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Professor N. KrishnamurthyConsultant: Safety, Structures, and

Computer Applications Website: www.profkrishna.com

Abu Dhabi, 13 May 2010

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Working at HeightHow about Office Board Meeting on 12th floor?

That is why we don’t need waist belts and life lines in our high-rise flat corridors!

“Working at height” is when a person is working at such height above a firm, properly

designed and constructed base, that falling from

his/her work position to the base will harm him/her.

How about a worker at bottom of a shaft?

2

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Of course, Working on an Oil Rig!

http://www.solarnavigator.net/oil_rigs.htm

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Oil Rig Mechanic Work ConditionsLong hours, outdoors or undergroundPhysically demanding.Stand for long periods, lift heavy objects, in awkward and cramped positions Work at heights Electrical shock, burns, falls, cuts and bruisesWear a lot of PPE

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http:

//exp

ress

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tuffw

orks

.com/

exp-

oil2.h

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ILO Accident Statistics, 1970-1997Worldwide Offshore Accident Databank

(WOAD) Statistical Report, 1970-1997:3,200 accidents More than 1,250 workers died166 offshore units were lost950 units suffered severe damage

Causes, human factors:A macho attitude to safety, Poor training, Language difficulties, orInadequate appreciation of risks

Clear need to address occupationalsafety & health issues in the industry.

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USA Oil and Gas Accidents, 1986-1998American Petroleum Institute (API):

Injuries fell from 1.95/100 in 1997 to 1.34/100 in 1998Decreased by average of 4.6% per year since 1986

“There can be fewer workplaces which could be deemed to be as ‘high risk’ in terms of health and safety than working on an oil rig.”

UK Oil Rig Safety : Workplace Safety

Reasons for the improvement:Stringent regulations in placeExpertise of the companies in the offshore industry

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Deterioration in Oilfield Safety, 2002-07Deaths in USA's oil and gas fields rose alarmingly.

At least 598 workers diedNo. of fall deaths per year rose by ≈ 70%

From 72 in 2002 to 125 in 2006, and 120 in 2007Reasons for deterioration:

New workers operating increasing number of rigs are:Young, inexperienced and Speak little english

Under the high-pressure, safety lapses are commonGovernment agencies rarely dole out tough penalties.

Recommendations:Cap on number of work hours a week Put the well being of their staff ahead of productivity.

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USA Fatality No. and Rate, 2008

USA Variation in Fall Fatalities, 1992-2008

■ Falls● Struck by object

Fatalities in Oil and Gas Industries 85 98 98 125 122 120

5

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USA Workplace Fall Fatalities, 2008

xx

Falls are 30% of workplace accidents!

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Latest News from UAEIn 2009 UAE recorded 249 accidents on construction sites, 47.8% involving labourers falling from heights.

http://www.securitymiddleeastmagazine.com/pages/issue_44_news.aspx

Daily Latest News, IANS - Wednesday, April 28th, 2010: 108 Abu Dhabi workers died in 2009,

out of which 47 died by falling from heights

“All workers deserve the right to be safe at work. So let’s keep our workers safe. The international slogan for this day is ‘Remember the dead – Fight for the Living’”,said Zaid Al Siksek, HAAD chief executive officer

http://www.dailylatestnews.com/2010/04/28/default-1580-014247

Derrickhand grabs a winch

Elsewhere?

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Recent Statistics Around the World

ILO forecasts deficit of 6,000 skilled oil workers by 2010. “The shortage of skilled workers has its roots in:

Job cuts and lack of recruitment during the 1990s,Perceived poor and dangerous working conditions,Now aggravated by the current economic crisis”,

says Ms. Elizabeth Tinoco, Director of the ILO’s Sectoral Activities Department (SECTOR).http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_106187/index.htm

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Working at Height Facts

2m divides death/major injury from minor injury2/3 major injuries occur falling from ‘low’ heights.More people fall with fall protection than without!Falling ‘h’m ≈ being hit by car at 16√h kmph

Fall 3 floors (≈12m) = Car at 16√12 = 55 kmphFall prevention was to tie a cable attached to an anchor at the top and to a waist belt around the person.

Only in last couple of decades has this method been proven to often cause the death of the person by crushing of the insideorgans and fracture of the spine.

Most dangerous of all activities in all industries worldwideMax. injuries and deaths from falling from height

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Why do Workers Fall from Height?Unsafe Act (by Worker or other Staff)

E.g. Not wearing a safety helmetIgnoranceNegligenceOver-confidenceDissatisfaction

Unsafe Condition (by Supervisory Staff or Management)E.g. Not providing a proper anchor

IgnoranceNegligenceProfit motiveNeed for speed

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Varying Safety Cultures

http://www.isca.org.uk/18001/images/unsafe_cradle_use.jpg

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Fall Control and ManagementCollective or Passive Controls

Provided by the Management collectively for the entire work forceWorker does not have to actively do anything, but follow regulations and house rules regarding the safety measures provided by the Management

E.g. Prevention: Guard-rail for scaffoldProtection: Safety netting

Personal or Active ControlsProvided by Management for each individual workerWorker has to actively understand, accept, and cooperate in wearing Personal Protective Equipment, and otherwise implementing the safety measures

E.g. Prevention: Work restraintProtection: Body harness

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Passive Fall Protection – SafeguardsGuard-rails, Catch nettingBarriers

http://www.sicor-int.com/products_industrial.php

9

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Passive Fall Protection : Netting

Safety net along bridge enabled workers to move about more freely. 19 were saved by net. Just 3 months before opening day, a scaffold beneath roadway broke loose, ripping through net, plunging it into water, dragging 10 men on scaffold to death.

Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco, USAConstruction

Jan. 1933 – May 1937

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Active Fall Protection

PLUS:Work-Positioning

Work/Travel Restraint – Waist belt & lanyard

– Double lanyard

DOUB

LE L

ANYA

RD

10

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Regulatory Philosophy of Fall ControlOSHA General Duty Clause (GDC) : Section 5(a)(1):

Each employer shall furnish … employment free from recognized hazards … likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.

Western Australia Petroleum Act 1982, Sch. 5, Div. 1.8:(1) The operator of a facility must … ensure that (a) the

facility … and (b) all work … on [it], are carried out in a manner that is safe and without risk to the health of any person at or near the facility.

UAE Legislation Article (1) : General duties of employers:Each employer shall … protect employees from the dangers of accidents … during the working hours as well as dangers of fire and all dangers occurring from use of machines and other labor utensils. He should also follow all other means of protection prescribed…

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Safe Working Zone and Fall Prevention

Primary attention has to be more on fall prevention than to protect from fall effects

This can be done by ‘Edge Protec-tion’, i.e. is by guard-rails, like para-pets on our balconies and staircases.

Only when and where edge protection is not feasible, should the worker have fall prevention or protection.Edge Protection

We should provide every worker a ‘Safe Working Zone’A strong and stable work platform, with proper guard-rail

“In the case of a fully boarded and guarded scaffold, workers would not be expected to wear personal fall-arrest equipment in addition.” – HSE, UK

Helmet too is only to protect him from stray debris.

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Work Restraint and Work PositioningWhile legally a belt and cable cannot be used to stop a fall, a cable (‘Lanyard’) can be used to prevent a fall by restricting the movement of the worker beyond limits.

This is known as a ‘Work Restraint’, or ‘Travel Restraint’.

Work Restraint

Work Positioning

Modification of this system, in which belt is not merely to restrict movement beyond specific limit, but to position worker safely to carry out task with his hands free.

This is known as a ‘Work Positioning’.It requires worker genrally to keep the restraint taut, so he will be stable while using both his hands.

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Fall Arrest

Fall Protection – Fall ArrestWhen worker cannot be restricted to work platform area but has to move around,

Or when there is yet no work platform (as during erection), Or there will not be one (as during dismantling), Or the base is not stable (as in demolition) Or the base is not flat (as on slopes), Or in general, wherever there is no continuous, flat, stable, or dependable to stand on or work from,

– then worker needs a way to stop a fall before he hits the ground or other base.

This is called ‘Fall Arrest’.

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Waist Belt versus Body Harness

But it crushed their intestines, kidneys, spleen, liver, …, and broke their spine

Crushing and

spine fracture

Waist safety belt saved workers from hitting bottom …

Full body harness is therefore the only right solution.

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When and Why of Body Harness

Body harness is for fall arrestWaist belt is adequate for work restraint or work-positioningNeither body harness nor waist belt is necessary for working on stable, properly designed working platform

Who needs body harness by law?1. Erectors2. Dismantlers3. Demolition workers4. Boom-hoist and

scissor-lift workers5. Suspended or slung

scaffold workers6. Sloping roof workers

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Suspension Trauma from Body Harness

Self-rescue

Fall arrest

When worker is “saved” from crashing to ground by fall arrest and is hanging at the end of the cable, he has only about 1/2 hour before he sinks into a coma and dies, due to ‘Venous Pooling’ from ‘Suspension Trauma’. Heart will not pump blood up from freely hanging legs back to heart after some time.Warning was issued by OSHA (USA) in 2004, and by MOM (S’pore) recently with its Code of Practice for Working at Height.Solution is to provide something for feet to press against, thus reviving blood circulation. Commercial stirrups are available.Most important is to have an in-house rescue system to retrieve the victim in a short time.

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Fall DistancesFree Fall Distance

Allowable free fall distance for individual fall arrest systems should be limited to not more than 6 feet (1.8m)

Fall Clearance DistanceThis is also known as ‘free space’, it is the total distance below a worker who is using an indivi-dual fall arrest system to safely arrest his fall with-out striking an obstruc-tion or the ground.

Body harness should not be given when Free Fall Distance is more than Fall Clearance Distance.

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Hazards of Fall Arrest SystemsThere are some serious hazards when using individual fall arrest systems.

One such hazard is‘Swing back’ or ‘Swing down’,

caused by pendulum effect of person falling off edge.

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Fall FactorFall Factor = Height of Fall / Length of Lanyard

Not necessarily a measure of injuryA major contributory factorCan be controlled fairly well

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Why not Give Everybody Body Harness?1. They are costly.2. They need well-designed anchors.3. They should not be used below

certain heights.4. The anchors are critical.5. The training is expensive.6. Their maintenance is expensive.7. They must be used correctly.

If they are loosely worn, they can be injurious.8. They make the all-day wearer uncomfortable.

Causing him to make mistakes, and/orReducing productivity

9. They need a prompt and proper on-site rescue system.Otherwise, hanging with legs dangling for a long time may be fatal.

As PPE, they should be

chosen only after all of the more

effective controls have been exhausted.

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Hierarchy of Work at Height Controls1. AVOID – Design out the need to work at height.

Cast in mesh in riser ducts in floor slabs at services Erect edge protection at ground level and crane in Fix nets by working from floor below using poles Tank sludge cleaning by suction pump

2a. PREVENT by using an “existing place of work” (i.e. a safe zone of work, with a stable base – floor – and all around protection – walls and roof)

Flat roof – or tanker roof – with permanent edge protection.

2b. PREVENT by using COLLECTIVE access equipment fitted with guardrails:

Mobile Elevated Work Platforms, scissor lifts, mast climbers, cradles, tower and independent scaffolds.

2c. PREVENT by using PERSONAL work equipmentImpossible to get to fall position, e.g. Work Restraint

2. PREVENT

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3. MITIGATE Distance & Consequences3a. MITIGATE by using COLLECTIVE work equipment to

minimise distance and consequencesNets and soft landing systems, such as air bags positioned close under work surface.

3b. MITIGATE by using PERSONAL work equipment to minimise distance and consequences

A personal fall-arrest system with the anchorage point sited above the head (Fall Factor Zero) Rope access A work positioning system A personal fall arrest system with anchorage level at sternum/dorsal attachment point (Fall Factor 1) A personal fall arrest system with an anchorage point sited at the feet (Fall Factor 2)

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4. MITIGATE Consequences4a. MITIGATE using COLLECTIVE work equipment to

minimise the consequencesNets positioned at a lower level Soft landing systems

4b. MITIGATE using PERSONAL work equipment to minimise the consequences

Personal injury systems (life jacket whilst working next to unguarded water)

5. MITIGATE Otherwise5. MITIGATE through training and

instruction or other means: Ladders Hop ups Stilts

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SAFETY FIRST!National Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthRisk-Vulnerable Segments

Older workersYoung workersNew (inexperienced) workersUnsupervised workersExisting workers with increased demands

Combined with increased demands on equipment and resources

Immigrant workers with cultural, emotional, and communication problems

Lessons Learned:Safety equipment, particularly fall protection, is only protective when it is used. Collect Data … that is the best way to learn! http://www.ngoilgas.com/article/Safety-first/

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Looking Ahead – 1 Demand for energy around the world is increasing the pressure on the oil and gas industry to produce. The five major producers of Middle East are Abu Dhabi, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia (including the Neutral Zone), with about half the world's remaining oil and gas reserves vital to the future economic growth of the world.An increase in the number of workers, particularly inexperienced workers, and the corresponding increase in the number of operating rigs are both contributing to rising accident and fatality trends. While companies are truly concerned about the safety of their workers, injuries to oil and gas extraction workers reflect poorly on the entire industry. Unsafe conditions increase costs, both directly through citations and workers compensation, and indirectly through work stoppages and lowered worker efficiency.

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Looking Ahead – 2The boom cycle in this industry is good for companies, but at same time, it should not be bad for worker safety.The industry must work collaboratively and collectively to improve safety.Technical and other assistance must be made available to companies that lack the infrastructure to have their own extensive safety assessment program. Together, key players and industry leaders must aim to decrease the rate of injuries in this industry while maintaining production capabilities. To be successful, industry, labour, regulators, and other stakeholders must provide continuous interaction and collaboration in each step. This will ensure that the interventions developed are properly targeted, technologically feasible, and culturally acceptable to the industry and its workers.

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Of the 3 supports, people are the most important!

Looking Ahead – 3

The End

All those in oil and gas industry are in key position to manage a very vital component of future of world.

What they do now will determine course of events for decades, in fact for the future generations.

Such responsibility demands the best from all of us at every level, beyond company or national goals.Safety in recent decades has been high in the oil and gas industry.

Industry leaders know best what needs to be done.

But all the stakeholders must be constantly vigilant – to send every worker home safely at the end of every shift – on his own two feet.