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Abstract
Health & Safety In Oil & Gas Industry, “The point of this study was to research specialist state of mind to wellbeing culture as one of the considers controlling mischance chance inside the UK Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Industry. 233 proficient jumpers (70% of whom had worked in the Oil and Gas Industry) and 120 non-jumping age coordinated seaward specialists (every one of whom had worked in the Oil and Gas Industry) were studied.
All members were partaking in the Examination of the Long Term Health Impact of Diving (the ELTHI Diving Study) at University of Aberdeen in 2001/2002. These members had been chosen on the premise of either having a substantial wellness to work seaward authentication in 1990-2, or a jumping declaration before 1991. This implies that those partaking, who were working in the seaward business, were doing as such around the time of a huge change in wellbeing administration in the wake of the Piper Alpha calamity.”
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Introduction 7
Literature Review 13
Managing safety in the workplace: An attribution theory analysis and model 14
Safety and environmental management in the oil and gas industry: A new model to enable line performance 15
Oil and Gas Industry Guidance on Voluntary Sustainability Reporting 16
The Health & Safety Report 2014 18
Safety Management 18
20 best practices from Oil & Gas industry 20
Innovative E&P Approaches Making a Difference to the Environment 22
Site Description 25
Methodology 26
Research Methodology 26
Research Strategy and Procedure: 26
Survey Instrument and Variables Measurement: 27
Research methods: 27
Qualitative Research: 28
Qualitative research as put by Berg: 28
Data Collection procedure: 28
Characteristics of Respondents: 30
Ethical Considerations: 30
Results 32
Fatal Work Injuries 34
Nonfatal Injuries 35
Discussion 40
Conclusion 44
Bibliography 48
Table of Figures
Figure 1: Fatal occupational injuries in the oil and gas extraction industry, 2004-2008 13
Figure 2:OIMs’ perceptions of the main causes of accidents 32
Figure 3:Number and rate of fatal injuries among workers involved in offshore oil and gas operations (N = 128), by year — United States, 2003–2010 33
Figure 4: Distribution of Injuries and illness with days away from work in drilling oil and gas wells, by event, 2007 34
Introduction
Petroleum is essentially a blend of regularly happening natural mixes from inside the earth that contain basically hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. At the point when petroleum comes straight out of the ground as a fluid it is called unrefined petroleum if dim and thick, and condensate if clear and unstable. At the point when strong it is black-top, and when semi-strong it is tar. There is additionally regular gas, which can be connected with oil or discovered alone. (What is Oil?, no date)
Oil is a standout amongst the most vital crude materials we have. Ordinary we utilize several things that are produced using oil or gas. Oil and gas are additionally vital for the quantity of occupations they give. Countless individuals work in the oil and gas industry. Every week Britain delivers around two million tons of oil and gas. This is worth about £37 million pounds a day to the populace of Britain (World Petroleum Council – Why are oil and gas important? | Education, no date).
Separating oil and characteristic gas from stores profound underground isn’t as straightforward as simply boring and finishing a well. Any number of elements in the underground environment – including the porosity of the stone and the thickness of the store – can block the free stream of item into the well. Previously, it was basic to recuperate as meager as 10 percent of the accessible oil in a supply, leaving the rest underground in light of the fact that the innovation did not exist to convey the rest to the surface. Today, propelled innovation permits creation of around 60 percent of the accessible assets from a development. Essential recuperation first depends on underground weight to drive liquids to the surface. At the point when the weight falls, fake lift advances, for example, pumps, are utilized help convey more liquids to the surface. In a few circumstances, regular gas is pumped back up the well underneath the oil. The gas extends, pushing the oil to the surface. Gas lift innovation is regularly utilized as a part of seaward offices. Essential recuperation regularly taps just 10 percent of the oil in a store. Auxiliary recuperation is the most generally connected improved recuperation method. Water that is delivered and divided from the oil in the beginning period of boring is infused once more into the oil-bearing development to convey more oil to the surface. Notwithstanding boosting oil recuperation, it additionally discards the wastewater, returning it where it originated from. This can bring an extra 20 percent of the oil set up to the surface (no date).
Investigation and generation adrift would be inconceivable without penetrating stages and drillships and relying upon the profundity of the water, oil and gas organizations use distinctive sorts of techniques. Boring stages are suitable for investigation in shallow waters up to 60 meters profound and remain on an overflowed boat on the seabed. In the wake of finishing the creation operations the barges are discharged and the stage will be towed to an alternate area. In more profound waters of up to 300 meters, boring stages, known as jack-up apparatuses, are utilized. These stages have legs that can be brought down and will stay themselves by tunneling a few meters into the seabed (Challenges offshore: Oil and gas under the bottom of the sea, 2015).
Seaward oil boring has been a wellspring of gas and oil for a considerable length of time. The seaward oil boring procedure is a mechanical methodology whereby laborers drill drills through the seabed; this methodology happens to scan for and concentrate oil and common gas (Diamond Offshore, 1). The oil lies in the stone arrangements existing underneath the seabed. A few nations overall rely on upon it as the wellspring of crude materials for the generation of petroleum items. The endeavor indicates through the development of a few seaward apparatuses concentrated on the extraction of oil from seabed somewhere down in the sea. In USA alone, there are more than 5, 600 seaward gas and oil stages in operation. Their exercises encourage the creation of a lot of petroleum items. It has a positive effect on the nation’s economy. On the other hand, the oil penetrating additionally adds to natural debasement in a mixed bag of routes (Defenders of Wildlife, 1). They have a colossal effect on the water, sea depths, air quality and marine biological communities. The risks of remote ocean boring are apparent as the years progressed; this is particularly on account of investigation of oil beneath the profundities of 200 meters; the circumstance exacerbates because of late events. The decrease in worldwide oil stores encourages the disclosure and misuse of numerous sources on the seabed. The clear ascent in the cost of oil overall builds the determination of organizations in looking for more wellsprings of oil. Numerous governments empower and account this methodology; they once in a while consider the ecological ramifications of the oil extraction procedure and conceivable outcomes of mischances, for example, oil slicks (Greenpeace, 3). The perils included in the remote ocean oil boring are clear and ought not be overlooked. A comprehension of the methodology and its effect on the earth helps in diminishing ecological dangers connected with oil slicks. Through seaward oil boring, an option method for finding oil stores happens. The investigation of already out of reach oil stores builds the creation of oil; this thusly, brings down its cost through high supply. There are a few laws and regulations managing the areas where oil penetrating can be done; this raises the requirement for boring licenses demonstrating the drill will happen inside the nation’s legitimate procurements. The seaward oil penetrating process likewise confronts social and ecological limitations; there are concerns in connection to the oil affect on sea-going life and the earth through contamination. The different issues ought to be investigated in incredible subtle element (Essay about offshore oil drilling, no date).
Framework wellbeing building (which ought not be mistaken for word related security) has been in presence as a framework designing order for no less than 50 years. In the process business, this designing control is called procedure security building. Much is thought about how to specialist and work more secure frameworks and to oversee dangers effectively. The low mischance rates in commercial enterprises that apply these standards, for example, business aeronautics, atomic force, and barrier frameworks, are a demonstration of their adequacy. The late mischances and resulting examinations in the seaward oil industry makes it pass that in any event a few players in this industry are not utilizing essential and fitting wellbeing designing innovations and practices (Leveson, no date).
The coastal oil and gas industry has encountered quick development in upstream extraction creation, to some degree because of the utilization of pressure driven cracking (fracking) in capricious wells. Albeit pressure driven cracking is not another procedure, its utilization has expanded fundamentally in the previous decade with the presentation of even penetrating and multistage fracking advances. With the ascent underway has come a heightening in dangers of occupationally related harm, sickness, and casualty. These dangers are portrayed together with some ways to deal with danger diminishment and remediation (Mulloy, no date).
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in an examination of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, reported a yearly word related casualty rate of 27.5 every 100,000 laborers in the oil and gas extraction industry from 2003 to 2009 (Information about Oil and Gas Extraction: Occupational Health and Safety Risks, no date)—seven times higher than the rate for all US specialists, which was 3.9 every 100,000 workers. More than a large portion of (53 percent) of all fatalities among oil and gas laborers were of the individuals who had under one year at work (Hill 2012)
The business’ casualty rate relates straightforwardly with the level of penetrating action, as measured by the quantity of dynamic turning rigs3: as the quantity of boring and workover apparatuses expands, so does the casualty rate. The reported casualty rate controls for the quantity of laborers in the business, so changes in the rate are additionally identified with different variables, for example, an increment in the quantity of unpracticed and insufficiently prepared specialists and more work hours (connected with specialist weariness) (Retzer et al. 2012a). Additionally, in times of popularity more seasoned apparatuses with less security watchmen may be brought over into administration and little organizations that regularly don’t work amid a downturn.
Oil and gas extraction industry casualty rates are further associated with both the sort (boring, admirably overhauling, and operation) and size of the foundation (little, medium, large). NIOSH examination of casualty rate by organization sort and size demonstrated that laborers utilized by penetrating organizations had the most elevated casualty rate, took after by specialists in well adjusting organizations, and afterward administrators, independent of foundation size (Hill 2012).
Little organizations had the most astounding casualty rate for each of the three organization sorts. There are a few conceivable explanations behind this relationship. In NIOSH’s work with industry, talks have demonstrated that little organizations might not have wellbeing and security staff, staff may have contending obligations, and wellbeing and wellbeing projects may not be too grown as at medium and expansive organizations. Moreover, little penetrating builders may do not have the innovations (e.g., top commute, power tongs, funnel taking care of) that segregate laborers from risky assignments, and little administrators may have distinctive wellbeing desires from those of extensive administrators (Hill 2012).
The relative recurrence of distinctive sorts of fatalities in the US oil and gas extraction industry is indicated in Table 1 (Hill 2012). Transportation episodes are the most regular, took after by contact with articles or gear, flames and blasts, introduction to hurtful substances/situations, and falls. The engine vehicle casualty rate for specialists in the oil and gas industry subsector was more than eight times higher than that of private laborers in all other industry segments (Hill 2012). Weakness connected with extended periods (8- or 12-hour shifts for 7 or 14 days consecutively) is accepted to be a noteworthy supporter to the engine vehicle crashes.
Problem Statement
The purpose of this paper is to study the safety in the working environment of the offshore oils and gas extraction. The discussion is focused on the accidents which have taken place and can possibly take place, considering the current working conditions. It also includes suggestions which can be implemented to improve the working conditions to minimize the accidents.
Research Question
The research question that we will target in this paper is
• what working conditions are provided to the oil and gas rig workers
• what are the causes of the accidents in the oil and gas rigs
• what measures can be taken to avoid these accidents
Literature Review
The oil and gas industry is considered as one of the most dangerous and often life-threatening industries to work in. Previously the most number of fatal injuries caused by work related incidents was in this very industry. A notable example here is the Piper Alpha accident, of July 6, 1988, which resulted in the death of 167 oil rig workers (Macalister, 2013). However, after becoming extremely notorious for its life threatening work environment the major stake holders of this industry along with the government had to come up with stringent rules and regulations regarding the safety of the workers. The table below shows the injuries that have occurred about in the year 2004-2008.
Figure 1: Fatal occupational injuries in the oil and gas extraction industry, 2004-2008
(Oil and Gas Industry Fatal and Nonfatal Occupational Injuries Fact Sheet, 2010)
Not only were the rules strict but they were to be implemented completely and with full honesty so as to continue operating in the industry as per the guidelines set. New guidelines are to be presented on the measure of oil specialists flying out to and from seaward establishments by helicopter (BBC NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland, 2014).
The significance of safety at work environments is very important. The following discussion will explain the analysis that has been done on the working conditions provided to the workers of oil and gas extraction.
Managing safety in the workplace: An attribution theory analysis and model
The article by David M. DeJoy talks about how to manage workplace safety and also analyzes the theory of attribution with proper analysis on the theory and its model. The writer is of the opinion that there exist causal attributions between the safety at workplace and the various acts that are taken by individuals to control and manage the safety. The author believes that there is a close association between these problems regarding workplace safety and the actions taken to prevent them. The article states that the various acts undertaken by the different individuals, responsible for managing workplace safety, are majorly derived from the attributions as compared to the actual and real causes. This paper starts the discussion by discussing at length about the about the debate of attribution theory and the causal analysis that is present in the management and implementation of safety at the workplace. The paper also draws an attribution model of the process of managing safety at the workplace; this is a proposal by the author to be implemented in workplaces. This model defines the formation of the attributions that are concerned with safety at the workplace and the different aspects of individual as well as organizational concerns that are most closely probable to complicate and/or cause a bias in the inferences causal. The article also examines the linkages that are identified between attribution-remedy as well as event-attribution; the most appropriate results of the examination are then presented from the research carried out on organizational and safety behavior research. Finally, in the end of the paper the recommendations are placed. These are the various safety program suggestions that are offered by the author to the workplaces as per the findings of the research and study carried out in this paper (DeJoy). The author very keenly describes that safety in the workplace of oil and gas extraction workers is very necessary.
Safety and environmental management in the oil and gas industry: A new model to enable line performance
This article by Andrew Clark, Richard Verity, Sean Wheeler and Rose Landau was originally published in Booz & Company on the 26th of September in 2013. This paper talks about how the energy industry has stopped growing in the present. The growth of the industry has plateau-ed in the recent past and there are various reasons for this. However, the one of the most common cause associated with the downfall and stop in the growth of the industry has been the accountability associated with the safety and environmental factors. The paper however, suggests that instead of adding more limitations to the level of accountability associated with the environmental as well as safety factors of the industry which would limit the safety aspects as just an isolated function it would be better to implement the model presented in the paper. The model presented by the 4 authors of this paper actually takes the responsibility off the shoulders of the front-line workers and places it on the shoulders of the supervisors. The article, rather the model presented in the articles redefines the whole process of keeping a safety check in the energy industry. Currently all the onus of ensuring that the whole process of oil and gas extraction is upon on the front line workers who actually work on fields to extract the energy sources however, this model suggests otherwise. The model suggested in this article is eccentric and might face criticism based on the fact that then the accountability factor would fall on those in power or in supervisory or executive roles. The model suggests that the responsibility is shifted from the front line workers to the advisors who interact with them (Clark). This author again here pinpoints that the safety at oil and gas extraction areas is very important and that this is a reason that constitutes to the decrement in the increment of offshore oil and gas extraction.
Oil and Gas Industry Guidance on Voluntary Sustainability Reporting
API, IPIECA and OGP present a significant overhaul to the Oil and gas industry direction on deliberate manageable quality reporting. The Guidance draws on unparalleled industry ability and information with commitments from many experts from over 20 oil and gas organizations and 6 industry affiliations. The improvement handle in the redesign of the Guidance was joined by real bits of knowledge and guidance from a 5 part autonomous Stakeholder Panel of heading specialists. This redesign speaks to industry accord on the most predominant manageable quality issues and markers bringing about the most pragmatic, definitive and complete direction accessible on practicality reporting for oil and gas organizations.
The Guidance will help organizations captivate with stakeholders, enhance execution, and fortify dialog and seeing on a full scope of practicality issues. It has been intended to be the essential archive to aid both new and existing news people create and enhance their reporting methods. Every marker has three levels for reporting, offering organizations a decision on profundity and point of interest. This adaptability is given to empower both experienced and new correspondents to concentrate on their most critical issues at a level suitable to their business needs and stakeholder desires.
Furthermore, the Guidance is an exhaustive reference went for helping organization manageable quality chiefs; correspondences experts, and natural, wellbeing and security, or financial masters create corporate-level reports for inner and outside stakeholder groups of onlookers. It can be utilized to report execution to diverse groups of onlookers in changed routes for exercises over a partnership or in a solitary nation, for vast ventures or for a solitary operation.
The Guidance gives three sorts of support helping organizations choose:
• “Why” to report, by portraying the profits of reporting;
• “How” to report, by portraying a six-stage reporting procedure, and
• “What” to report, by giving alternatives to creating the substance of the report.
At the point when taking a gander at “how” to report, the Guidance gives regulated backing for creating a supportability report; from setting the connection, to deciding the issues and afterward selecting the pointers. The Guidance likewise has centered counsel on the best way to support stakeholder engagement .
Regarding selecting “what” to report, the Guidance gives a set of execution pointers fitting to manageable quality issues in the business. Every pointer gives a decision of reporting components relying upon the profundity or precision needed. A rundown of these markers include:
• Natural
• Wellbeing and security
• Social and financial
This explains the initiative of reporting and the importance of reporting. Till there is no report, no measures can be taken; nothing can be done to better the environment and working conditions of the workers. Below is an example of a Health Report of 2014.
The Health & Safety Report 2014
This is basically a report published which talks, in detail, about the UK‘s performance in the safety department of its offshore oil and gas industry. It provides an overview of all the projects related to the safety of the people and processes involved in the industry all over the country. The department also provides an explanation as how exactly do the Oil & Gas UK and its members handle the whole process of managing the safety agenda of the oil and gas industry. This is a good study to examine the whole perspective of the UK oil and gas industry which is known worldwide for its extraordinary safety measures. The report talks about the various projects undertaken by the Oil and Gas regulatory authority of the country and its stringent rules and regulations. It also provides a perspective into the consequences of breaking these guidelines and how it has resulted in the success of the industry overall (Oil & Gas UK). This report is a prominent report on the working conditions of the oil and gas extraction workers.
Safety Management
On a daily basis the oil and gas industry has to compete with a wide range of factors affecting its operations which include factors regarding health, safety as well as environmental factors as well. All of these wide array of factors have an impact on the operations of the industry overall. Companies operating in this highly regulated industry called the Oil and gas industry have to extra vigilant not just because of the increasing regulations and supervision but also because of the increasing scrutiny that is carried out publicly to ensure that the safety measures which are implemented to help improve the overall work environment of the workers is improved. The various safety management systems implemented by these companies is becoming more and more effective so as to assist in the protection of the front line workers as well as the general public associated with its consumption and the environment as a whole.
This is the reason why companies operating in this highly regulated industry hire various different consulting companies to assist them in the oil and gas industry to help them set up specialized system s, programs and operations which would help the companies manage as well supervise the operations that take place in their day to day business which would affect the performance, safety wise, of the businesses. The safety management services of these consulting companies help the companies operating in this highly regulated industry to develop and support systems which would help them sustain the safety levels as well as the growth of the performance of the business throughout the full cycle of their business operations and assets. The various services offered by these consulting companies which affect the operations of the companies operating in the oil and gas sector fall under the following categories.
• Integrated HSE Management Systems Design and Development
• Incident Investigation
• Management of Change (MOC) System Design and Consulting
• Mechanical Integrity Program Development and Improvement
• Regulatory Compliance Audits
• HSE Metrics Development and Consulting
• Safety Culture Evaluation, Training and Organizational Change
• Conduct of Operations and Operating Discipline Consulting
• HSE Training Programs and Competence Assurance
• OSHA PSM Inspection Preparation
• Expert Witness Consulting
20 best practices from Oil & Gas industry
There are 20 best practices which define a good safety measure plan in oil and gas industry, and the article highlights those 20 practices. They are as follows:
1. The first one is called; Click it, which states that vehicle crashes are because of facilities given to workers in that industry, which makes up four out of ten fatalities in the industry and in half the cases, the victims are not wearing a seat belt.
2. Pre-Screen Employers: At the time of recruitment, many oil and gas firms evaluate relevant skills of the employees and the experience level of every prospective candidate. Screening is done on the basis of commitment to workplace safety in past record, and those who have demonstrated safe behavior on job are preferred.
3. Leadership: it is also a safety measure to select the right leader who knows the importance of safety and its impact on worker’s health. Leaders must be consistent and they should have active engagement with employees about safety.
4. Train Safety Leaders: British Petroleum conducts a capability development program each year, and around 9,500 employees attend especially senior leaders to run and operate the operations safely. Training has a crucial role in raising awareness about safe work practices in oil and gas industry.
5. Healthy Work Places: British Petroleum also has a “Run-a-Muck” campaign for fitness which encourages people to look for opportunities which help them maintain and increase physical activities. The challenge can be taken up by BP’s employees, contractors and family and friends who look for ways to include physical activities as it keeps them healthy and active.
6. Contractor Safety: BP seeks to set consistent and clear expectations from the contractors. The business model keeps safety, health and security in the basic requirements. Contractors, who are required to work on high consequence activities, go through a strict scrutiny which means going through pre-contract quality checks, technical and health safety checks and environment audits. Standard performance metrics are defined in the contract to cover specific areas of safety, quality and continuous improvement.
7. Safety Culture: Chevron spent 20 years to build its culture of safety and achieve zero-incident level. Its safety culture incorporates safety lessons, tracking and awarding activities which are safe.
8. Emergency preparedness: This means being ready to deal with unseen events.
9. Exposure Assessment: A company should have a process to identify, evaluate and control workplace hazards. Each business unit should develop and implement an Exposure Assessment Plan for its employees and contractors.
10. Keep it simple: The simple strategy should be that “nobody should get hurt” as ExxonMobil Pipeline Company aims. To ensure this, all the employees and contractors should individually be responsible for safety measures and for promoting the workplace as a safer place.
11. Management Systems: Operations Integrity and Management Systems is followed by ExxonMobil, which measure 11 elements such as commitment, leadership, third-party services, community awareness and other factors based on safety concerns.
12. Management of Change: Be able to handle changing technology and innovation safely
13. Maintenance: Maintain the outdated equipment as they are a major safety threat in terms of explosion by misuse or overuse.
14. Fire Safety: These measures should always be available in handy with fire escapes and fire defense installed in every area of the factories and work sites.
15. Wellness: Wellness should be the first priority.
16. Cardinal rules: Strict rules like having a valid license, no alcohol or drinking while working on sites, no use of cell phone and other stringent rules to help employee’s wellbeing.
17. Safety days: They are celebrated to promote a culture of safety sensitive environment at work.
18. Road Safety: Not only is the safety at site important, but the road safety as well.
19. Industrial theatre: This means communications is important
20. Check and balances: Checks and balances are the key to a safe work environment, like safety and organizational risk measure scale and others (20 BEST PRACTICES FROM OIL & GAS INDUSTRY).
Innovative E&P Approaches Making a Difference to the Environment
Oil & Gas industry is making progress since the last decades in enhancing power, safety and environmental performance. Producers are faced with a great amount of safety challenges, as they are faced with challenge of finding remote resource base in economically viable ways to produce oil and gas. Being resource efficient puts a lot of pressure on the companies to maintain safety level at exploration fields while reducing threats to land, air and water quality. A report published by Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy, Environmental Benefits of Advanced Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Technology, job related safety threats in oil and gas industry are below the rates in US manufacturing sector and it is on a declining trend. Advanced technologies are playing its role in improvement of worker safety. The article also mentions that management now focused on health, safety and environment in the workplace and now allows these issues to become part of business plans. The inclusion of such critical issues in the creation of a business plan is a clear indication of the progress of the safety sector of the oil and gas industry. The industry which was notorious for its horrible working conditions and low compensation and benefits has now started to work on its services. This report talks about how the development of the industry in these sectors has actually resulted in an increase in the profits of the industry as well. While implementation of the safety measures is an expensive process but it saves the companies, in this highly regulated industry, avoid the costs, litigations and other major expenses associated with the aftermath of an incident in the work place regarding the safety issues of the operations of the industry. The accumulated difference in the costs of implementing the plan and the costs saved by the avoidance of such safety related incidents is the reason why the implementation of safety measures is becoming increasingly popular in the industry. This along with the regulations and public scrutiny of companies in this highly regulated industry of the oil and gas sector has indeed resulted in the companies spending more time, effort and resources of salvaging their costs and image in the safety department (Ratliff).
So far, we have found that there have been many a reports that have written on the oil and gas extraction working conditions. The point that we must note here is that the over the time working conditions have been tried to better. The concern of people related to these working conditions, and the studies on this topic have increased.
Site Description
Oil and gas rigs all around the world, face the health issue. This paper discusses the health issues involved and the causes of these issues.
Methodology
Research Methodology
Research Methodology can be described as:
“A research methodology is basically a philosophical approach that could be employed to manoeuvre a compatible strategy in order to give support to the study under research” (Saunders, et al. 2009)
This research paper pertains to the safety hazards necessary in oil and gas extraction and the involvement of employees in ensuring that the safety standards are effectively implemented. The research further explores the effectiveness of steps taken by the oil and natural gas industry in UK to ensure safe workplace for employees. Moreover, deductive approach will be used to appropriately demonstrate the relationship between identified variables. Deductive approach will be more suitable for this study as the model will be deduced from the literature and researches conducted in the past.
Research Strategy and Procedure:
This research is qualitative in nature; therefore, the data collection would be interviews from various sources of oil and gas industry as well as some online surveys and secondary literature available. The interviews would be recorded with due permission and the data collected would then be coded and sifted according to the relevance of the study at hand. Secondary data would however, support and verify the findings.
Survey Instrument and Variables Measurement:
The Survey instrument for this study would be interviews where the respondents would be given the liberty to reveal whatever information they have regarding the safety issues prevailing the oil and Gas industry and workplace hazards resulting from inefficient safety measures. Also, suggestions for improvements would be solicited. The interview however, will be focused more towards the following objectives of this research paper:
• To analyse workplace environments in the oil and natural gas industry in UK
• To highlight the hazards associated with transportation, use of heavy equipment, involvement of hazardous materials, intensity of high temperatures, and high pressure equipment within the oil industry.
• To discuss the effectiveness of steps taken by the oil and natural gas industry to improve safety.
• To recommend remedial strategies.
Research methods:
The two methods used widely around the globe to conduct a research are quantitative and qualitative research. Both the methods are competent yet different from one another. The type of study at hand determines which of the two methods would be more appropriate to assume. For this study, however, qualitative method of research is employed as in-depth analysis is required along with some deep probing into the Oil and gas industry of UK.
Qualitative Research:
Qualitative research as put by Berg:
“Quality refers to the what, how, when, and where of a thing – its essence and ambience. Qualitative research thus refers to the meanings, concepts, definitions, characteristics, metaphors, symbols, and descriptions of things.”
(Berg, 2007 cited in Tewksbury, R).
Qualitative research for this study will be conducted in detail. It will include a number of interviews in which in-depth detailed analysis would be conducted. Also, to support the results literature from secondary sources would be included.
Data Collection procedure:
To collect relevant and unbiased data for this research, both the primary and secondary sources were employed to obtain deep understanding of the research problem under consideration so that more comprehensive and meaningful results are obtained.
Primary Research:
Primary data is described as,
“Primary Data are data that are collected for the specific research problem at hand, using procedures that fit the research problem best” (Hox, J & Boeji, H 2005)
Primary data for this study would be the number of interviews conducted as the research is qualitative in nature.
Secondary Research:
Data collected from published forums is termed as Secondary data. Besides Wallace (2009) defines it as:
“An organized piece of search to answer the queries, provide empirical as well logical evidence for the applied theories and provide better understanding of the research topic”.
The material available over the internet or published form would be utilized to extract the relevant information about the research. The sources include journals, articles, published reports and websites. However, most of the data was taken from academic data forums such as JSTOR, EMERALD, and Springer etc.
Structure of Interview
Interviews will be administered in order to find the most relevant information regarding the safety issues in Oil and Gas industry of UK. Therefore, the interviews would be structured in a way that initially the respondent would be given an open ground to discuss whatever information he/she thinks is relevant and then the information regarding the above stated objectives will be sought in detail.
Sample:
The sample size in a qualitative study depends on reaching the saturation point. This means that after conducting a number of interviews, it happens that the interviewer begins to receive similar information as he/she had already received in previous interviews. The point when interviewer starts receiving repeated information from respondents is the time when he/she must stop taking any further interviews.
Characteristics of Respondents:
The interview respondents must be the employees or staff working in Oil and Gas industry in UK. The critical factor for respondent to qualify for his /her participation in this survey would be his/her relevance with the industry and the extent to which the respondent is affected by the safety of workplace.
Ethical Considerations:
The research was conducted within the ethical parameters. The respondents were made clear that the study is intended for academic purposes and their input would be kept confidential along with their identities. The responses obtained from respondents would be coded and sifted without any bias. The interviewer would not attempt to infiltrate the responses or direct the discussion in an intended direction. Also, the interviewees who demonstrated some interest in knowing the findings of the study would be delivered a copy of the study on the completion.
For any research paper it is very necessary that the research done should be systematic so that the study done is systematic. The more systematic the study is, the better a person can compile and present his/her studies. Therefore, this research paper follows the research in a step-wise order. As we are doing secondary research, we will be dealing with data collection and interviews.
Results
The research question that we were targeting in this paper is
• what working conditions are provided to the oil and gas rig workers
• what are the causes of the accidents in the oil and gas rigs
• what measures can be taken to avoid these accidents
This dissertation is written on secondary research. Following is the information gathered over the course of the research phase.
Figure 2:OIMs’ perceptions of the main causes of accidents
(O’Dea and Flin, no date) The table above shows the reasons why these accidents occur in the first place. The most important reason is that the workers are careless and they do not think through the job. Obviously the working conditions, in which they work, make them so careless. If they are provided with better working conditions, they will concentrate. Lack of experience, Inadequate training, Lack of motivation, Lack of communication, Lack of job instruction, In adequate procedures, all explain the working conditions in which the oil and gas rig workers work.
Figure 3:Number and rate of fatal injuries among workers involved in offshore oil and gas operations (N = 128), by year — United States, 2003–2010
The table above shows the number fatalities from the years 2003 to 2010 along with the rate per 100 rigs. We can see very clearly that the rate is increasing as the years go by. This shows that the safety of the workers is ignored a lot. “The figure above demonstrates the number and rate of deadly wounds among specialists included in seaward oil and gas operations (N = 128), by year, in the United States amid 2003-2010. Notwithstanding a 63% abatement in the quantity of dynamic seaward penetrating apparatuses amid 2003-2010, the quantity of yearly fatalities amid seaward operations stayed steady, bringing about a measurably critical increment in the casualty rate.” (Fatal Injuries in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations — United States, 2003–2010, 2013)
Figure 4: Distribution of Injuries and illness with days away from work in drilling oil and gas wells, by event, 2007
Fatal Work Injuries
An “aggregate of 120 lethal work wounds happened in the oil and gas extraction industry in 2008. The three most successive deadly occasions in 2008 were transportation episodes (41 percent), contact with items and hardware (25 percent), and flames and blasts (15 percent). The quantity of lethal work wounds connected with flames and blasts in the course of recent years ran from 10 fatalities in 2007 to 21 fatalities in 2006. In 2008, there were 18 fatalities.
Of the transportation occurrences in 2008, 75% included parkway episodes. There were four deadly work wounds where a passerby was struck by a vehicle or portable hardware and five air ship lethal work wounds in 2008. Laborers who were lethally harmed in the wake of being struck by items and gear represented 22 of the 30 deadly work wounds including contact with articles and hardware.
In 2008, various lethal work damage occasions represented 24 specialist passings in 10 separate occurrences. More than a large portion of these passings were brought on by transportation occasions, while a third were from flames and blasts.
Men represented these lethal work wounds in 2008. Laborers age 25 to 34 caused the most deadly work wounds (48 fatalities or 40 percent in 2008). Most of the laborers were White, non-Hispanic (75 percent), while 17 percent were Hispanic or Latino2 . Ten lethally harmed specialists were outside conceived in 2008.
The three states with the most oil and gas extraction industry deadly work wounds in 2008 were Texas (41 lethal work wounds), Oklahoma (21 lethal work wounds), and Louisiana (13 deadly work wounds). Over the five-year time of 2004-2008, Oklahoma lethal work wounds in the business have expanded 91 percent, while Texas has expanded by 21 percent and Louisiana by 30 percent.
Bolster exercises for oil and gas operations (NAICS 213112) record for about a large portion of deadly work wounds from 2004 to 2008 in oil and gas commercial enterprises overall, with 69 lethal work wounds recorded in 2008. Boring oil and gas wells (NAICS 213111) found the middle value of 34 deadly work wounds over the five-year period, with 37 percent of lethal work wounds coming about because of contact with objects of hardware. Oil and Gas Extraction (NAICS 211111) had a normal of 21 deadly work wounds.
Nonfatal Injuries
Penetrating oil and gas wells (NAICS 213111) is a particular industry from oil and gas creation, and is characterized under bolster exercises for mining. Foundations in this industry are fundamentally occupied with penetrating oil and gas wells for others on an agreement or charge premise. This industry incorporates builders that represent considerable authority in spudding in, penetrating in, redrilling, and directional boring.
From 2003 to 2007, the latest information accessible for penetrating oil and gas wells, the quantity of aggregate recordable instances of nonfatal wounds and diseases went between 2,400 in 2003 and 4,700 in 2005, with 2007 having 4,200 cases. The rate of wounds and ailments went from 4.0 every 100 full-time specialists in 2003 to 6.8 in 2004, with a rate of 4.6 in 2007. This is a bit higher than the rate of 4.2 every 100 full-time laborers for all commercial ventures.
The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses gathers case and demographic data on cases with days from work. These are attempted to be the most extreme cases. The rate of these cases in boring oil and gas wells extended from 1.5 in 2003 to 2.8 in 2004. The latest rate was 1.7 every 100 full-time specialists in 2007.
The latest information demonstrate that the influenced specialists in this industry are overwhelmingly men (the greater part of 2007 cases with days from work influenced men), and where race was accounted for, basically white (74 percent of cases that reported race).
Middle days from work are a key measure of seriousness of wounds and sicknesses. In 2007, the penetrating oil and gas wells industry had a middle of 30, much higher than the middle for all commercial ventures of 7. One explanation behind the high middle days from work is that 25 percent of wounds and ailments with days from work are cracks, which commonly have a long recuperation time. Normally, laborers are harmed by being struck by items (32 percent of cases) or being gotten in articles, hardware or material” (21 percent of cases). (Oil and Gas Industry Fatal and Nonfatal Occupational Injuries Fact Sheet, 2010)
Blowouts “are the class of mischance that have the best extent of potential misfortune in the seaward division in light of the huge oil slicks that may come about because of them. Recorded records show that expansive spills coming about because of victories are relatively uncommon.
The SINTEF Offshore Blowout Database incorporates 573 seaward victories/well discharges that have happened worldwide since 1955, recommending that such episodes are not remarkable. SINTEF states that most victories happening in the US Gulf of Mexico, Norway and the UK since 1 January 1980 have been incorporated in the database. The database is an industry reference for victory hazard, its information serving as the premise for various outstanding benchmark studies for danger appraisal.
As indicated by this database, 64 well discharges or victories happened in UK and Norwegian waters between 1 January 1980 and 1 January 2008, i.e. on the normal 2.3 every year. For examination, in the same period 8,283 wells were bored in the UK, including 1,690 investigation wells, 1,339 evaluation wells and 5,254 advancement wells. In Norway, 1,036 investigation wells and 2,801 advancement wells have been bored in this period. A yearly Scandpower report in view of SINTEF information analyzes the danger of diverse seaward exercises. The report uncovers that, among the different periods of seaward operations, investigation penetrating involves the most astounding danger of victory. If there should be an occurrence of deepwater, highpressure/ high-temperature (HPHT) wells, the victory recurrence is 1.9×10-3 every penetrated well “for seaward operations of North Sea standard”. In the event of deepwater, however “typical” wells, the recurrence is just 3.1×10-4, i.e. one request of greatness littler. The reason the victory recurrence of HPHT wells is altogether higher is not accepted to be the high weight itself, but instead the little edge between pore weight and crack weight in such wells. The likelihood of a victory amid different exercises, in the same way as improvement boring, finishing or creation is well underneath that of investigation penetrating, commonly in the request of 10-4 or 10-6 every operation or well year.
As per the UK Health and Safety official, an individual danger of death of 10-3 every year has normally been utilized inside the seaward business as the greatest bearable danger. For examination, worthy yearly disappointment probabilities in the atomic business are commonly in the request of or 10-6 or better.
An estimation on the recurrence of operations that may bring about a victory in Europe can be made by taking a gander at their separate frequencies every well year in the SINTEF database, and scaling these extents by the quantity of dynamic wells in Europe (see table beneath). This strategy expect that:
The extent of distinctive operations every well year in the SINTEF database does not fundamentally vary from that in the North Sea at present. That the examining inclination in this information is inside…
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