crane loading ask-ehs
Oil & Gas drilling entails a series of activities that require many different equipment, machinery, methodologies and technologies. Along with these come a slew of hazards that could lead to catastrophic incidents. The first step is to recognize these hazards as relevant and then look closely at some of the control measures needed to mitigate them.

In this post we throw light on one part of the many hazards prevalent in this sector, namely – Struck by / Caught in / Caught between* hazards (As per OSHA – source)

According to OSHA, a very high percentage of injuries in the oil & gas extraction sector are a result of struck by / caught in / caught between hazards. The source of most of these hazards includes moving vehicles (both heavy & construction related), equipment, falling material and high-pressure lines. OSHA clearly outlines these hazards and has generously provided a comprehensive document that guides organizations through the recognition of these hazards and their control measures. In particular, we take a look at Crane, Derrick and Hoist safety hazards

A) Crane operating and safety: One clear safety measure for safe crane operating, is the need for inspection and maintenance that are strictly consistent. Most of these inspections and maintenance procedures / processes are well documented. Pre inspection techniques, items to be inspected, use of equipment, LOTOTO etc. are key essentials behind successful and safe crane & hoist operations.

B) Derricks: Another key component of safe operations are the utilization of derricks. This again poses major risks during construction and operational phases. Working at height, especially during inclement weather could lead to disastrous consequences and major harm or injury.

C) Hoist: The hoist is again a key component to the entire operations. As mentioned previously in this blog, regular inspection and maintenance are absolutely crucial to safe operations.

Hazards associated with these operations (especially struck by / caught in / caught between) include;

Transporting, loading and unloading hazards
Overloading of crane
Handling heavy loads (e.g. lifting of granite, marble and/or stone slabs)
loading askehs



Documents are essential to preserve and protect the workforces from these as well as many other such hazards when working in the Oil & Gas sector. But are these documents good enough to ensure safety at work? More needs to be done and one extremely effective way of transferring information and / or training to work forces is through the clever use of 3D animation movies.

oil & gas industry hazards

Once clear advantage with animation movies is that one is able to showcase hazards quite effectively. In fact, intricate aspects of inspections & maintenance procedures and steps can be actually translated into animated movie clips that could be used to assess the exact readings required for an effective result. Similarly, accurate models of cranes, derricks and hoists can be recreated using 3D animation and further utilized as a simulation aid to training. These measures could go a long way in getting high safety performance and ultimately enhance productivity.

Do you think 3D models and animated movie shots help in training work forces? If so, how? We welcome your thoughts in the comments section.