Health and Safety of Onshore Oil Well Drilling - Research Paper Example

Health and Safety of Onshore oil Well drilling (Unayzah well in Saudi Arabia) Oil well drilling is a risky activity, consideringthe nature of health and safety concerns surrounding this activity. Therefore, there are some important guidelines that are applied to enhance the health and safety of the people involved in this activity, while reducing the risks involved. The healthy and safety guidelines are not only useful to the drilling team, but also applicable to mitigate other risks such as negative impacts to the surrounding community, negative impacts to the environment and the destruction of the surface and subsurface structures (GWD, 2010 p4). Therefore, the following are the major safety and health guidelines that should be adhered to, to safeguard the lives of those people involved in the activity and reduce the adverse environmental impacts that this activity can causes. Travelling to the Site Travelling to the site entails all the safety details that concern the whole journey process. Thus, the major step to ensuring safety, is to ensure that the drivers taking the drilling team to the site are licensed by the relevant authorities (ERDSG, 2005 p31). Considering that different machineries have different driving characteristics, every driver should be well experienced in handling particular machinery. The new drivers should be inducted with the help of the experienced drivers (SISG, 1993 p32). All the workers should understand the dimensions of the machinery they are handling, including their speed limits, length, width and load capacity. Before making the main journey, a pre-trip test should be done to verify that all the machineries are in good condition (ERDSG, 2005 33). Certification Requirements The drilling team should determine the required permits and certification by the relevant authority such as the local, state or the federal authorities. The team should prepare the necessary applications and submit the documents required by the authorities, which include excavation permits, work permits for the agency and the facility, as well as site permits (SRDWR, 2004 p25). The lead driller is then provided with the necessary permits to indicate that the drilling activity can commence (GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1976 p32). Having obtained the certifications and permits, the lead driller or the acting leader should verify that every aspect of drilling process has been approved to enhance the legal backing of the drilling procedure. Having obtained the certifications, the led driller can mobilize the team for the purpose of fencing off the facility where drilling is to be undertaken (SRDWR, 2004 p33). Personal Protective Equipments All the employees contracted for the purpose of the drilling activity should wear personal protective equipments (GWD, 6). The employees should wear hard hats and steel toed boots at all times they are operating on the work site. Workers should also wear reflective clothing, safety glasses or welding lids at all times, depending on the section in which they are operating (GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1976 p36). While the safety glasses protect the eyes of the workers, the reflective clothing ensures that all workers are visible on the worksite. Workers should always wear hand gloves for protecting their hands, while also ensuring to wear hearing protection (SISG, 1993 p44). This serves to protect the employees from hand or hearing damage. Additionally, when the workers are operating grinders, they should wear a full face shield on top of the safety glasses, to ensure that they are fully covered against eye and face damage (GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1976 p30). Fire Risk Fire risk is the most eminent thing in an oil well drilling site. Therefore, reasonable measures should be undertaken to mitigate this risk. The work site where welding, cutting or grinding is involved should be equipped with sufficient ABC types of fire extinguishers (GWD, 3). The fire extinguishers should be assessed and tested for proper functionality and operability before working on the site commences. Other fire fighting equipments should also be availed at all time to the working site (TMSRIPWOPT , 1993 p33). Additionally, all components that are combustible should be removed from the site where hot temperatures will be involved. All the workers on the site should be trained on how to use the fire extinguishers, as well as be well informed on the locations of the fire fighting equipments within the working site (TMSRIPWOPT , 1993 p34). Electrical Safety Electrical safety for the drilling site entails both the control of static electricity and handling electric al wiring and equipments. While handling flammable components, it is a must that the containers being refilled or emptied are grounded and electrically bonded, to avoid the creation of any electrical charge, which could cause the flammable materials to ignite (SRDWR, 2004 p36). The diesel driving engines that generate electrical power shall be mounted with spark arresting devices, to prevent the sparks generated from causing fire and explosions on the site (GWD, 2010 p7). The regions where high voltage electrical materials are stored should be indicated and warning signs displayed to prevent any unauthorized access (GWD, 2010 p8). The room where electrical devices are stored should be provided with a non-conductive floor mat, and equipped with emergency lighting to indicate any electrical fault that may arise (SISG, 1993 p46). Additionally, all electrical tools and equipment shall be clearly labeled to indicate what components they contain. This is essential to avoid any confusion that may spark electrical faults (GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1976 p40). Inspections and Maintenance All the machineries to be used in the oil well drilling activity should be road worthy. Therefore, such machineries should be inspected and the appropriate maintenance practices undertaken, before they are released on the roads or before being operated on the work site (ERDSG, 2005, p29). The equipment should be inspected before any movement is undertaken, and any problem rectified (GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1976 p30). An annual inspection for the machinery is mandatory and a certificate of annual inspection report should be possessed by the machinery owners, to indicate compliance with the legal inspection requirements (TMSRIPWOPT , 1993 p30). All the safety mechanisms of the machinery such as lights, hand brakes, horns, steering wheels, side mirrors and safety belts should be inspected before the use of the machinery and any faults identified should be rectified immediately (ERDSG, 2005 p31). Materials Handling This is a vital step in enhancing work site safety, before the commencement of the drilling process. Therefore, work should not commence until all tools, equipment and material have been unloaded and safely stored (ERDSG, 2005, p35). All the materials should be stored in their respective places for ease of identification and use. Additionally, the materials should be placed on leveled grounds, to avoid tilting that might cause spilling over or falling of the equipments whose contact can cause fire (GWD, 2010 p7). Different materials should be handled by different workers, where each group only handles the materials they will be using, to avoid mishandling or misplacements, which are likely to pose safety dangers (ERDSG, 2005 p36). All flammable materials should be kept in designated containers and placed in regions which are safe from heat. Additionally, all fluids used on the site should be disposed off-site, to eliminate any contamination (GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1976 p40). Medical It is not uncommon for medical emergencies to arise in an oil well drilling site. Therefore, the necessary medical precautions should be undertaken prior to the commencement of work. The RIG operator is required to identify a medical facility in close proximity to the working site, just before the commencement of work (SRDWR, 2004 p7). The necessary emergency transport arrangements should be made for ferrying the injured workers to the medical facility (SRDWR, 2004 p8). Proper communication channels should also be established, to enhance the summoning of the relevant medical personnel, in case of a medical emergency arising, where transporting the individual is impossible or inappropriate (SRDWR, 2004 p8). The telephone numbers for emergency services, ambulances, helicopters and physicians should be displayed in conspicuous locations. This enhances the ease and timely communication of an emergent case requiring medical attention (SRDWR, 2004 p8). Communication Reliable means of communication should be maintained at all times, to enhance the connectivity and understanding of one another on the work site. This creates efficiency of work, while making it possible to communicate all the issues regarding the drilling site (SRDWR, 2004 p10). Therefore, there should be efficient communication between the rig, the operational base and the other rigs (SISG, 1993 p39). All rigs should be provided with an alarm system, which is interconnected to the worksite and to all the other rigs, to enable a concern to be raised and received effectively by all the individuals at the work site (SRDWR, 2004 p10). All essential warnings and communications should be posted conspicuously to enhance the ease of information reception. Most significant is that cellular phones should not be used on the worksite (SRDWR, 2004 p11). House Keeping House Keeping is an important aspect of health and safety guidelines for worksite. Proper House Keeping ensures that the house is kept in a clean and orderly manner, which eliminates all the unnecessary materials in the house. This is essential to avoid injuries caused by poorly arranged materials in the house (ERDSG, 2005 p51). Additionally, good housekeeping serves to increase the speed of the drilling activities, in that it is easier to obtain the required material in a timely manner, due to proper house arrangement (ERD ERDSG, 2005 p50). Therefore, it is essential to clear any mess just immediately it is created, to enhance the proper house arrangement. All materials should be kept in the most convenient place, and the dangerous tools placed in boxes and locked (ERDSG, 2005 p51). Thus, housekeeping should be the responsibility of all workers, since it makes their work easier, while eliminating the dangers associated with tripping due to poorly arranged items in the work site (ERDSG, 2005 p52). Weather and Night Working Weather and Night Working operations should be avoided, unless under circumstance where it is unavoidable (ERDSG, 2005 p67). This is because; working at night or in bad weather has the effect of making individuals prone to sicknesses and injuries. Workers should take warm sweet beverages, while avoiding drinks that cause dehydration (ERDSG, 2005 p67). Workers should also dress appropriately while working, depending on the weather conditions. They should also avoid exhaustion by taking breaks at night and between work schedules (ERDSG, 2005 p68). Under conditions of adverse weather such as storms, all work at the site should be terminated, and all workers moved out of the working rig. Work should also cease where the weather conditions prove to be a safety hazard, such as when the visibility is significantly low (ERDSG, 2005 p69). Hydrogen Sulfide Safety Under circumstances where there is suspected to be Hydrogen Sulfide Safety issues, workers will work with caution, while monitoring any chance of gaseous emission (SRDWR, 2004 p20). When it is suspected that Hydrogen Sulfide is present at the work site, all workers should dress appropriately by putting on protective equipments and gas masks (SRDWR, 2004 p19). Devises to indicate wind should be placed at the working site, in close proximity to the region suspected to have Hydrogen Sulfide. Additionally, all the workers shall be trained on the Hydrogen Sulfide Safety related issues, which includes how to detect it, its toxicity and health implications as well as the protective measures against contact with the gas (SRDWR, 2004 p21). Radioactive Material Hazards Used in Logging Tools The Radioactive Material operator should undertake a site assessment, before and after the radioactive material arrives at the site, to detect any chances of leakage (SRDWR, 2004 p48). All the rigs should be informed about the presence, location and safety measures for radioactive materials. This keeps them aware of the danger that can occur when such materials are tampered with. Additionally, only the radioactive operators are allowed to handle radioactive materials. They should be the only ones present during a radioactive material use on the rig floor (SRDWR, 2004 p50). Chemical and mechanical hazards All chemicals available at a work site should always be considered hazardous. Therefore, all the rig members should be informed on the presence of chemicals, their types and their likely health hazards (SRDWR, 2004 p47). The company should first investigate the presence of some safer chemical s for use as alternatives, before purchasing hazardous chemicals for use at the work site (SRDWR, 2004 p48). Mechanical hazards should also be mitigated by ensuring that only qualified individuals operate machineries. Additionally, the machinery should be inspected for suitability before any use (GWD, 2010 p7). References ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION DRILLING SAFETY GUIDELINE (ERDSG). (2005). A summary of industry practices and techniques to help drillers enhance safety performance, environmental performance, and overall project quality. ERDSG Collective. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (G.S.). (1976). Safety requirements for drilling operations in a hydrogen sulfide environment. Reston, Va, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Geological Survey, Conservation Division. GOOD WELL DRILLING (GWD). (2010). Safety Program Manual. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR DRILLING & WORKOVER RIGS (SRDWR). (2004). Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco). SITE INVESTIGATION STEERING GROUP (SISG). (1993). Guidelines for the safe investigation by drilling of landfills and contaminated land. London, Thomas Telford. TRIPARTITE MEETING ON SAFETY AND RELATED ISSUES PERTAINING TO WORK ON OFFSHORE PETROLEUM INSTALLATIONS (TMSRIPWOPT). (1993). Safety and related issues pertaining to work on offshore petroleum installations. Geneva, Internat. Labour Off. Read More