Proforma Safety Blog

Bureau of Labor Stats for 2010 Show No Improvement over 2009

Posted by proforma on September 11, 2011  |  No Comments

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary report on fatal occupational injuries for 2010 showed unfortunately that the number of workplace fatalities showed virtually no improvement over 2009. American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) President Terrie S. Norris says this should be a call for action, especially given these economically challenging times when workers can be at greater risk. For details, click here.

Worker Falls from Height; Failed to Clip Off

Posted by proforma on July 24, 2011  |  No Comments

An IP suffered compound leg fractures after falling from a precarious position straddling a pair of parallel pipes while fixing a beam clamp and chain block. Although wearing a safety harness, the IP had failed to clip off. Read the details here.

Welders Ignite Foam Sealant; Smoke Out Storeroom

Posted by proforma on July 24, 2011  |  No Comments

Welders ignited expanding foam sealant in a rig’s storeroom while trimming a guidepost. The workers had failed to anticipate what effect their work might have on the materials. The incident produced significant smoke damage, but fortunately no loss of life or equipment. Read the details here.

Lead in Pipe Dope Can Contaminate Workers’ Homes

Posted by proforma on July 24, 2011  |  No Comments

Pipe dope, found at many oilfield sites, is a threading compound that often contains high amounts of lead. Not only is the lead dangerous for oilfield workers; they also transport the lead home where children can be exposed.

Pipe dope is difficult to remove from clothing and can be transferred to the employee’s car or home. According to this article in EHS, using oil-resistant gloves can help avoid contamination, as will washing your hands, showering at the workplace and changing clothes after handling pipe dope. Work clothes should not be washed with the family’s laundry.

Better yet, lead free pipe dope should be substituted.

Diabetics At Higher Risk During Hot Weather

Posted by proforma on July 24, 2011  |  No Comments

Whether a loved one has diabetes, or you have employees who suffer from the disease, you’ll want to advise them of dangers associated with hot weather. Diabetes makes it harder for your body to handle high heat and humidity. Air pollution also poses increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

Blood glucose levels are affected by heat, increasing the absorption of insulin, requiring diabetics to test blood glucose more often and regulate their intake of food and liquids.

Read an excellent article on the CDC website.

Whole Lotta Shaking Loosens Equipment on Derrick

Posted by proforma on July 5, 2011  |  No Comments

Everything on the derrick floor should be carefully inspected to ensure it’s properly retained, and all equipment, whether temporary or permanent, should have secondary retention. That’s the learning from this incident, in which a speaker was shaken loose from the back of the monkey board, breaking loose from its mounting post.

DOE Endorses New Global Energy Efficiency Standard ISO 50001

Posted by proforma on July 5, 2011  |  No Comments

A new global energy efficiency and energy management standard, ISO 50001, has just been recognized by the Department of Energy (DOE) as a framework for continuous energy performance improvements and a way for companies to save money in building and industrial facility energy costs. Read details here.

Sitting for Long Periods as Dangerous as Smoking

Posted by proforma on July 5, 2011  |  No Comments

Prolonged sitting may be just as dangerous as smoking, reports this recently released research, that shows prolonged sitting sends the body into “storage mode” and stops it from working effectively. The more hours per day you sit, the higher the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity. And the hour you spend at the gym doesn’t overcome the negative effects of prolonged sitting. View this video on CBS San Francisco

Confined Spaces: Is 19.5 Percent Oxygen Safe?

Posted by proforma on July 5, 2011  |  No Comments

OSHA doesn’t say that an oxygen level of 19.5 percent is “safe”; it says that levels below 19.5 percent may be hazardous. Do your workers understand why 19.5 percent is significant?

As this article points out, 19.5 percent oxygen was selected based on the adverse physiological effects that can appear at an oxygen partial pressure less than 148 mm Hg. Moisture and other gases play a significant role, however. Even if the oxygen available is higher than 19.5 percent, there may be hazardous concentrations of other gases and vapors. Some gases and vapors may be present at concentrations well above the TLV while, at the same time, they are below a combustible gas meter’s limit of detection.

Believing that 19.5 percent is “safe” has lead to deaths when entering an oxygen-deficient atmosphere, including the safety officer performing the test. The entry supervisor had not realized that although the oxygen level at 20.1 percent was insufficient. Find out why.

Mount the Rig Winch Properly

Posted by proforma on May 1, 2011  |  No Comments

As the crew was picking up the riser through the V-door with the 4500 kg winch, the winch bolts failed and the winch broke free from its pedestal, swinging sideways and smashing into the doghouse door. It turned out the base did not have the same bolt configuration as the base holding plate and the holes were misaligned. To cap off this disaster, the bolts were undersized. Read the full account here.