Page 57 - OHS, September 2021

Achieving Full Worksite Visibility
Through the capabilities of connected safety, oil & gas companies can now reach a new level of access and visibility into the activity, opportunities and threats across a worksite. Whether personnel are working in groups or alone, the comprehensive situational awareness empowers safety managers and industrial hygienists with data-driven insights that enable informed decision making and the advanced ability to mitigate risk.
For example, the cellular and satellite connectivity of connected safety technology provides real-time access to reports displaying the location of “hot spots” across a refinery where even low levels of methane and other hydrocarbon gases are present. These insights ensure that safety, instrumentation and leak repair teams can take appropriate, immediate action to locate and rectify a potential gas leak before it becomes a larger issue, potentially causing harm to employees or the environment.
Identifying Leading Indicators and Addressing Problem Areas Proactively
It is one thing to have the tools in place to spring into action should an incident or gas leak occur, it is another thing to know about a hazard and do something about it before anything happens at all.
The visibility achieved through connected safety also allows oil & gas companies to adopt a more proactive approach to health and safety. In addition to real-time access, data streamed from devices is stored in the cloud and available to view by various stakeholders after the fact.
Organizations can leverage this data to identify patterns in gas levels and leaks as well as other key safety indicators, helping
teams forecast where issues are more likely to occur again in the future. For example, a heat map of incidents can identify an area where a few falls are repeatedly recorded. This fall data can indicate that tripping hazards are present, such as uneven or broken stairs, icy spots and more, that can be managed or repaired before more people fall victim.
Through this approach, safety and industrial hygiene professionals can change procedures or address at-risk behavior proactively to help minimize the risks to personnel and their surroundings. It also allows for swift adjustments, which reduces downtime during time-intensive projects such as turnarounds or planned maintenance, without sacrificing safety.
Streamlining Regulatory Compliance Reporting
In addition to its day-to-day operational benefits, connected safety technology can also streamline the process of gas detection compliance reporting. The data produced by devices and stored in the cloud enables safety teams to ensure the company remains compliant with industry regulations, especially those related to gas exposures and leaks. The constant, real-time monitoring also helps teams track and evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken to reduce emissions.
Additionally, several organizations share connected safety data reports and visualizations with regulatory agencies proactively to demonstrate the progress of initiatives and their ability to “self- audit” their own efforts to reduce emissions.
Automating Gas Detection
Through Artificial Intelligence
Organizations on the cutting-edge of digital transformation and gas detection have turned to artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance health, safety and environmental compliance. When applied to the data produced by connected safety devices, AI automates the process of clustering and finding patterns in non-zero gas readings that often are not identified as alarm level exposures.
Artificial intelligence furthers safety professionals’ ability to work efficiently and in unison with operations teams to quickly discover patterns in gas exposures, predict where they may occur in the future and seamlessly address emerging threats before they become more dangerous.
The Future of Safety in the Oil & Gas Industry
As the oil & gas industry faces continued regulatory challenges and looks to further enhance its emissions reduction programs, a new approach to health and safety is needed—one that centers on connectivity, data analytics and automation.
An effective connected safety strategy offers benefits that stretch across every aspect of an organization. With the right focus, tools and resources, it delivers the visibility and insights needed to improve worker health, safety and wellbeing while ensuring sustainability for both the industry and our environment.
Sean Stinson is the Chief Revenue Officer for Blackline Safety.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.epa.gov/controlling-air-pollution-oil-and-natural-gas-industry 2. https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/safety-topics/work-to-zero
www.ohsonline.com
SEPTEMBER 2021 | Occupational Health & Safety 53
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