According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the fatality rate for offshore oil and drilling was seven times higher than the average fatality rate between 2003-2010.
However, thanks to the “safety first, job second” culture adopted by many companies over the last decade, the fatality rate has steadily decreased over the previous decade.
Still, the hazardous nature of the job means that employees on offshore rigs are always at high risk. That’s why we’ve come up with four ways to keep your offshore oil rig injury- and fatality-free.
1. Instill a Safety-first Mindset
Developing a safety-first mindset requires commitment and continuous communication of your priorities. Your actions and decisions must reflect the importance of safety at the worksite.
This includes following all safety regulations, telling your employees and subcontractors about the importance of safety, and making safety part of your long-term strategic plan.
You’ll need to make sure this mindset exists at every level of the organization—workers won’t buy-in if they see their superiors ignoring regulations.
2. Ensure Your Workers Have Safety Equipment
While incorporating a safety-first culture is the first step, you need to make sure workers have the necessary tools to meet safety regulations. This is done in two ways:
1. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Employees must have safety gear, including hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, protective shoes, respirators, and fire-resistant clothing. Make sure PPE is properly-fitting and of high-quality.
2. Process Instrumentation
Drilling rig instrumentation helps workers monitor and control processes at the worksite. Additionally, process control technologies now have alarm systems and automatic shut-off mechanisms to alert workers in case a problem emerges.
Choosing the right process instrumentation enhances safety, protecting your workers, and expensive machinery.
3. Train Workers Consistently
Workers must be trained regarding machine and equipment usage, as well as safety protocols. Consistent training should cover the proper use of safety equipment. This means workers should know how to use PPE and how to read process instrumentation too.
4. Carry out Internal Inspections
Internal inspections can help uncover potential problems before they become hazardous. Make sure you have a team of safety personnel routinely monitoring equipment, inspecting PPE usage, and checking if safety standards are being met.
If you’re looking for high-quality drilling rig instrumentation, Contact Instruments can help. As a leading Canadian OEM drilling instrumentation manufacturer, we strive to provide unique instrumentation solutions to the global drilling and well-servicing market.
Our products include electronic gauges, custom cables, pump stands, and weight indicators for drilling rigs.
Get in touch now for more information.