Page 12 - OHS, June 2023

OIL & GAS Working in Isolation: Protecting Your Most Vulnerable Employees Many oil & gas workers can operate as lone workers. Fortunately, there are technologies that can help protect isolated and remote employees. BY LUCAS DOWER Various oil and gas industry employees such as pipeline inspectors and maintenance workers working on their own can be exposed to higher levels of risk due to the remote nature of their work. The potential impact of any incident or injury that happens to a lone employee working in a remote area is magnified due to a delay in getting help for that employee. This makes remote workers a particularly vulnerable part of your workforce. All the risks that would normally impact an employee working in a central location, such as falling from heights, working with electricity, confined spaces or chemical exposure, become amplified when the employee is isolated or in a remote area. 10 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2023 www.ohsonline.com