HSE ASSIGNMENT

SUBMITTED TO:
Dr.Mandira Agarwal

SUBMITTED BY:
DISHA SINGH INT (bba +mba) R430209015

ERGONOMICS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

Ergonomics derives from two Greek words: ergon, meaning work, and nomoi, meaning natural laws, to create a word that means the science of work and a persons relationship to that work. Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. It is employed to fulfill the two goals of health and productivity. It is relevant in the design of such things as safe furniture and easy-to-use interfaces to machines and equipment.

ERGONOMICS IN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY:

The oil and gas industry has job requirements that are very labor-intensive, and if the employee is not regarded in the job design as well as the equipment and tools that are used, injuries and errors will occur. The oil and gas industry is a major source of revenues for most countries located in the Middle East and other regions worldwide. Whether it is a U.S.-based refinery and storage facility, or a research and recovery operation off the Niger Delta, the oil and gas industry has many built-in environmental, health and safety risk factors. The work is performed in restricted spaces, open fields and other outdoor environments such as off-shore rigs and platforms. There are complications of heat, noise, slippery surfaces and a myriad of manual material handling exposures of lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing and pulling tasks. There are electrical issues and fall protection challenges, as well as repetitive tasks such as valve turning, which increases the force risks to the employees. If ergonomics is not considered during any of the phases, production is affected and employees could be injured. Worker ergonomic and safety awareness is necessary for injury prevention during all phases of drilling operations. Certified professional ergonomists (CPEs) scientifically identified the apparent and nonapparent risk factors that exist in the working environment through objective measurement techniques and subjective quantification. Processes were devised to train the design engineers, supervisors, medical personnel and employees to identify risks and report through the appropriate system. It is crucial that the recommendations are implemented and the corresponding feedback is monitored (i.e. injury records) on a continuous basis to ensure positive results, such as reduced injury levels and absenteeism and increased worker morale and productivity.

Some examples of possible ergonomic solutions for the oil and gas industry include:

Use ergonomics in the designing of jobs and choose equipment and tools that are designed with ergonomics in mind. Establish ergonomics policies and procedures throughout the corporation, no matter what the size. Train workers in ergonomics for the appropriate handling and use of the special tools required during drill stem testing. Ensure all workers on the location understand the risks and dangers before starting any drill stem test. They should be fully informed of and trained in appropriate safety procedures, including the use of safety equipment and breathing apparatus. Utilize ergonomics for the design and layout of control rooms to eliminate human error and increase comfort, fit, user performance and functionality. Ensure all signage is placed in an area that everyone can see and read clearly. Use larger fonts and consider both indirect as well as direct glare.

Human Factors is now recognized as a major contributor to operational safety, loss prevention and optimizing system performance in the Petrochemicals industries. Human actions and decisions represent means of promoting effective operation as well being potential sources of error. The study of human error and reliability is essential to ensure the safe and reliable operation of industrial plant and systems which involve human operators. Human Factors Integration aims to 'design-in' the humans into plant and system design, taking account of their capabilities and limitations. This can lead to significant savings in both CAPEX and OPEX through appropriate manning levels, maintainable plant, reduced rework and user-friendly facilities and systems. There is also an increased regulatory drive towards a consideration of Human Factors in offshore safety cases and COMAH safety reports.The UK HSE Hazardous Installations Directorate has identified its Top 10 Human Factors issues in industrial safety. These include staffing levels and workload, human factors in design and maintenance error. Hu-Tech has a long track record in working with projects, safety and operational teams in the practical application of Human Factors. They applied tried and trusted structured methods in numerous studies, from the design of major control rooms to the reduction of human error in product testing. Costly mistakes occurring in manufacturing, production and quality assurance are usually attributed in some way to human error. As a result, time and product are wasted leaving production targets unachieved, late stock delivery, expensive down time and dissatisfied staff. The cumulative effects of which will place a heavy burden on the bottom line reducing the profit margin considerably.

Human error analysis (HEA) need not be complex, but requires a systematic approac The workshops will: Describe the task analytically Identify existing and potential errors Define the error type knowing this provides a head start in address the root cause Identify the priority areas find the critical errors to overcome Find out why the errors happen what makes them possible? What makes them more likely to happen? Identify ways to prevent the error or reduce its impact. And Certain circumstances will make costly Human Error much more likely: Confusing interface design Operator overloading or under loading Team makeup and dynamics Task design unsuited to operator abilities or expectations

Why Ergonomics is Crucial?

The statistics for the oil and gas industry demonstrate claims by accident types. Ergonomics injuries fit into the categories titled "Overexertion," "Other" and "Bodily Reactions." They comprise the majority of accident types.Approximately 54 percent of the claims relate to injured workers in the 25- to 44-year-old category, with males representing more than 95 percent of the claims in this category. Working conditions in this industry vary significantly by occupation. For these jobs, physical strength and stamina are necessary. This work involves standing for long periods, lifting moderately heavy objects and climbing and stooping to work with tools that often are oily and dirty.Executives generally work in office settings, as do most administrators and clerical workers. Geologists, engineers and managers may split their time between the office and the jobsites, particularly while involved in exploration work. Only one employee in 12 works fewer than 35 hours a week, because opportunities for parttime work are rare. A higher percentage of workers work overtime in this industry than in all industries combined. The average non-supervisory worker worked 39.5 hours per week in 2002, compared with 33.9 hours for all non-supervisory workers on private non-farm payrolls. Oil and gas well drilling and servicing can be hazardous. However, in 2002 the rate of workrelated injury and illness in the oil and gas extraction industry, as a whole, was 3.4 per 100 full-time workers, somewhat lower than the 5.3 for the entire private sector. The rate for workers in the oil and gas field services segment, 4.5 per 100 full-time workers, was almost 3 times higher than that for workers in the crude petroleum and natural gas segment, which was 1.6. However, improvements in drilling technology and oil rig operations, such as remote-controlled drills, have led to fewer injuries.

Drilling rigs operate continuously. On land, drilling crews usually work 6 days for 8 hours a day and then have a few days off. In offshore operations, workers can work 14 days for 12 hours a day, and then have 14 days off. If the offshore rig is located far from the coast, drilling crew members live on ships anchored nearby or in facilities on the platform itself. Workers on offshore rigs always are evacuated in the event of a storm. Most workers in oil and gas well operations and maintenance or in natural gas processing work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Many oilfield workers are away from home for weeks or months at a time. Exploration field personnel and drilling workers frequently move from place to place as work at a particular field is completed. In contrast, well operation and maintenance workers and natural gas processing workers usually remain in the same location for extended periods. Because of the nature of the industry, promoting ergonomics can be a challenging, but necessary, endeavor. Lack of skills in ergonomics, communication and resources are believed to be some of the major factors contributing to the poor ergonomic conditions and consequent increase in health and safety problems in this industry.

Occupational risk management (ORM) It is a combination of disciplines necessary to reduce fatalities and injuries in any working environment and increase the productivity, efficiency and quality of the work output. The disciplines included in ORM are ergonomics, health, safety and environmental management. Investing in ergonomics will greatly enhance a corporation or public entity by building a better working environment. Most importantly, investing in ergonomics as an integral part of environmental, health and safety programs can save lives, prevent injuries, establish major cost benefits resulting in greater profits and better overall efficiencies, thereby creating an atmosphere of better business.