can be used to detect the presence of a release of a hazardous chemical in the work area.
• Physical and health hazard information.
• Measures to protect the worker from harmful exposure, including, engineering, safe work practices, emergency procedures, PPE use, etc.
• Specific details on how to recognize and understand labels in the work area, MSDS interpretation, and safe procedures when working with hazardous chemicals.

Non-Routine Task special considerations should be developed to handle non-routine work (e.g., upset or emergency conditions, cleaning out vessels).

Contractors Hazard communication information shall be shared with contractors and their employees.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)

Employers should assess their work sites to evaluate the types of hazards present at their onshore oil and gas production operations. When it is impractical to reduce a hazard to acceptable levels by administrative or engineering controls, personal protective equipment appropriate for the hazard shall be selected for use. Personal protective equipment for hearing, eyes, face, head, extremities, protective clothing, respiratory protection and fall protection shall be considered for use to protect personnel.

FALL PROTECTION

All personnel, when engaged in work 6 ft or higher above the ground or adjacent working surfaces, shall be protected at all times from falling by guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems (PFAS). When the employer can demonstrate that it is unfeasible or creates a greater hazard to use these systems, the employer shall develop and implement an alternative fall protection plan that provides for personnel safety. When PFAS are used, the following shall apply : 

• Personnel shall use a full body harness manufactured in accordance with ANSI Z359.1
• PFAS shall be inspected prior to each use.
• The full body harness shall be attached by means of a lanyard with double-locking snap-hooks to an anchor or structural member capable of supporting a minimum dead weight of 5,400 pounds.
• A separate lanyard shall be used by each person requiring a lanyard. The lanyard shall be adjusted to permit a maximum drop of 5 ft in case of a fall.
• Manufacturer’s instructions for inspection and replacement of PFAS should be followed

HOUSEKEEPING

Work areas should be maintained clean and free of debris and tripping hazards, Leaks or spills should be promptly cleaned up to eliminate personnel slipping and Fire hazards, If personnel are required to work in a cellar, it should be kept reasonably clear of water or oil accumulation. No loose equipment or materials should be in the cellar except those in use or about to be used, Care should be taken to leave egress routes open, Tools and equipment should be securely placed and stored in a position or manner so they will not fall, Clear access to control devices, emergency shutdown, emergency equipment, etc, shall be maintained.

MACHINERY AND TOOLS

Personnel shall only operate machinery that they are qualified to operate, All belts, drive chains, gears, and drives shall have guards installed to prevent personnel from coming in contact with moving parts. See ANSI B15.1, Safety Standard for Mechanical Power Transmission Apparatus, and API/ANSI 11ER for construction speciÞcations and clearances for such equipment guards.

Machinery shall not be operated unless all guards are in position and are in properly maintained condition. During maintenance or repair work limited testing may be performed by qualiÞed personnel without guards in place.

Maintenance personnel should report to the supervisor prior to beginning repairs. They should report hazards that may be introduced. They should report when repairs are completed.

Personnel shall not clean, lubricate, or repair any machinery where there is a hazard of contact with moving parts until such machinery has been stopped or such parts have been properly guarded. See Lockout/Tagout.

Hand power tools and similar equipment shall be maintained in a safe condition. Electric hand tools shall be double insulated or grounded as speciÞed in NFPA 70. Ground fault circuit interruption protection shall be used in damp locations. Electric or pneumatic hand tools shall have a dead-man switch or be arranged so that the starting switch cannot be locked in. When personnel are climbing ladders, any tools or other such materials they are carrying should be secured rather than hand held.

WELDING AND CUTTING EQUIPMENT

Apparatus such as torches, regulators, hoses and arc welding machines shall be in good operating condition and repair. Only approved oxygen and acetylene cylinders shall be used. Oxygen and acetylene torches shall be equipped with flash-back arrestors. All cylinders shall be equipped with a valve protection

cap, a collar, or recess to protect the valve. Valve caps should be in place except when cylinders are connected for use. Cylinders should be stored in assigned places and shall be secured to prevent accidental overturning. Cylinders should not be kept in unventilated enclosures, such as lockers and cupboards. Oxygen cylinders in storage shall be separated from fuel gas cylinders or combustible materials a minimum distance of 20 ft (6.1 m) or by a noncombustible barrier at least 5 ft (1.5 m) high.

Acetylene cylinders shall be stored valve end up with protective caps afÞxed and properly secured. When a job using acetylene devices is completed or prior to transporting acetylene cylinders, the valve on the acetylene cylinder shall be closed and pressure on the hoses bled to zero.

When transporting cylinders by a crane or derrick, a cradle, bin, or other suitable platform should be used. Slings alone shall not be used on a cylinder being transported or lifted. Also, cylinders should not be dropped, struck, or permitted to strike each other.

On arc welding machines, the control apparatus shall be enclosed except for the operating wheels, levers, or handles Input power terminals, top charge devices, and electrically energized metal parts shall be completely enclosed and accessible only by means of tools.Terminals from welding leads shall be protected from accidental contact by personnel or metal objects.The frame or case of an electrically driven arc welding machine shall be grounded. Cables with splices within 10 ft (3.1 m) of the rod holder shall not be used. The welder should not coil or loop welding electrode cables around parts of his body.

Contractor Safety and Training

When selecting contractors, operators should obtain and evaluate information regarding a contractor’s safety policies and practices, and performance thereunder, and the contractor’s procedures for selecting subcontractors. See API RP 2220.

Contractors shall train their personnel in the work practices necessary to perform their jobs in a safe manner. The training provided to contract personnel should include applicable site specific safety procedures and rules pertaining to the facility and the applicable provisions of emergency action plans. This section applies to contractors performing operating duties, maintenance or repair, turnaround, major renovation, or specialty work at the facility. Except for transportation safety orientation, emergency evacuation training, and other applicable safety training, this paragraph does not apply to contractors providing incidental services that do not inßuence operation of the facility, such as, janitorial work, food and drink services, laundry, delivery, other supply services, etc.

The operator should verify contractor training utilizing a variety of methods, which may include audits of the contractor’s safety training programs; worksite checks of individual contractor employees training; and operator observation of contractor work performance.

A major step in achieving acceptable contractor performance is selecting a safe contractor. Therefore, it is appropriate for operators to request that contractors submit specific performance information in their contract response proposals. For example, such information might include :

Assurance of a contractor’s written safety policies and practices endorsed by the contractor’s top management.

A statement of commitment by the contractor’s to comply with all applicable safety regulations and provisions of this publication. Recordable injury and illness experience for the previous 3 years.

Experience Modification Rates (EMR) for Worker’s Compensation Insurance for the previous three years.

An outline of the contractor’s initial employee safety orientation. Evidence of the existence of a disciplinary action procedure dealing with safety and environmental related infractions. Descriptions of the contractor’s various safety programs, including: accident investigation procedures; how safety inspections are performed; safety meetings; safety incentive programs; substance abuse prevention programs.

Description of the safety and environmental training that each contractor employee has received and the contractor’s programs for refresher training.