It's never a fun thing when somebody in your workplace experiences an accident on the job. Accidents and injuries happen in all industries that require a lot of physical work and stamina, and the petroleum industry is no exception. It's how we respond to an injury that makes all the difference in preventing future accidents.

Prompt injury reporting to OSHA is a regulatory requirement that must be taken care of as soon as possible. If the injury results in a fatality, you only have an eight-hour window of time to report the injury to OSHA. This is true even if the accident results in a fatality later on. All deaths within 30 days of a work-related incident must be reported.

Employers with more than ten employees and whose establishments are not classified as a partially exempt industry must record work-related injuries and illnesses using OSHA forms. These forms must be submitted within a very specific time frame.

If you are not exempt, you must record all work-related injuries and illnesses that result in time off from work, restricted work and even in transfers to another job, such as some time behind a desk instead of in the field. Any loss of consciousness or medical treatment beyond first aid must be recorded in company records and reported to OSHA.

Employers are also expected to record significant work-related injuries or illnesses that are diagnosed by a physicians or medical team, even if they don't cause time away from the job.
What does OSHA considered to be an injury? Pretty much anything: this includes cuts, sprains, broken bones, and amputations and of course anything requiring surgery. Work-related illnesses include both acute and chronic conditions, and usually involve long-term exposure to toxins and contaminants. These include skin diseases, respiratory disorders, and sometimes even poisoning such as solvent intoxication.

Some injuries are considered serious enough to merit reporting within 24 hours. These typically include work-related inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, and injuries resulting in the loss of an eye.

Regulatory requirements are often easy to meet when you're using an integrated reporting solution to manage the paperwork. For more information on how Accupoint can help streamline your injury reporting process, please contact us at 800.563.6250 or visit us at www.accupointsoftware.com.

Business success and operational excellence rely on many things. Realistic and far-reaching company goals and the right business systems are key ingredients for this success. But at a more basic level, success is traced to one corporate asset: people.

The competency and dedication of an organization’s personnel are the biggest reasons for its success or failure, which is why the API Spec Q2 standard addresses the training and competency of personnel from the start. Training & competency is an important part of every successful organization’s mission, and the Q2 spec formalizes the development process. Documenting skill assessments and tracking training milestones ensures that a competent workforce remains focused on the quality of their actions and outcomes.

It makes sense; a well-trained employee will assess risk in a systematic and logical manner. This activity carries on through the service and process design review, and into contingency planning, where competency is critical for proper prevention, mitigation, and communication during an unplanned event.

The Q2 spec also requires tight controls on the supply chain and service quality planning functions. Trained personnel need to be competent in assessing suppliers, developing methods for qualification, controlling subcontractors, and documenting plans. The Q2 spec clearly defines requirements for quality management in these subjects for personnel to follow, as well as for preventive maintenance, change management, and other areas.

Success in these areas still comes down to one thing - people - personnel who know their functions, and understand their process. Accupoint’s SAM Q2 platform can help streamline all of the API Spec Q2 requirements, starting with training & competency. To learn more, please contact us.