Oil fields and oil rigs are amongst the highest paying job firms in the world, but that comes with its own at a price. Oil industry stays in light not only for money it makes but also the accidents and injuries that happen here.
They are mostly set at a distance from mainstream areas, and that makes it difficult to get help in case of an accident. The worst thing about these injuries is that most of them can be prevented with proper safety equipment and training.
Here is some safety equipment that can save lives on an oil field.
Gas Alert System:
Oil and gas industries deal with a large variety of chemicals and gases that can easily leak. There are gases that human nose cannot detect especially in an area full of chemicals. These gases can become the cause of the accident, and using a gas alert system can help you prevent this. There are many types of personal protective equipment like goggles, safety shoes, jackets and much more that can save lots of lives if equipped and used correctly. The gas alert system can detect the gas and warn you before the fumes reach a dangerous level and this way you get time to take necessary actions.
The leakage mostly occurs in pipelines and valves, and this can be avoided with automatic closing valves. You can also monitor for any type of corrosion in storage and transportation system, that can lead to rupture and leakage.
Breathing Apparatus:
The gases and the chemicals sometimes make it difficult to breath and situation become worst if there is a gas leak. The best measure to ensure your safety in these situations is a gas mask. They make sure that you don’t breathe the fumes and hence help you stay conscious and take necessary steps.
You should also make sure that you have a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). They are available in two different types.
The open circuit SCBA- It is mostly used for longer duration processes. It can reprocess and recycle the air you breathe so that you can get a continuous supply of air.
The closed-circuit SCBA- It consists of cylinders of compressed gas that you can use for breathing. These systems have a time limit and therefore, used for short duration operations.
Fire Safety :
Flammable liquids surround oil fields and no wonder there is a high risk of a fire accident. The fire can result in a lot of death especially in offshore rigs. The best way to deal with them is to detect and eliminate it at an early stage.
You can use fire detectors and temperature monitors to keep an eye for it. You can also use fire and explosion suppressor and different types of fire extinguisher depending upon the type of fire.
Personal Safety Equipments:
The best way to ensure own safety is to use proper safety equipment.
In order to provide safety, the equipment need to be strong, durable and comfortable to wear. Safety equipment doesn’t have any expiry date, but they can get damaged and have to be changed. You have to check your equipment before wearing them and make sure that they are adequately kept when not in use.
You should also ask for MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet to ensure that you know the risk of the material or task that you are handling and can be prepared for it.
New technology provides you with all the tools you need to ensure safety, but accidents cannot be eliminated; you have to be prepared for them and should do safety training. You can set an accident management unit so that your employees can get help when they need. Most of all you should also have a backup plan in case anything goes wrong.
