Every day, oil field workers risk their lives to provide the fuel we need for our cars and homes. They do this knowing that there is a very real chance that they will be injured or killed on the job. Yet despite these risks, many people don’t take safety seriously enough-and as a result, thousands of injuries and deaths happen each year in this industry.
Natural gas extraction can be dangerous because it’s done with drilling equipment underground without any type of ventilation system. The natural gas can accumulate around the drill site and explode if ignited by an electric spark from tools being used near a wellhead or if lit directly with a match or cigarette lighter. If you’re an oil field worker, here’s how you can stay safe at all times.
Clean Up Messes
Oil field workers are responsible for keeping the site clean of any tools, equipment, or debris that could cause a spark. This is great in theory but in reality, oil field workers often neglect this duty because they’re rushing to complete their projects on time. If you want to stay safe, then it’s always better to be safe than sorry-so clean up your messes and always take the time to be sure that you’re not just moving the materials around.
Avoid Spending Time Near Flammable Substances
Drilling for natural gas is extremely dangerous because it involves using flammable liquids such as butane or propane to help extract the gas from underground. These substances are highly flammable, which means that they can catch fire and cause a significant explosion if there’s a spark or tobacco lighter nearby. To stay safe, avoid spending time near these liquids whenever possible. This is easy to do since you’ll probably have to load them onto trucks several times throughout the day anyway.
Open flames come in a variety of forms. For example, there are electric sparks from power tools being used near a wellhead or lighters that could be used to light cigarettes, lamps, and heaters. Be sure to never stand too close to an open flame because it’s likely to cause a fire or explosion if the air becomes saturated with flammable substances. If you want to stay safe, always minimize your contact with open flames when you’re in the vicinity of a wellhead or other flammable substances.
Protect Yourself With Personal Protective Equipment
Personal protective equipment is something that every oil field worker should wear at all times. These items may include overalls and work boots to protect you from falling debris and common oil field injuries that could lead to potential health complications. Headlamps should also be worn at all times if the site has inadequate lighting because it’s easy for someone to get hurt when they can’t see what they’re doing.
Always wear your headlamps if you’re working in the dark or near flammable substances since it becomes much more difficult to avoid injury without proper lighting. It’s also important to wear gloves, goggles, and other equipment that can help protect you from serious injuries in the event of an explosion or fire.
Beware of Possible Hazards
There are numerous hazards associated with natural gas extraction. For example, these include but are not limited to:
- Open flames or matches/lighters
- Falling debris; the risk of debris increases when you’re working around tall equipment
- Electrical hazards that could cause sparks and may result in explosions if flammable gases come into contact with the electricity
- Fumes from flammable liquids used in the extraction process
People often don’t think about these hazards because they are so common within the industry. However, it’s important to be aware of them at all times-particularly if you’re on a site where natural gas is being extracted. These types of injuries and illnesses can be avoided if you make sure to stay safe at all times. If you do so, then there’s a good chance that you’ll return home safely every day.
Identify Possible Problems Before They Become Serious
Oil field workers should always think about the worst-case scenario and take steps to prevent it before it becomes a problem. For example, if you’re using heavy machinery on top of an oil wellhead-and there’s no support for this equipment-then it could become unstable or fall onto the site below. To stay safe, always make sure that large equipment is securely anchored to avoid injuries and accidents.
Always take the time to figure out how you’ll prevent accidents before they happen. This is important because it will give you the opportunity to identify any potential problems that may exist on your work site at that moment in time before they become serious enough to cause injuries or even death. Oil field workers need to take precautions before these scenarios become a reality by first identifying and then taking steps to solve the problems.
As you can see, it’s important for oil field workers to make sure that they stay safe on the job at all times. This is an occupation with numerous hazards associated with it, which means that you could be in great danger of getting injured or killed if you don’t follow certain safety procedures throughout your workday. However, if you make sure to follow the guidelines that we’ve outlined in this article then you stand a much better chance of avoiding tragedy.