OSHA – Step Up Program Launched To Increase Safety Awareness In The Upstream Industry

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Working in the upstream oil and gas industry has many risks that workers face on a daily basis. Whether people are working in the well pads or rigs, they need to be made aware about the hazards and take adequate safety precautions to protect the health of workers. NIOSH and OSHA have joined hands to increase awareness about hazards in the upstream oil and gas industry. Whether it is oil field jobs in PA or Aberdeen, safety awareness is a must. Read this article for more information about the Step-up initiative.

OSHA, NIOSH, National Steps Network And Industry Join Hands For This Initiative

The Step-Up For Safety was initiated to increase awareness and provide better safety for workers in the oil and gas upstream industry. The aim is to reduce and to eliminate workplace incidents that injure or result in fatalities at the workplace. This initiative helps in allocating time during a workday to create awareness about hazards at the workplace. It offers an opportunity for employers to talk directly to workers about safety.

Sandy Smith said in a recent article:

“OSHA is planning a 2016 Step-Up for Safety in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry to raise awareness among employers and workers about hazards in oil and gas exploration. During step-up events, employers around the country are asked to take time out to conduct site inspections, safety training and other activities. These events will be held mid-February until the end of March.”

OSHA Has Updated Its Safety And Health Guidelines For The First Time In 25 Years

In a recent video, Dr. John Howard, the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Dr. David Michaels, The Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA explain about the initiatives adopted by OSHA to improve the safety and health of workers.

OSHA has demonstrated its commitment to worker safety by updating the Safety And Health Program Management guidelines for the first time after 25 years.

OSHA is working in close association with NIOSH, National Steps Network and the industry to provide compliance assistance tools, safety and health training apart from outreach materials for both employers and workers.

Oil and gas drilling, well-servicing and production operations can be very dangerous. The fatality rate is reported to be 7 times higher than the average US industry.

Last year, OSHA expanded the Severe Violators Enforcement Program (SVEP) to include the upstream oil and gas industry. What this means for the oil and gas industry is that wilful, repeated or failure to abate violations will place an employer in the SVEP. This will prompt employers to adopt steps to protect the safety and health of workers.

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kZrTHe5IG4