Safety Hazards in the Petroleum Industry

Name: Professor’s name: Course: Date: Safety in the Petroleum Industry Introduction Approximately 88 barrels of crude oil or petroleum are consumed per day all over the world, and its by-products make into the market as valuable merchandise that finds use in people’s daily activities (McCarthy Katherine, 2013). Products such as lubricants, synthetics, drugs, dyes, and fuels are essential to human life. The conversion of petroleum to the finished products entails a dangerous process that requires a large number of human resources. Thus, the industry also has a positive effect in the economy through expansive employment opportunities it creates throughout its long chain of production. The chain begins with exploration to identify potential reserves, mining or extraction, refinery, transport, and finally, marketing of the petroleum products such as oil and gasoline (McCarthy Katherine, 2013). Different workforce depending on the expertise required at each stage of conversion is necessary to oversee the smooth transition of raw petroleum to its finished goods. The volatile nature of the industry makes it dangerous and hazardous to the workers, and hence it is important to highlight some of the safety challenges facing workers and their remedies. The petroleum industry is one of the critical pillars driving economies around the world accounting for a significant portion of valuable products whose importance to universal development cannot be downplayed. The growing energy needs due to the rapid growth of all the other sectors of the economy necessitates the mining of oil and natural gas from various reserves and wells in different regions around the globe. The Middle East region boasts of being the leading producers of the essential product with the United States enjoying runners up position among the top (McCarthy Katherine, 2013). The safety concerns of the industry spread across the oil-producing countries and measures should be put in place to safeguard the safety of workers. It is also important to take note of the fact that industry has some critical implications for the entire human population due to its adverse effects on the environment. The petroleum industry accounts for the most significant percentage of air pollution due to its massive carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Climate change due to the increased emission of the hazardous gases threat the well-being and safety of the general population. Offshore oil spills also have an adverse effect on the aquatic ecosystem. Safety Hazards facing Petroleum Workers The primary focus of this paper, however, is to address the safety concerns or challenges facing workers in the industry and find possible solutions to averting or preventing their occurrence. The operations involved in the conversion process of crude petroleum to the range of byproducts pose specific occupational threats to the workers involved. A collective approach that collaborates the efforts of the employers and the employees, contractors or permanent, should be utilized in preventing the actualization of such threats (Smart, J. Sally, 2015). Engagement of all the stakeholders towards a cohesive effort towards safeguarding the various working sites ensures that awareness levels are always high to minimize injuries at the workplace. Some of the common safety hazards to workers in the petroleum industry include fires and explosions. Slips, falls, and trips, confined spaces, and vehicular accidents. The workers may also suffer from hazardous gaseous exposures that may lead to fatal effects on their health. Exposure to toxic chemical hazards such as asphyxiates, sensitizers, and carcinogens is dangerous to the health of workers (Smart, J. Sally, 2015). Physical safety concerns include noise pollution, vibrations, high temperatures, and radiations. The petroleum reserves are also known to harbor certain bacteria, viruses, and parasites which pose biological hazards to the workers. Operating the heavy machinery involved in the transition process even pose an ergonomic threat to workers as the lifting of heavy equipment would strain some of their bodily functions which may pose life-long challenges or disabilities. The isolated drilling sites, long working hours, and overworking of the employees can have psychological effects which may pose mental challenges to some of the workers. The occupational hazards highlighted have an adverse impact on the petroleum industry’s wor...