Important Innovations in Jobsite Safety

Jobs in the oil and gas industry, while being some of the most in-demand positions available in our country and around the world, are also some of the most dangerous.

On the daily, oil and gas field workers will be confronted with hazardous materials, powerful equipment, and risky processes – all of which can be harmful or even deadly if not dealt with properly.

Due to the hazardous nature of the work, there are constant improvements and advancements being made to the safety equipment and processes involved to ensure as safe a job site as possible for our oil and gas workers.

Below, we are going to outline what we think are some of the most important innovations that have made in job site safety.

Staying Safe On-Site

H2S Monitors and Respirators

H2S, Hydrogen Sulfide, is probably one of the largest threats to the safety of oil and gas workers. H2S is a potentially lethal gas, a by-product of the desulfurization process of oil and gas, which is often found in the oil and gas deposits we extract from the ground.

Aside from the slight odour of rotten eggs, H2S is colourless, which makes it difficult to detect without equipment. Therefore, in addition to being trained on the characteristics of the gas, all field workers are required to be equipped with an H2S monitor. These monitors alert workers if H2S is present, and at what level.

For areas where H2S is present, workers have mandatory respirators, either standard or custom fit depending on exposure levels, to prevent and protect them from inhaling the gas.

Lockout Products

Lockouts are an important part of machine maintenance and are critical to the safety of the workers handling said machines.

Essentially, to “lockout” a machine means to lock out the machine’s source of energy so it is incapable of running. Lockouts are used in a number of ways, sometimes as precautionary measures – where a device will automatically lockout a machine if something goes array – or as a safety measure when work is being done on the machine.

Safety lockouts are a critical component of oil and gas worksite safety, where pipelines carrying dangerous substances and potentially harmful machines are all around.

Remote Location Communication Technology

Many oil and gas worksites are in remote locations that have little access and communication to the rest of the world.

In order to keep remote workers safe, there are a variety of remote location communication technologies available – such as satellite trackers and phones. This enables remote workers to stay in contact with other field workers, their superiors in office, and even emergency services, where contact, such as cell phone service, would otherwise be impossible.

In the event of an emergency, this communication technology ensures that workers have the means to get the help they need.

Safety Is Our Priority – And It Should Be Yours Too

Here at Apache, the safety of the workers using our equipment is of the utmost importance to us – which is why we create the products we do – but we can’t keep you safe on our own.

In addition to using our safety products, please ensure that you work smart: follow protocols, use proper gear, use equipment in the correct manner, communicate effectively with your teams, and always get help when you need it.

Photo by Simon Hajducki on Unsplash