Author: CIO

Sports cars competing over race courses are marked with racing stripes. People who race on the job are marked with cuts, bruises, and bandages. There are places to race and places not to race. Speed belongs on the race course, not on the highways, and certainly not in the workplace.

Almost everyone has been guilty of speeding through a job. We forget, until it’s too late, that “hurry up can hurt“. In just about every instance, hurrying on the job does not increase productivity. Usually it is simply an easy way to get a job done—, get a tough job out of the way, or try to get off the job as soon as possible.

When we hurry on the job, we accomplish little more than to increase our chances of an unsafe act happening. Let’s look at some hurry up acts. Which ones have you caught yourself doing?

• Didn’t wear either safety glasses, ear plugs or gloves because the job would only take a few minutes.
• Used the wrong tool because the proper one was too far away.
• Didn’t use proper lockout procedures because you could fix it yourself and wouldn’t have to bother anyone else.
• Took a short cut across the location.
• Worked at height with tools stuck in your pocket, or in your hand, because you didn’t have a tool belt or lanyard.
• Cut the grounding prong off a three-way ground wire plug because you didn’t have an adapter.
• Reached “just-a-little-bit-further” on the ladder or man lift so you didn’t have to get down and move it.
• Climbed over the side of a piece of equipment instead of using the proper method of entering and exiting.
• Didn’t slow down this time at a blind corner because you never saw anyone there before.
• Drove over the speed limit to get “there” faster.

The list is endless. Do they sound familiar? Too familiar? Sometimes when you hurry, nothing bad happens. Other times there may be “near misses”, but eventually a serious injury will occur. It is only a matter of time. Is it really worth your eyesight, your hearing, your limbs or even your life to save those few extra seconds?

Conclusion:

When hurrying on the job, you don’t end up speeding up the work, you just speed up your chances of an incident.  Hurry up can hurt.

Questions:

1. What “hurry up” acts have you done recently?
2.  Hurrying the job will increase productivity, True or False?

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Five Seconds to Safety

Perhaps the best tool to come along in oil field work (at least as far as safety is concerned) is the Job Safety Analysis, (JSA). This is a tool that makes everyone stop and think about the different risks associated with the task. Crews normally gather and write out the JSA before doing a job. This exercise greatly reduces the number and severity of injuries where this is done.

Take five seconds before starting a new familiar task. This act of refocusing has been shown to reduce the probability of an injury incident by more than 90% versus not taking the five seconds. How hard is that? You may have done the task you are about to perform thousands of times before. In your mind, you know that you could do it with your eyes closed. It is usually not the task itself but some small thing you did not anticipate that causes the incident. You did not notice the debris in front of the tool you were going to pick up. You did not notice somebody placed something on the part you were about to pick up. You did not realize how heavy a piece is that you were asked to help carry.

Questions:

1. Focusing on the job at hand helps prevent injuries.  True or False?
2. Will you take 5 seconds to be safe today?

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Working as a Team

Working together in harmony with your fellow worker promotes balance, consistency, orderliness, and safety.  Teamwork increases performance and productivity which enables our company to complete contract obligations and get paid on time.  Two workers united in a task can accomplish nearly three times as much as a lone worker.  Teamwork means cooperation among all workers of the company, and also all contractors on the project.

In order to promote a safe, efficient, and smooth running workflow, teamwork encompasses good communication, consideration, and courtesy ensuring that the spirit of cooperation will prevail.

• Organize your work area.
• Identify worksite hazards.
• Plan you job details – JSA’s, etc.
• Constantly evaluate the job, along with the materials and supplies needed to complete the task.
• Practice an effective pass-down procedure.  Make sure that you set your relief up for success!
• Communicate with supervisors and the Safety department the need for any special equipment or PPE.

Conclusion:

If all workers at a job site approach the job with a spirit of cooperation and teamwork, all aspects of the job will run much safer and smoother.

Questions:

1. How much can two workers accomplish compared to one?
2. How could you improve your pass-downs or crew-change communications?

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PPE Protection

Hard hats, safety glasses, face shields, hearing protectors, gloves and safety shoes. What do all of these items have in common? They are all various forms of personal protective equipment, designed to help protect you from serious injury. Yet, data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for a one year period show:

• 84% of workers who sustained head injuries were not wearing hard hats;
• 99% of workers who suffered face injuries were not wearing face protection;
• 100% of workers who suffered hearing loss were not wearing hearing protection;
• 60% of workers who sustained eye injuries were not wearing eye protection;
• 77% of workers who suffered foot injuries were not wearing safety shoes or boots;

Personal protective equipment is designed to protect you, but it only functions if you wear it. There is nothing automatic about eye protection. Safety glasses are of value to you only when you use them as they are meant to be used.

A hard hat is a beautifully engineered product—it is designed to protect your head from serious injury, but only if you wear it.

Hearing protection is proven effective in preventing hearing loss, but if not worn, or worn incorrectly, they can’t do their job. Just like those gloves you are required to wear when doing certain jobs or handling specific chemicals, they only work if you use them.

Sometimes it may seem like a lot of trouble to take a few seconds to obtain and put on protective equipment for a job that may only take a short time to complete, such as that small grinding task that may only take a few seconds. Did you know that a 10-inch diameter grinding wheel, traveling 1,850 revolutions per minute (rpm) will throw a particle 55 mph toward your face? If your eye were located three feet from the grinding wheel, the particle can strike your eye in 0.04 seconds.

An exposure can happen anytime during the task; the first minute, second hour, or anytime during the whole job, and it may happen more than once. I am sure you will agree, those few irritating seconds it takes to put on your safety glasses is a small price when you consider the years of pain and suffering which may result from an eye injury.

Do your body a favor, obtain the protective equipment your job, and hopefully you demand, and wear it properly.

Conclusion:

PPE is there for a reason, to protect YOU!  Wear and use it correctly, and your family will thank you.

Questions:

1. What % of workers that weren’t wearing hard hats sustained injuries?
2. What % of workers that weren’t using hearing protection sustained hearing loss?

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The Importance of Stretching

Workers in the oil field generally begin each day early.  You go to bed with sore backs, stiff knees, and aching shoulders all from a hard day’s work.  It is not uncommon to drive over an hour to the job site, and climb out of the truck even stiffer than we got into it.  All of these are reasons why it is important to stretch your muscles prior to beginning another day’s work.

Pre-Work Stretching

A person should stretch only after warming up, when the muscles are warm and less likely to tear.  The most effective method of warming up is slowly going through the actual motion of work to be performed at a relaxed pace for 3 to 10 minutes.  You should then stretch after warming up, and each stretch should be comfortable enough to hold for a count of ten.  Stretching lengthens muscles and tendons, and allow muscles to generate more force around the joints, contract more efficiently, and perform better.  Stretching should be performed for at least 5 to ten minutes before work.

Back:

• Bend slowly side to side, (20 to 30 seconds)
• Place your hands on your lower back, bend your neck back and arch your back, (20 to 30 seconds).
• Place your legs together and slowly bend down and try to touch your toes, (hold for 20 seconds).
• Slowly twist your torso and upper body side to side, (20 to 30 seconds)

Legs & Knees:

• Stand on one leg, reach behind your back and pull your foot up and forward, (20 to 30 seconds).
• Spread your legs and bend down and try to touch the ground, (20 to 30 seconds).

Shoulders:

• Extend your arms and make large, slow circular motions with your arms.  First forward, then backwards, (20 to 30 seconds each arm).
• Grab the opposite elbow and pull the elbow across your body to stretch your shoulder muscles, (20 to 30 seconds each arm).

Neck:

• Make a slow circular motion by rotating your head first clockwise, then counter clockwise, (20 to 30 seconds in each direction).
• Place your hand on one side of your head and use your neck muscles to push against your hand, then switch and push from the other direction, (20 to 30 seconds each direction).

Conclusion:

A regular stretching program will help to strengthen muscles which will help prevent muscle strains and soreness.  Alternating work tasks on a daily basis will allow muscles to recover, prevent injuries, and promote a higher level of fitness.

Questions:

1. What can help stiff knees, sore backs, and aching shoulders?

2. Stretching does what to muscles?

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***Dust masks do nothing to help contain or control the COVID-19 (coronavirus).  Frequent hand washing, (at least for 20 seconds with soap & water), is your best defense.  Do not touch your face with you hands until your hands are clean.***

Dust masks (particulate respirators) are to be used in the workplace where airborne particulates such as dust and dirt are present as part of the environment.  Dust masks protect your lungs and airways from damage due to the inhalation of airborne particulate matter.  Dust masks are not approved for asbestos exposure or any other airborne hazardous material.  Long term exposure to airborne particulates can cause extreme respiratory problems.

Guidelines for use:

• Always review the SDS on the chemicals and material that you are working with.  Many chemicals and materials will not be filtered by a dust mask and the use of a respirator is required.
• Dust masks are to be used for airborne particulates and are not suitable for hazardous levels of vapors and extremely fine particulates.
• Change your dust mask frequently and whenever you note any discoloration from the accumulation of particulates.
• Since your airflow will be slightly reduced, it is important to take frequent breaks while wearing a dust mask.  Take all your breaks in fresh air with the mask removed.
• If you feel faint, or develop a headache, stop work immediately and get some fresh air.  Locate the source of your symptoms, and correct the problem before returning to work.
• Ensure that your dust mask fits snugly.  If you feel air leaking around the edges of the mask, adjust the mask or switch to a different mask.
• Dust masks are to be used only by one person.  Never share or re-use dust masks.

Conclusion:

Restricting the total you are exposed to an air contaminant is an important method of respiratory protection.  Properly used, dust masks protect workers from hazards, but a dust mask does not eliminate the hazards.  A dust mask is a form of PPE, however, if a dust mask is inappropriate for a particular task, you risk exposure.  Appropriate protection depends upon selecting, wearing, and using the correct PPE properly.

Questions:

1. Dust masks may be used by more than one person, True or False?
2. What document determines which kind of respiratory protection you need?

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Aerial Lift Safety

We use aerial lifts on our job sites every day. Let’s review some safety tips for those working in and around this equipment.

• As with other powered vehicles, inspect the lift prior to utilizing it. Walk around and ensure there are no leaks, check to ensure all the controls are functioning correctly.
• Never walk under the boom to gain access to the platform.
• Only utilize the lift on level ground.
• Only stand on the platform floor. Never stand or sit on the railing.
• Always look in the direction the machine is moving.
• Do not rest the boom or basket on a steel structure of any kind.
• Wear safety harnesses and tie-off to the manufacture provided anchorage point within the platform at all times when you’re in the basket. This includes when you are lowered and moving the equipment to another location.
• Keep your hands the external portion of the basket when raising or lowering the basket.
• Ensure that a fire extinguisher is mounted in the basket when performing activities that present a fire hazard such as welding or grinding. Ensure you have a fire watch person below.
• Except in a case of an emergency, ground controls shall not be operated on an occupied lift (lift occupant shall be in full control of the lift at all times).

Questions:

1. Before using an aerial lift, what should you always do first?
2. It’s OK to use an aerial lift on an incline, True or False?

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Head injuries kill and disable more people under the age of 50 than any other type of neurological damage, and after gunshot wounds, are the second leading cause of death in men under the age of 35.  Nearly half of all people who suffer a severe head injury die.  Of all the head injury deaths, over half are the result of traffic accidents.

• Damage from a head injury.  A head injury can damage the scalp, skull, or brain in any combination.  A harsh blow can severely shake the brain, sometimes causing brain damage, even when there is no sign of harm.  A blow to the head can bruise the brain tissue, causing death of some brain cells in the area of the injury.  When an object actually penetrates the skull, foreign material can cause infection, or blood vessels may break or tear, causing hemorrhage.
• Symptoms and signs of head injury.  If the injury is mild, there may be no symptoms other than a slight headache.  In some cases there is concussion, (brief unconsciousness), which may cause confusion, dizziness, blurred vision, slurred speech, and poor coordination.  Severe head injuries may result in unconsciousness that lasts longer than a few minutes, or coma, which can be fatal.  Symptoms such as vomiting, pupils of unequal size, double vision, or deteriorating level of consciousness suggest progressive brain damage.
• Immediate care for head injuries.  Quickly access the situation and if the individual is obviously seriously injured, prompt medical attention is imperative.  Time is of the essence. Call the local EMS and convey to the dispatcher the severity of the victim’s injuries.  Check the victim’s airway, breathing, and circulation.  Stop the bleeding from lacerations if it can be accomplished without further endangering the victim.  Never move the victim unless imminent danger (such as fire or toxic fumes) is present.  Keep the injured person as warm and comfortable as possible and stay with them until medical help arrives.

Suggestions for the workplace

• Always wear a hard hat while on the job and be aware of objects that are falling, moving, or flying.
• Slipping and tripping can result in falls that can cause potentially serious head injury.
• Falling from heights is a major cause of severe head trauma.  Neglecting to use proper fall protection equipment can lead to falls of potentially lethal distances.

Conclusion:

The head is the nerve center of humans and must be carefully protected.  Even with all of the natural protection, traumatic brain injury from blunt force or falling impact concussion can cause adverse immediate or long term effects, and possibly even death.  Use safe work practices, common sense, and good judgement to help avoid head injuries.

Questions:

1. To prevent head injuries, what should always be worn?
2. It’s OK to move someone with a head injury, True or False?

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When we talk about “Fit for Duty”, we are usually talking about managing the physical fatigue of working shift work.  This week however, I want to direct your attention to a growing threat, off hours consumption of alcohol.

XPAT has moved all non-CDL employees into a separate pool, with only our employees, so random testing will be more frequent than in the past.

Here are some alcohol related facts:

• It can take up to 18 hours to flush all the alcohol from your body.
• A regular bottle of beer has as much alcohol as a shot of liquor.
• 7 percent of the US population have a “diagnosable” alcohol abuse disorder.
• 4 to 5 drinks in a 2.5 hour period for an average size individual will result in a blood alcohol content of 0.08%, or legally drunk.

Remember, IF you are a CDL holder, and your blood alcohol content is 0.04%, you are legally drunk.  What does this have to do with Fit for Duty?  If you are drinking alcohol after work and getting less than 8 to 10 hours of sleep before going to work, then you are not Fit for Duty!   Any employee caught driving a company vehicle while impaired, will be terminated.

XPAT Standards from the HSE Manual:

An employee shall be determined to be under the influence of alcohol if:
a. the employee’s normal faculties are impaired due to consumption of alcohol or if
b. the employee has a blood-alcohol level of .04 or higher or if
c. the employee is a DOT CDL licensed driver who has a blood-alcohol level of .02
or higher.

Driving Safely in Deer Country

Deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) result in over 200 motorist deaths annually.  Thousands of DVCs result in damage to vehicles and minor to moderate injury each year, costing vehicle owners and insurance companies millions of dollars each year.  The escalating numbers of deer and resulting DVCs are due in part to successive mild winters in most parts of the United States, the rapid expansion of agricultural lands, and the increased road access to traditional deer habitat.

When driving through areas that deer inhabit, it is important to take precautions to avoid a collision and prevent injury and property damage.  By knowing periods of deer activity, and their habits and habitat and what to do when you encounter deer on the road, you can avoid a dangerous situation.

Deer are on the move year-round, but their travels peak in spring and summer.  You will encounter deer feeding in roadside ditches in spring, looking for freshly sprouted plants like forbs and grasses to help them recover from the long winter.  Deer will also feed throughout the summer to prepare for mating in the fall and to build up reserves for the oncoming cold seasons.  Be alert at these times of year for increased deer activity.

Deer are also most active in low-light hours.  Morning and evening, while travelling to and from work, is when many people encounter deer.  Night travel also frequently puts motorists in contact with deer, and with the reduced visibility, deer are harder to see.

Pay specific attention to the roadsides when driving through agricultural and forested areas; don’t rely on traditional deer crossing signs, as deer are found nearly everywhere.  Deer will make split-second decisions to cross the road, and you must be able to react.

If you see one deer cross the road, expect others to be right behind it.  Deer usually travel in small groups throughout most of the year.  It is a good idea to use your high-beam headlights when possible to see deer in advance as you travel at night.  Drive fully awake and alert, free from alcohol or medications which cause drowsiness and distractions such as cell phones – keep your focus on the road and the ditches alongside it.  Drive slower than the speed limit if deer are present and adjust for fog or rain.

When a DVC is unavoidable, do not swerve wildly away from the deer!  Slow down as rapidly as possible by applying pressure to the brakes.  In most cases, it is better to hit the deer and damage your vehicle than it is to swerve and leave the road or collide with traffic in the oncoming lane.  Many fatalities and serious injuries resulting from DVCs happen when cars leave the road and roll over, or strike trees and other objects after the driver swerved and lost control.

Conclusion:

Keep these facts in mind to prevent property damage, injury and even death, whenever your travels take you through deer country.

Questions:

1. Deer are most active during what part of the day?
2. Always swerve to avoid hitting a deer.  True or False?

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