HAZARDS IN THE OFFSHORE WORKING ENVIRONMENT

There are many potential sources of harm to the health and safety of workers on offshore
installations. The offshore environment is unique in that it combines the threat of typical
industrial dangers with those specific to the oil and gas extraction industry and to the marine
environment.
These hazards include;
the threats to the structural integrity of the installation,
fire,
explosion,
blowout,
accidents associated with the transport of personnel and supplies,
dangers associated with drilling operations,
diving accidents and falls (ILO, 1993).
The latest government statistics(OSD, HSE, 1994) show that on the UK Continental Shelf in
the period 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993 there were five reported fatalities. In the same
period there were 79 serious accidents of which over 60% were caused by slips, trips and
falls; falling objects; handing goods and materials and lifting/crane operations. Most of the
511 Over 3 day injuries reported also fell into the above Board Incident Types(BITs). The
number of dangerous occurrence reported was 525 and of these 218 (about 41%) involved
hydrocarbon releases, classified under loss of containment. The second most prevalent type
of incident was lifting/crane operation.
HAZARD CONTROLS
Hierarchy of Control
Elimination The best method of dealing with a hazard is to eliminate it. Once the
hazard has been eliminated, the potential for harm is gone. For example:
Remove unnecessary chemicals from use ,
Outsourcing work at high risk activities to third-parties .
Substitution This involves substituting a dangerous process or substance with one
that is not as dangerous. This may not be as satisfactory as elimination as there may
still be a risk (even if it is reduced).
Replace with something less hazardous, which will perform the same task satisfactorily.
Examples:
Replace a manual process with an automatic process
Substitute a hazardous chemical with a less toxic one
Use a lifting aid to reduce the risk of manual handling injuries.
Isolation Separate or isolate the hazard from people. This method has a problem in
that the hazard has not been removed. The guard or separation device is always at risk
of being removed or circumvented.
Engineering controls
Administration Administrative solutions usually involve modification of the
likelihood of an accident happening. This can be done by reducing the number of
people exposed to the danger, reducing the amount of time exposed and providing
training to those people exposed to the hazard.
Provision of Personal Protective Equipments
These principles are not exactly a hierarchy but must be considered alongside the usual
hierarchy of risk control, which is as follows:
elimination;
substitution;
changing work methods/patterns;
reduced or limited time exposure;
engineering controls (e.g. isolation, insulation and ventilation);
good housekeeping;
safe systems of work;
training and information;
personal protective equipment;
welfare;
monitoring and supervision;
review.
The basic concept behind engineering controls is that, to the extent feasible, the work
environment and the job itself should be designed to eliminate hazards o reduce exposure to
hazards.
Engineering controls based on the following broad principles:
1. If feasible, design the facility, equipment, or process to remove the hazard and/or
substitute something that is not hazardous or is less hazardous.
Redesign, change, or substitute equipment to remove the source of excessive
temperatures, noise, or pressure.
Redesign a process to use less toxic chemicals.
Redesign a work station to relieve physical stress and remove ergonomic hazards; or
Design general ventilation with sufficient fresh outdoor air to improve indoor air
quality and generally provide a safe, healthful atmosphere.
2. If removal is not feasible, enclose the hazard to prevent exposure during normal
operations.
Completely enclose moving parts of machinery
Completely contain toxic liquids or gases
Completely contain, noise, heat, or pressure-producing processes
3. Where complete enclosure is not feasible, establish barrier or local ventilation to
reduce exposure to the hazard in normal operations. Examples include:
Ventilation hoods in laboratories
Machine guarding, including electronic barriers
Isolation of a process in an area away from workers, except for maintenance
work
Baffles used as noise-absorbing barriers
Substitution
Substitute something that is not hazardous or is less hazardous. Examples include:
Replacing defective tools, hazardous equipment and machinery
Substituting toxic substances with non-toxic or less toxic substances
Design
If feasible, design or redesign the facility, equipment or process to remove the hazard and/or
substitute something that is not hazardous or is less hazardous.
Examples include:
Redesigning tools, equipment , machinery and materials
Redesigning a chemical process to use less toxic chemicals
Designing workstations to be more ergonomically correct
Enclosure
If removal is not feasible, enclose the hazard to prevent exposure in normal operations.
Examples include:
Complete enclosure of moving parts of machinery
Complete enclosure of toxic liquids or gases
Complete containment of noise, heat, or pressure-producing processes
Barriers
Where complete enclosure is not feasible, establish barriers to prevent access to the hazard.
Machine guarding, including electronic barriers
Baffles used as noise-absorbing barriers