Tag Archives: oil

General Safety Issues

Four Things Your Employees Need to Know About Hazardous Waste, & Recyclable Oil (Guest Post)

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Hazardous Waste, Recyclable Oil, and 4 things your employees need to know. 

Being knowledgeable about the dangers of all chemicals in your workplace is the first step to a safer work environment.

As one of the most valuable resources the Earth has to offer, oil is commonly found in many workplaces, from factories and plants to gas stations and restaurants. While oil is necessary it can also be a danger to employees if not labeled and handled properly. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) outlines a number of safety guidelines to ensure workers handle all materials correctly.

The biggest and most important responsibility of an employer is being informed and protecting all employees. Here are four of the most important steps an employer can take to ensure safety:

Know The Materials You’re Working With

Often the words “waste oil” and “used oil” are used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Waste oil is oil that has been contaminated and cannot be used for its intended purpose. Waste oil can be hazardous and must be disposed of or stored according to strict OSHA regulations to prevent illness or accident. Used oil is oil that has been used for its intended purpose and can now be recycled and re-refined to be used again. Both types pose a threat to drinking water sources and thus must always be carefully handled.

Be Prepared

Oil is a class B fire hazard, meaning it requires specific fire extinguishers that use sodium or potassium bicarbonate. Chemical hazards can cause serious dangers when they are not thoroughly controlled. Oil can cause fires, explosions, and toxic emissions. Employers are also responsible for providing fire prevention information, safe exits, escape routes, and hazard communication. If people remain informed and prepared, many of the risks associated with oil use and storage can be prevented.

Provide Your Employees with Protection

OSHA requires that all businesses provide safety training, personal protective equipment, and an emergency action plan. By keeping up to date on regulations and guidelines, employers can ensure that they are not liable when things go wrong. Furthermore, employers are responsible for reporting any injuries or illnesses that occur while on the job. By doing so, they can prevent future accidents. Conducting business in a safe and secure way gives employers the power to be efficient.

Stay Up To Date

OSHA frequently releases new information and statistics to help businesses maintain the best possible working conditions. Each year OSHA holds a safety conference which presents the newest information available about conditions in the workplace. In addition, when employers receive new rules, regulations, or warnings they are responsible for relaying the information to their employees and taking the appropriate steps for compliance and improvement.

Having all information and safety equipment prominently displayed and explained will keep employers and employees safe and competent. While working with oil is often unavoidable, the dangers associated with it are avoidable and should be treated with care and concern. 

General Safety Issues, Protective Clothing, Respiratory Safety

OIL SPILL CLEAN UP CONTINUES

At this moment, we are hopeful that the cap that was placed on the BP oil well that has been creating havoc on our Gulf of Mexico since April 20th will hold.  It is moment by moment, as the company is continuing to test the pressure and is hopeful that the flow of oil and gas will be contained.

In the meantime, efforts to clean up the shorelines and the Gulf continue.  The agencies that are responsible for oil clean up are the United States Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency.  It seems that every way possible to clean up this mess has been tried.  From booms placed in the water to contain the oil, to boats that skim or suck the oil from the water into containment tanks, the continual flow of oil has been extremely challenging.  The oil has been set on fire –“ in situ burning”, or controlled burning that is done by the Coast Guard under certain conditions, when the sea is in a low state.  Because it is mostly oil, it can cause toxic smoke, but it is a trade-off between leaving the oil to remain in the gulf water or air pollution from the burn, which is of shorter duration.  NIOSH has been monitoring the air quality aboard response vessels, and recommended that Dust Masks and Respirators be available to all burn crews.

Dispersants were sprayed on the water by planes, to break up the oil, but some scientists feel that these chemicals are absorbed into the water, resulting in danger to marine life and corral reefs.

Another method of clean-up in the water is being done by two skimmer rigs, the Discoverer Enterprise, a ship that can collect, process, and store oil.  The Q4000 can’t process or store crude oil, but can burn the oil and gas through an “Evergreen” burner, creating a clean burn by eliminating visible smoke emissions. 

In Northwest Florida,  efforts to clean up some of their beaches resulted in removing too much sand.  The weight of tractors and trailers destabilized the shoreline, making it vulnerable to natural erosion.  Also, the weight of heavy machines forced oil deeper into the sand, creating a safety hazard. 

So it seems, these folks on the southern coastline areas can’t win for losing.  This has been a terrible puzzle to try to piece together to get the mess contained.  It may be months or even years before things will be back to normal.  Those who make their living, such as fishermen, and the entire tourist industry have suffered greatly.  Hopes are that they will be reimbursed quickly in order to fulfill their regular day-to-day obligations.

Thankfully,  the workers are wearing protective gear, such as sunglasses, gloves, vests, and hats.  Some are required to wear Tyvek clothing that protects them from hazardous materials.  The exact health risks are yet not fully determined for those who must do this work. 

We hope that our friends that have been affected by this terrible accident can soon see the light at the end of the tunnel, and someday see their beautiful blue water and wildlife back to normal.

General Safety Issues

WHEN WILL WE PUT SAFETY FIRST?

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As the Gulf of Mexico waters continue to be spoiled by oil and chemicals released from the BP oil well, we are reminded that too many times companies “put the cart before the horse.”  Only after an accident such as this, causing the loss of life of eleven people, injuries to many workers, and ruining the livelihoods of thousands who depend on fishing and tourism, do we begin to point the finger of blame.  Congressmen are trying to find out why it happened, but what are they going to do about it?  Where are the ones responsible to initiate plans to prevent these mishaps, rather than wait until it’s too late?
An example of this is the tragedy in West Virginia, where several miners lost their lives in the explosion at the Upper Big Branch South Mine, on April 5th.  Shortly afterwards, we learned about the numerous safety violations that their company, Massey Energy, had committed.   If corrections to the citations had been made, it’s possible that the explosion may not have happened.   According to an Associated Press release of June 15, 2010, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is heading a civil investigation of the explosion, which is also the subject of a federal criminal probe.  Hopefully, something will be done to keep our miners safer in their daily work.
“Safety First” should be the motto of every company, and it should mean just that.  Every employee should have the assurance that he will go home at the end of his/her shift.  There are many dangerous jobs out there, and working on a drilling rig is one of them.  Jobs that provide energy for this country are risky, and the people who do that type of work know that.  But they should be able to trust that the company they are working for is not going to cut corners or take shortcuts to complete the job because of the bottom dollar figure.  The result of this accident is going to cost billions of dollars and years of repair to restore the Gulf Coast region.  It is taking not only a human toll to those who live and work in the area, but birds, animals and sea life have paid with their lives.  We salute those who are working diligently to save as many birds and sea creatures as possible.
It is time that whatever agencies “oversee” safety regulations do what is expected of them. That’s what our tax dollars are paying them to do.   We hope that the people of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are compensated fairly in a timely manner for their losses.  Drilling has gone on in the Gulf of Mexico for years without tragedies such as this.  We need the oil that the Gulf of Mexico can furnish, and those persons who work on drilling rigs need their jobs.  Citizens should expect that our government agencies enforce all employers in every type of business to fulfill their obligation to their employees by abiding by the details of their safety policies and procedures.  This is a hard lesson in “crying over spilled oil” instead of “crying over spilled milk.”
As the Gulf of Mexico waters continue to be spoiled by oil and chemicals released from the BP oil well, we are reminded that too many times companies “put the cart before the horse.”  Only after an accident such as this, causing the loss of life of eleven people, injuries to many workers, and ruining the livelihoods of thousands who depend on fishing and tourism, do we begin to point the finger of blame.  Congressmen are trying to find out why it happened, but what are they going to do about it?  Where are the ones responsible to initiate plans to prevent these mishaps, rather than wait until it’s too late?
An example of this is the tragedy in West Virginia, where several miners lost their lives in the explosion at the Upper Big Branch South Mine, on April 5th.  Shortly afterwards, we learned about the numerous safety violations that their company, Massey Energy, had committed.   If corrections to the citations had been made, it’s possible that the explosion may not have happened.   According to an Associated Press release of June 15, 2010, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is heading a civil investigation of the explosion, which is also the subject of a federal criminal probe.  Hopefully, something will be done to keep our miners safer in their daily work.
“Safety First” should be the motto of every company, and it should mean just that.  Every employee should have the assurance that he will go home at the end of his/her shift.  There are many dangerous jobs out there, and working on a drilling rig is one of them.  Jobs that provide energy for this country are risky, and the people who do that type of work know that.  But they should be able to trust that the company they are working for is not going to cut corners or take shortcuts to complete the job because of the bottom dollar figure.  The result of this accident is going to cost billions of dollars and years of repair to restore the Gulf Coast region.  It is taking not only a human toll to those who live and work in the area, but birds, animals and sea life have paid with their lives.  We salute those who are working diligently to save as many birds and sea creatures as possible.
It is time that whatever agencies “oversee” safety regulations do what is expected of them. That’s what our tax dollars are paying them to do.   We hope that the people of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are compensated fairly in a timely manner for their losses.  Drilling has gone on in the Gulf of Mexico for years without tragedies such as this.  We need the oil that the Gulf of Mexico can furnish, and those persons who work on drilling rigs need their jobs.  Citizens should expect that our government agencies enforce all employers in every type of business to fulfill their obligation to their employees by abiding by the details of their safety policies and procedures.  This is a hard lesson in “crying over spilled oil” instead of “crying over spilled milk.”
General Safety Issues

WATCHING AND WAITING

Ever since the BP well explosion in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20th, the entire country is watching and waiting to see what happens each day, especially those persons whose very livelihood is threatened by oil and gas that is floating closer to their home states.  The story of what happened will keep unfolding until we know the cause of this disaster, and more about the eleven persons who are missing.

Residents of Cordova, Alaska, are watching and waiting, as well, and their hearts are especially heavy because they understand what’s going on.  They know that the residents of Louisiana and possibly other states affected will watch their way of life change for years to come, if the spill is not contained.  Louisiana officials want to have the federal government and the state in control of preventative measures.  Volunteers are already doing what they can, but it is up to BP to furnish booms, which are becoming harder to find.  Each parish in the state is drawing up it’s own plan for defending its coastline, but is required to get final approval from BP and the Coast Guard.  In Lafourche Parish, a floating decontamination area is being built at Port Fourchon to clean oil off incoming vessels.  Port Fourchon handles 18% of the shipping traffic of domestic oil produced in the United States.  In some cases, ships travel 50 miles up the Bayou Lafourche to Lockport, Louisiana, and the inland waterways must not be contaminated.

Louisiana authorities also want to start dredging up walls of sand to protect delicate inland estuaries from the oil spill.  The U.S. Army National Guard has been placing sandbags dropped from helicopters along the coastline to protect marshes.  You will notice, as with any cleanup measures, that volunteers and other personnel must wear gloves, coveralls, boots, hats, and sunscreen.  This form of personal protective equipment is required to safeguard workers from chemicals in the water.  It’s a shame that there’s no way to protect the wild birds, fish and creatures of the sea, but with a disaster such as this one, their future existence is threatened.  Many professional societies are manned and ready to do what they can to clean oily birds, in hopes they will survive.

Alaskans learned some hard lessons from the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989.  The town of Cordova was one of the hardest hit, and families suffered such stress that it led to many cases of bankruptcy, divorce, suicide, and alcoholism.  They know that when big companies commit to compensate for the loss of livelihood and cleanup of the area, it takes several years and many court appeals before it is finally settled.  Their advice is to be prepared. They have plans to have response apparatus ready, with a flotilla of fishermen on call at all times to deploy booms and sandbags, in the event of another oil spill.

As we watch and wait and hope for the best, there are many obstacles to overcome: high winds, rough waves, and not knowing what the results of the chemical dispersants that have been sprayed on the water will bring.  If this mess should get into the warm water current of the Gulf of Mexico, and next into the Gulf Stream, it could possibly flow around Florida and the eastern seaboard.  We must hope that the next method that is tried to stop the flow of oil from a mile beneath the Gulf of Mexico will work.  Our hearts are with the people involved in this struggle.

General Safety Issues

GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL BRINGS BACK HAUNTING MEMORIES TO RESIDENTS OF ALASKA

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On March 24, 1989, an oil tanker, the Exxon Valdez, hit the Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and things have never been the same for this pristine area.  Alaskans are watching the cleanup process that is beginning on the shores of Louisiana, and Alabama.  Florida and Mississippi’s shorelines are also threatened.  The oil that leaked from the Exxon Valdez is still ranked #1 in environmental damages; however, it has been dropped from the top fifty international oil spills.  The damage to the fishing industry in Alaska, as well as tourism and other resources suffered immensely.  On the outside, it is vastly improved; but on the inside, Alaskans who were involved are scarred.

According to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, the National Transportation Safety Board investigated the accident and determined that the probable causes of the grounding were:

1.    The failure of the third mate to properly maneuver the vessel, possibly due to fatigue and excessive workload;

2.    The failure of the master to provide a proper navigation watch, possibly due to impairment from alcohol;

3.    The failure of Exxon Shipping Company to supervise the master and provide a rested and sufficient crew for the Exxon Valdez;

4.    The failure of the U.S. Coast Guard to provide an effective vessel traffic system

5.    The lack of effective pilot and escort services.

The ship’s captain had received permission to use the inbound lane rather than the outbound lane, due to the presence of icebergs.  However, once the ship passed the icebergs, it didn’t get back into the correct passage and became grounded on the reef.

Four summers were spent cleaning up the shores. More than 1,000 boats and 100 airplanes and helicopters were involved, as well as  more than 11,000 Alaska residents and some Exxon employees working together to restore the area.  Imagine 17 Olympic-sized swimming pools full of oil; that is equal to the amount of oil that leaked from the tanker.  Some of the wildlife and sea creatures of Alaska have come back; the herring have not.

Even though residents received monetary compensation, which took years in some cases, due to appeals, they feel they were not repaid for years that they were unable to make a living, most of them by fishing.

It’s unclear what will happen on the Gulf Coast, but massive efforts are being made to protect the wildlife and do what can be done to prevent the same devastation of livelihoods in that area as happened in Alaska.  After a thorough investigation, time will allow us to know what caused the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon, taking the lives of eleven persons, as well as injuring several others.  Until that time, our thoughts are with those who are trying to stop the oil spill, in addition to those who are struggling to protect the Gulf shores.

General Safety Issues

PROTECTING OUR SOUTHERN COASTS

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The eyes of the United States and other countries are focused on what is going to happen to the coastlines of possibly Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, following the terrible oil spill created by an explosion that occurred on Transocean Ltd.’s  Deepwater Horizon platform on April 20th.  There were approximately 126 persons on the rig at the time of the explosion.  Several were injured and eleven persons are still missing and presumed dead.

British Petroleum, the lease operator of the Macondo/Mississippi Canyon #252 oil well, is fervently trying to control the oil that is spreading through the Gulf of Mexico.  On Sunday, May 2, BP began drilling a relief well to intercept and isolate the oil well.  On Saturday, May 8th, a 40’ x 24’ x 14’ containment dome was lowered into the seabed around the leaking well, and was to be connected to a specialist vessel on the surface to receive as much of the oil as possible.  This method had been used in shallow water; however, when tried in the more than mile deep water, it failed.  The United States Coast Guard has performed controlled burns and deployed booms along the coast.  Department of Defense aircraft has also sprayed chemicals to treat the oil in the water.  Some 260 ships, such as barges, skimmers and recovery vessels are being used to collect oil from the sea surface.

BP is working with government agencies and relief organizations to ask for and train volunteers to help with the clean up on the coastlines.  A contractor from Louisiana began preparing volunteers in all aspects of the clean up.  There will be three levels of training, from one 45-minute session to 4 hours.  Volunteers are classified as unpaid volunteers, paid volunteers, and specialized personnel.  This is becoming an economic and environmental disaster.  According to Everyday Wildlife Champions, only trained experts should touch oiled wildlife.  The International Bird Rescue Research Center is taking part in the rescue of sea birds.

Residents of Alaska are re-living memories of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill that devastated the fishing industry and economy in the Prince William Sound area of the state.  Almost one-fifth of the 54 million-gallons of oil cargo that the Exxon Valdez was carrying spilled into the water, when the ship hit Alaska’s Bligh Reef.  In the coming days, we will share more information on the recovery efforts that were made, and the long-lasting effects of that tragedy.

If you want to help, get in touch with one of the leaders in a community you live near.  It is important that you have the proper safety gear to protect yourself if you are working in or near polluted water.  Be sure you have on hand: sunscreen, gloves, protective clothing, safety glasses or goggles, and respirators.

For those who don’t live in these areas, there are many other ways to help, by donating to organizations that will assist these residents and the wildlife that will surely be affected.