Proforma Safety Blog

New Ultra Deepwater Drillships Anticipated to Increase Worker Safety, Says Royal Dutch Shell and Noble

Posted by proforma on December 9, 2011  |  No Comments

Royal Dutch Shell and Noble have announced two ultra-deepwater drillships that they designed together and regard as truly innovative, equipped with a multi-purpose tower instead of the derrick. The new design is anticipated to reduce the number of workers required and increase safety because the need to handle pipe is reduced and dropped objects no longer pose such a threat.  The ships, named Noble Bully I and Noble Bully II, have automated technology systems that the companies say will reduce risk to workers. This article in Marinelog explains the technology being introduced.
To view details of the ship, this presentation by Noble’s Ron Lee has excellent diagrams. To read the Royal Dutch Shell press release, go here.

Grating Can Pinch Fingers

Posted by proforma on November 21, 2011  |  No Comments

Pinched fingers may not seem life threatening, but represent the kinds of injuries that are completely avoidable if the correct tools are made available. In this instance, an offshore maintenance worker injured his fingers while moving a 3 ft. by 3 ft. floor grating. The after action review found this had become a common practice at this installation.

Forklift Fatalities Apparently Declined in 2010

Posted by proforma on November 21, 2011  |  No Comments

Preliminary statistics seem to indicate that forklift fatalities declined in 2010, according to this report by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. What safety professionals are wondering is if the decline is due to better safety enforcement, or fewer forklifts operating because of the poorer economy.

Safety managers are reporting increased focus on training and zero tolerance for incidents, with some companies enforcing more stringent policies that include a rule that every new driver must pass a training course, followed by a number of hours paired with an experienced driver. If an incident occurs, the worker is removed from forklift operations (possibly with a demotion) for retraining and retesting. If the problem persists, the individual is removed from forklift operations entirely. Critical is to establish clear rules, describe what happens when a rule is violated, communicate them repeatedly in writing and verbal form, document accurately and enforce your decisions.

Company Parties Serving Alcohol Create Risk for Employers

Posted by proforma on November 21, 2011  |  No Comments

While we don’t want to sound Scrooge-like, have you considered the downside of hosting a holiday company event or party where alcohol is served? Read this informative article so that you can better inform your company as safety manager and suggest solutions. Employers are considered to have more influence or control over their employees’ drinking at company parties than you might suspect. A major case (that found the employer liable and withstood appeal) shows how employers can be found liable if:

» Employees are told that the event will benefit the business;
» The company paid costs for the event, including drinks;
» Travel expenses may be covered;
» Employees are encouraged to entertain clients and buy them drinks; and
» The employee leaves the event by himself, although there may be of impairment.

Sitting Too Long Can Cause Cancer, Says This Study

Posted by proforma on November 9, 2011  |  No Comments

Do you spend a major portion of your day sitting? Think about it: at work, driving, eating, watching TV…might be worth counting how many hours per day you actually are sitting. A new study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research and recently presented at the American Institute for Cancer Research Annual Research Conference shows a connection between the hours you spend sitting and the increased risk of cancer, especially breast and colon, due to increased inflammation.

Epidemiologist Christine Friedenreich, who led the study, recommends getting up to walk every hour from your office chair; sending fewer emails and walking to your colleague’s office. Or simply standing up more. These and other interesting facts are available in the full article here.

Dangers Associated with New Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CLFs )

Posted by proforma on October 12, 2011  |  No Comments

This gruesome incident report is circulating depicting the dangers associated with the new energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CLFs). On February 10, 2011, this individual suffered severe injury to his foot following an attempt to remove an energy saving light bulb before it had cooled down. The heat caused him to drop the bulb on the floor, where it shattered. He stepped on the broken glass and exposed mercury power upon descending from the chair on which he was standing.

He spent two weeks in Intensive Care, during which time he was at risk of having his foot amputated. His foot has been connected to a vacuum pump to remove dead tissue, and it is expected that he will recover, albeit after a long recovery.

When replacing your incandescent bulbs with the new CLFs, the current advice is to
– Keep them out of reach of children. Some experts say these bulbs may not be the best choice for certain parts of your home, such as children’s bedrooms.
– Take every precaution when removing the bulbs. Make sure they’re cool; seal them in a glass jar, and dispose of them at a recycling location that handles hazardless household wastes. (Earlier advice to seal in a plastic bag has been discarded in favor of glass, since researchers found the mercury can leach through the plastic.)
– Ventilate the area, keeping pets and people safely away. Elemental mercury quickly vaporizes and the primary risk is inhalation, which is more dangerous than if it came in contact with your skin. Time estimates vary, but some experts say the mercury takes about an hour to disperse. (Why not err on the safe side.)
– Do not vacuum broken bulb pieces, which will only scatter the mercury particles. Use disposable rubber gloves, damp paper towels and cardboard to pick up the pieces.
– Don’t pour mercury down the sink, or wash any items that have been in contact with the mercury.
– If the break occurs on carpeting or similar absorbent surfaces, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises “. . .[T]hese contaminated items should be thrown away . . . Only cut and remove the affected portion of the contaminated carpet for disposal.” If you’re interested in reading more of EPA’s advice, click here.

NTSB Has Issued Report on Oil Tanker Eagle Otome Collision

Posted by proforma on September 27, 2011  |  No Comments

You may recall the oil tanker Eagle Otome, which collided with barges on Jan. 23, 2010 in the canal near Port Arthur, Texas. The National Transportation Safety Board has announced that pilot fatigue, cracking jokes, reading newspapers and otherwise insufficient management of the tanker’s movements were factors causing the collision.

The fatigued pilot had operational control at the time of the collision, and as a result of initiating a turn late in a mild bend of the canal, failed to correct the sheering motions that began to occur. The board found that this pilot was distracted from conducting a radio call, which the second pilot should have conducted in accordance with guidelines. For details, click here.

Rig Crewman Killed When Sand-line Drum Clutch Lever Engaged

Posted by proforma on September 27, 2011  |  No Comments

After a completions rig crew had installed a set of flags to the rig sand line, the perator reached into the drum area to help retrieve a pipe wrench for one of the rig floor crewmen. His stomach came in contact with and engaged the sand-line drum clutch lever, resulting in the drum turning several revolutions and killing one of the rig crewmen. For details, click on this report.

Lengthy Process to Establish Drilling Safety Standards Anticipated, Says Administration

Posted by proforma on September 11, 2011  |  No Comments

Houston Chronicle reported Sept.9, 2011, that a top adminstration official said the U.S. government will initiate a long process for setting new offshore drilling safety standards after the joint federal investigation into the Deepwater Horizon is completed.