Oil and Gas Business Percussion

Relevant industry practice documents applicable to these hazards include:

• API 53 Blowout Prevention Equipment Systems for Drilling Operations
• API 54 Recommended Practice for Occupational Safety for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations
• API 67 Oilfield Explosives Safety
• API 74 Recommended Practice for Occupational Safety for Onshore Oil and Gas Production Operations
• API 500 Classification of Locations for Electrical Installations at Petroleum Facilities Classified as Class I, Division 1 and Division 2
• IADC Hot Work Hazard Recognition

Oil and Gas Business Percussion

Falls

Workers might be required to access platforms and equipment located high above the ground.

OSHA requires fall protection to prevent falls from the mast, drilling platform, and other elevated equipment.

The following OSHA and NIOSH documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling this hazard:

Oil and Gas Business Percussion

Confined Spaces

Workers are often required to enter confined spaces.

Such as petroleum and other storage tanks, mud pits.

Reserve pits and other excavated areas, sand storage containers.

And other confined spaces around a wellhead.

Safety hazards associated with confined space include ignition of flammable vapors or gases.

Health hazards include asphyxiation and exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Confined spaces that contain or have the potential to contain a serious atmospheric hazard must be classified as permit-required confined spaces, tested prior to entry, and continuously monitored.

The following OSHA and NIOSH documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling this hazard:

Ergonomic Hazards

Oil and gas workers might be exposed to ergonomics-related injury risks, such as lifting heavy items.

Bending, reaching overhead, pushing and pulling heavy loads, working in awkward body postures.

And performing the same or similar tasks repetitively.

Risk factors and the resulting injuries can be minimized or, in many cases.

Eliminated through interventions such as pre-task planning, use of the right tools.

Proper placement of materials, education of workers about the risk.

And early recognition and reporting of injury signs and symptoms.

The following OSHA and NIOSH documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling these hazards:

Oil and Gas Business Percussion

High Pressure Lines and Equipment

Workers might be exposed to hazards from compressed gases or from high-pressure lines.

Internal erosion of lines might result in leaks or line bursts.

Exposing workers to high-pressure hazards from compressed gases or from high-pressure lines.

If connections securing high-pressure lines fail, struck-by hazards might be created.

The following OSHA documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling these hazards:

Electrical and Other Hazardous Energy

Workers might be exposed to uncontrolled electrical, mechanical, hydraulic.

Or other sources of hazardous energy if equipment is not designed, installed, and maintained properly.

Further, administrative controls such as operating procedures must be developed and implemented to ensure safe operations.

The following OSHA and NIOSH documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling these hazards:

Oil and Gas Business Percussion

Machine Hazards

Oil and gas extraction workers may be exposed to a wide variety of rotating wellhead equipment.

Including top drives and Kelly drives.

Drawworks, pumps, compressors, catheads, hoist blocks.

Belt wheels, and conveyors, and might be injured if they are struck by or caught between unguarded machines.

The following OSHA and NIOSH documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling these hazards:

Planning and Prevention

For process-specific and task-specific hazards and controls, see OSHA’s Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool.

The eTool identifies common hazards and possible solutions to reduce incidents that could lead to injuries or deaths. Each drilling and servicing company should have its own safety program:

• Know the hazards. Evaluate the hazards at the worksite.
• Many companies within the oil and gas industry use the Job Safety Analysis Process (also referred to as a JSA, Job Hazard Analysis, or JHA) to identify hazards and find solutions.
• Establish ways to protect workers, including developing and implementing safe practices for:
  • Confined space; excavations
  • Chemical handling; exposure
  • Chemical storage
  • Electrical work
  • Emergency response
  • Equipment/machine hazards
  • Fall protection
  • Fire protection
  • Hot work, welding, flame cutting operations
  • Personal protective equipment use
  • Power sources (lockout/tagout provisions, safe distance from power lines)
  • Working in the heat, long shifts
• Provide personal protective equipment (PPE). When engineering controls alone cannot protect worker overexposure to chemicals, noise, or other hazards, the employer must provide PPE.
• Communicate the hazards, and train workers.
• Have a plan for contractor safety and training.