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Accurately reporting accidents and injuries play a major role in all safety management systems. It is crucial to implement and establish an injury reporting procedure that includes employee communication and participation across all departments. Encouraging each employee to report injuries or near misses improves workplace safety and the organizational safety culture.
To that end, in today's post we will discuss some best practices related to an effective injury reporting system.
To that end, in today's post we will discuss some best practices related to an effective injury reporting system.
- All injuries should be reported to the nearest manager or safety officer. Subsequently, the Manager should determine the next cause of action and treatment options.
- When completing the injury report, it is important to accurately describe the injury events in chronological order without downplaying or embellishing the severity of the injury or the events leading to the injury.
- Information gathered from individuals who do not have firsthand knowledge or information relating to the injury cannot be used in reporting. The injury report should not contain second or third hand information.
- If you are not a trained medical professional, refrain from using diagnostic terms when filling out the injury report. Diagnostic terminology such as sprains, torn ligaments and broken bones should be avoided until after the injured party receives proper medical attention. Descriptions such as “severe pain in lower left leg, individual cannot put pressure onto leg and cannot walk without assistance” can be used in place of “potential broken left leg”.
- Take note of details such as weather conditions, time of day, shift period, sublocation, department and specific hazards in the immediate area.
- Ensure that any first aid or medical intervention that was provided to the injured party is properly documented.
- Deploy a digital injury reporting application. Managers and safety personnel can file reports using a cell phone or tablet to improve data collection and response times.
Remember, injury reporting is an effective tool for minimizing future injures. In addition, it positively influences safety culture and increases employee communication and participation.
For more information on injury reporting or to learn how Accupoint Software can help streamline your Safety Management program, please contact us today.
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Building situational awareness in oil and gas operations has always been vitally important. Without a strong foundation of situational awareness, there can be severe consequences. In fact, 88% of human error can be traced to a lack with situational awareness. Not just that, situational awareness can negatively affect oilfield operations and the ability to project future events.
Many offshore installations have the capacity to be hazardous and despite numerous rules and regulations in place to ensure that the risk of accident is kept to a minimum; accidents still occur. Having good situational awareness contributes towards the reduction of accidents. Situational awareness, or SA for short, is vital for when work being carried out is hazardous, or has the potential to be hazardous, as the workers must constantly monitor and evaluate conditions in an attempt to reduce accidents.
Many offshore installations have the capacity to be hazardous and despite numerous rules and regulations in place to ensure that the risk of accident is kept to a minimum; accidents still occur. Having good situational awareness contributes towards the reduction of accidents. Situational awareness, or SA for short, is vital for when work being carried out is hazardous, or has the potential to be hazardous, as the workers must constantly monitor and evaluate conditions in an attempt to reduce accidents.
Situation awareness is critical for effective decision making. Without it, mistakes can occur with disastrous consequences.
Accident statistics show us that a team can lose a shared awareness of a situation when it is vital to the safety of their operation. This is of course relevant to drill crews; due to the interactive and hazardous nature of their work.
Situational Awareness is made up of three (3) key elements.
Accident statistics show us that a team can lose a shared awareness of a situation when it is vital to the safety of their operation. This is of course relevant to drill crews; due to the interactive and hazardous nature of their work.
Situational Awareness is made up of three (3) key elements.
Situation awareness is the perception of elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning and the projection of their status in the near future - Endsley 1988.
- Perception - What information can you see, hear and feel?
- Comprehension - stress on equipment, system status and the state of equipment at the pump station.
- Projection - What do you think will happen? Anticipating alarm overrides, changing equipment or watching for leaks.
In a nut-shell, situation awareness can support decision making and aid performance. In fact, situation awareness is key to good decision making and safe, efficient performance.
Although situation awareness seems relatively easy to comprehend, some people struggle with it. Specifically, 78% of people don’t get the information that is needed. 17% of people do not correctly understand the information they receive and 5% of people don’t project what will happen in future.
Situation awareness is important for many factors and is the responsibility of the entire crew. Between us, we can reduce the risk of accidents and ensure a safe working environment for everyone in the gas and oil industry.
For more information on how Accupoint Software can help improve your situational awareness, please contact us today.
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With the changing landscape of the oil and gas industry, companies are under increasing pressure to improve operational efficiencies as prices continue to remain low and margins are narrowed. In order to reduce costs and improve efficiency, many organizations are adopting a structured quality management system (QMS).
Health & Safety
Due to the hazardous environment that many oil and gas companies operate in, the federal government along with the International Organization for Standardization developed a standard for Process Safety Management procedures and protocols. While this addresses the procedures to prevent major chemical accidents and occupational safety hazards, it is limited in encompassing the operational aspects of the industry.
Primary Objective
The goal, is to develop an oil and gas compliance solution that includes industry best practices for all systems such as service quality, risk assessment, employee training, document control, corrective actions and preventive maintenance. A comprehensive solution may seem difficult for our complex industry; however, incorporating common standards of practice is essential to realizing integrated operational excellence.
Clients and Stakeholders
Both clients and stakeholders, are becoming increasingly demanding regarding the standardization and regulations that those companies they do business with must comply with. As an example, many customers are now requiring that their service supply organizations comply with the API Spec Q2 requirement. Using a system designed specifically for this standard streamlines the administration and reporting of said requirements.
Increased Collaboration
A quality management system increases efficiency and collaboration. It ensures compliance and provides metrics reporting to prove such compliance. It defines strategies, goals and best practices and the means to secure them. A good quality management system is, however, only as good as the team behind it. Ensure that policies and procedures are in place that clearly communicate expectations and requirements.
The Bottom Line
Planning and control of critical tasks is required to minimize risks and improve operational efficiency. A comprehensive management solution can connect multiple locations with secure, real-time communications, thus providing instantaneous performance feedback. Furthermore, deployment of an effective quality management system tells your customers that you are at the top of your class and aiming for the best in products and services, ultimately ensuring customer loyalty through operational efficiency
For more information on how Accupoint Software can help you implement a quality management system specific to your needs, please contact us today.
Health & Safety
Due to the hazardous environment that many oil and gas companies operate in, the federal government along with the International Organization for Standardization developed a standard for Process Safety Management procedures and protocols. While this addresses the procedures to prevent major chemical accidents and occupational safety hazards, it is limited in encompassing the operational aspects of the industry.
Primary Objective
The goal, is to develop an oil and gas compliance solution that includes industry best practices for all systems such as service quality, risk assessment, employee training, document control, corrective actions and preventive maintenance. A comprehensive solution may seem difficult for our complex industry; however, incorporating common standards of practice is essential to realizing integrated operational excellence.
Clients and Stakeholders
Both clients and stakeholders, are becoming increasingly demanding regarding the standardization and regulations that those companies they do business with must comply with. As an example, many customers are now requiring that their service supply organizations comply with the API Spec Q2 requirement. Using a system designed specifically for this standard streamlines the administration and reporting of said requirements.
Increased Collaboration
A quality management system increases efficiency and collaboration. It ensures compliance and provides metrics reporting to prove such compliance. It defines strategies, goals and best practices and the means to secure them. A good quality management system is, however, only as good as the team behind it. Ensure that policies and procedures are in place that clearly communicate expectations and requirements.
The Bottom Line
Planning and control of critical tasks is required to minimize risks and improve operational efficiency. A comprehensive management solution can connect multiple locations with secure, real-time communications, thus providing instantaneous performance feedback. Furthermore, deployment of an effective quality management system tells your customers that you are at the top of your class and aiming for the best in products and services, ultimately ensuring customer loyalty through operational efficiency
For more information on how Accupoint Software can help you implement a quality management system specific to your needs, please contact us today.
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Preventive maintenance refers to the practice of keeping machinery and equipment up-to-date in order to prevent problems before they occur. Preventive maintenance is important in all types of businesses, but particularly in the petroleum industry.
Both the API Spec Q1 & API Spec Q2 standards require a documented preventive maintenance program, specifically section 5.7.8 in both standards. The goal here is to keep all equipment in working order as a means to minimize risk and improve operational efficiency.
The best practices for preventive maintenance include creating a preventive maintenance plan and carrying out the plan effectively.
Create or Review Your Preventive Maintenance Plan
What are the specific preventive maintenance needs of your facility? Take into account your facility size, types of machines used, and other unique factors. If you don't currently have a plan in place, you will need to create one. Existing plans can benefit from periodic reviews.
Management should agree on a definition of what preventative maintenance means for your facility before you begin creating or revising a plan.
Take an inventory of each machine and its specific maintenance needs. Include both cleaning requirements and upkeep for each machine. Create a schedule for long- and short-term maintenance.
Organize your maintenance schedule using computer software. With so many types of machines with different needs, software can help keep everything organized and easy to keep track of.
Physical observation of machinery will also be necessary. Schedule walk-through examinations of machines by qualified employees.
Keep Employees Informed
Employees need to be aware of the preventive maintenance plan, especially those who will be conducting the inspections or performing the maintenance. Emphasize the importance of preventive maintenance and its role in your business's continued success.
Keep up with the Plan
Ensure employees carry out the plan by keeping up with inspections, cleaning, and other periodic maintenance. Software that creates work orders can make sure the preventive maintenance of your facility is implemented smoothly.
Creating or updating your preventive maintenance plan doesn't have to be difficult and time-consuming. The work you do in advance could save you time and money later on. To find out how Accupoint Software can help streamline your preventative maintenance plan, contact us.
Both the API Spec Q1 & API Spec Q2 standards require a documented preventive maintenance program, specifically section 5.7.8 in both standards. The goal here is to keep all equipment in working order as a means to minimize risk and improve operational efficiency.
The best practices for preventive maintenance include creating a preventive maintenance plan and carrying out the plan effectively.
Create or Review Your Preventive Maintenance Plan
What are the specific preventive maintenance needs of your facility? Take into account your facility size, types of machines used, and other unique factors. If you don't currently have a plan in place, you will need to create one. Existing plans can benefit from periodic reviews.
Management should agree on a definition of what preventative maintenance means for your facility before you begin creating or revising a plan.
Take an inventory of each machine and its specific maintenance needs. Include both cleaning requirements and upkeep for each machine. Create a schedule for long- and short-term maintenance.
Organize your maintenance schedule using computer software. With so many types of machines with different needs, software can help keep everything organized and easy to keep track of.
Physical observation of machinery will also be necessary. Schedule walk-through examinations of machines by qualified employees.
Keep Employees Informed
Employees need to be aware of the preventive maintenance plan, especially those who will be conducting the inspections or performing the maintenance. Emphasize the importance of preventive maintenance and its role in your business's continued success.
Keep up with the Plan
Ensure employees carry out the plan by keeping up with inspections, cleaning, and other periodic maintenance. Software that creates work orders can make sure the preventive maintenance of your facility is implemented smoothly.
Creating or updating your preventive maintenance plan doesn't have to be difficult and time-consuming. The work you do in advance could save you time and money later on. To find out how Accupoint Software can help streamline your preventative maintenance plan, contact us.
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Keeping your employees safe in the work place should be a top priority. This is especially true in the oil and gas industry. To that end, today’s post will discuss why HSE management is important and some techniques you can apply to your business plan.
Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) involves creating processes for identifying workplace hazards, reducing accidents and minimizing exposure to harmful situations and substances. This is accomplished by developing detailed operating procedures and then effectively communicating the information to your team. It is important to ensure that the information has been internalized and must be monitored to verify that it is followed. The main goal is to maintain a safe and productive work environment.
Why HSE Management is Important
How to Get Employees to Comply
Employees must complete hours of training that many people find boring and useless. To keep them interested, you should develop a safety compliance plan that is interactive, interesting, and to-the-point.
Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) involves creating processes for identifying workplace hazards, reducing accidents and minimizing exposure to harmful situations and substances. This is accomplished by developing detailed operating procedures and then effectively communicating the information to your team. It is important to ensure that the information has been internalized and must be monitored to verify that it is followed. The main goal is to maintain a safe and productive work environment.
Why HSE Management is Important
- It prevents your business from being fined for unsafe environments.
- It will help you keep production levels up.
- It protects your company from liability and a bad reputation.
How to Get Employees to Comply
Employees must complete hours of training that many people find boring and useless. To keep them interested, you should develop a safety compliance plan that is interactive, interesting, and to-the-point.
- Design the training to help your employees, keeping in mind their backgrounds and what they already know.
- Keep the training session short. Break up the information into several sessions if necessary.
- Use bullet points for large amounts of information.
- Choose carefully which topics you want to cover, to avoid information overload.
- If possible, add humor to your lessons. This will help employees connect on a different level and make the training more enjoyable for everyone.
- Make the trainings available online. This will allow employees to work on it from virtually any location, encouraging faster completion.
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Per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), every business must keep records and safety information about the chemicals they use. These records, called Material Safety Data sheets (MSDS) or Safety Data Sheets (SDS) list many types of information about the chemicals, including toxicology, ecological information, and fire-fighting measures. As part of the petroleum industry, properly organizing and managing your MSDS is important for many reasons.
To Comply with OSHA
OSHA requires efficient management and organization of MSDS. If OSHA decides to perform an audit, they will check to see if you have MSDS readily available, along with other important safety documentation. Each chemical used in your facility must have an MSDS and a corresponding label on the chemical container to comply.
Many Types of Chemicals
The petroleum industry uses many types of chemicals in oil refineries, especially gasoline, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, and other types of fuels. These chemicals can be dangerous if proper safety procedures are not known. The MSDS for each chemical will list this information so it is readily available to all employees. Efficient management of MSDS is crucial because there are so many types of chemicals used in the petroleum industry.
For the Safety of Your Employees
One of the main reasons OSHA requires MSDS is in case of emergency. If there is an accident and a chemical gets into an employee's eye, another employee can look up the MSDS and find out how to treat the affected employee. Another example of an emergency situation is a fire. If a chemical fire breaks out, it is important for employees to know how to fight the fire or alert firefighters about the chemical. Having readily available and organized MSDS is imperative in these situations.
Contact us today to find out how Accupoint Software can help you organize the management of your MSDS program.
Happy New Year.
To Comply with OSHA
OSHA requires efficient management and organization of MSDS. If OSHA decides to perform an audit, they will check to see if you have MSDS readily available, along with other important safety documentation. Each chemical used in your facility must have an MSDS and a corresponding label on the chemical container to comply.
Many Types of Chemicals
The petroleum industry uses many types of chemicals in oil refineries, especially gasoline, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, and other types of fuels. These chemicals can be dangerous if proper safety procedures are not known. The MSDS for each chemical will list this information so it is readily available to all employees. Efficient management of MSDS is crucial because there are so many types of chemicals used in the petroleum industry.
For the Safety of Your Employees
One of the main reasons OSHA requires MSDS is in case of emergency. If there is an accident and a chemical gets into an employee's eye, another employee can look up the MSDS and find out how to treat the affected employee. Another example of an emergency situation is a fire. If a chemical fire breaks out, it is important for employees to know how to fight the fire or alert firefighters about the chemical. Having readily available and organized MSDS is imperative in these situations.
Contact us today to find out how Accupoint Software can help you organize the management of your MSDS program.
Happy New Year.
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We are all aware of the current volatility with respect to the price of oil. The price of oil has fallen dramatically over the past couple of months and industry growth is expected to be flat throughout 2015. The current cycle poses many challenges. This is shaping up to be the year that you will be asked to do more with less. Unfortunately, your customers will continue to demand process and quality improvements, capital efficiency and risk minimization.
Progressive, forward-thinking organizations will take advantage of the current environment to position for future growth. Instead of worrying about how many rigs are being stacked, how low the price of oil will go, or cutting employees, they will focus on doing the job, servicing the customer, and improving process efficiency. At some point the market will recover and these organizations will be leading the pack.
Accupoint can provide cost effective solutions to help take advantage of these opportunities. Our flexible API compliance solutions provide a toolkit to save staff time in data acquisition and analysis, while ensuring that quality metrics are managed and monitored consistently. Our easy, subscription model provides you with maximum flexibility as your needs or requirements change.
Accupoint's comprehensive, web-based solutions can:
To learn how we can help you grow your competitive edge, call us toll-free at 800.563.6250 or visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com
Progressive, forward-thinking organizations will take advantage of the current environment to position for future growth. Instead of worrying about how many rigs are being stacked, how low the price of oil will go, or cutting employees, they will focus on doing the job, servicing the customer, and improving process efficiency. At some point the market will recover and these organizations will be leading the pack.
Accupoint can provide cost effective solutions to help take advantage of these opportunities. Our flexible API compliance solutions provide a toolkit to save staff time in data acquisition and analysis, while ensuring that quality metrics are managed and monitored consistently. Our easy, subscription model provides you with maximum flexibility as your needs or requirements change.
Accupoint's comprehensive, web-based solutions can:
- Improve customer satisfaction through consistent processes/products.
- Improve customer perception and buy-in.
- Increase quality awareness and job understanding among employees.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and increased profitability
- Improve communication within your organization.
- Facilitate company cost reductions through efficiencies realized.
To learn how we can help you grow your competitive edge, call us toll-free at 800.563.6250 or visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com
