Question

Oil and gas workers have some of the most dangerous jobs in the country. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 4.2 percent of all oil and gas workers are hurt on the job each year. A great many of these incidents involve an oil rig accident, suffered off-shore on the decks or in the wells of a drilling operation. To help workers become more aware of the dangers and hazards associated with their job, company usually put helpful guide, noting common types and causes of oil field accidents, so these can be avoided and prevented. There are a number of types and kinds of oil rig injuries that can be suffered on the job. Some are due to negligence or error on the part of employers or co-workers, while others are simply a hazard of the oil and gas industry. Common types of oil field accident includes: burns, brain and head injuries, exposure to toxic fumes, amputations. Some of the common causes of oil field accidents are Gas leaks, High pressure in wells, Falling of objects, etc.Based on what you study in the course and understanding on above case study a. What are direct causes of accident and explain in details with an example related to acts and condition(2.5 marks each)

Answer 1

Causes of accidents

Refer Analysis of 801 Work-Related Incidents in the Oil and Gas Industry That Occurred Between 2014 and 2016 in 6 Regions by Moahamed Younes El Bouti & Mohamed Allouch, 2018

-Individual factors:

• Employees do not possess the adequate technical knowledge experience, competency, and training in relation to their works, as well as the existing workplace hazards.
• Poor experience and unfamiliarity with work nature, workplace and used tools, particularly for new recruited workers. This gives rise to slight injuries for upper extremities.
• No PPE have been worn.
• Using the wrong tool for the wrong task.
• Negative attitudes and habits of the workers.

- Job factors:

• The workload increases the work pressure that affects negatively safety behavior of the workers (Amponsah-Tawaih and Adu, 2016). This may lead to potential Occupational Work-related Incidents(OWRI) (e.g. slight injuries) in the workplace, which requires only first-aid treatment.

- Organizational factors:

• The unresponsiveness of the management to H&S issues.
• Negative peer group pressure.
• Lack or absence of coordination in the workplace.
• Poor working procedure of the conducted works.
• Lack of supervision.
• Poor safety culture.
• Insufficient budget allocated to purchasing PPE.
• PPE type does not match the nature of the hazard dealt with.
• Uncontrolled workplace hazards; since the study asserts that 46.1% of occurred OWRIs is due to hazardous working environment.