Safety Training in The Oil and Gas Industry

The role of safety raining is becoming increasingly important these days.The target is to train all the workforce of the offshore in UK by the MIST program by the end of 2010.

The MIST program features nine important safety features:

1. Introducing to hazardous offshore environment
2. To work safely following safety regulatory measures
3. Assessing the risks involved
4. Availing the permit to work
5. Platform Integrity
6. Manual handling
7. Control of Substances hazardous to health (COSHH)
8. Working at height
9. Mechanical lifting

The employers in due consultation with the duty holders for a particular installation must determine the different programs suitable to their employees maintaining the relevance of their jobs. Every person in the workforce in Oil and Gas sector has to undergo this MIST training program.

For workers who are new to this industry, a 2 day safety training program approved by OPTIO (Oil and gas Academy) is provided throughout the UK, covering all the basic nine elements of MIST.

A quick OPITO approved e- learning tool is available, to guide the experienced offshore workers, which covers all the basic nine safety features and other unknown areas of concern and at the same time refreshes their skills of training.

This training boosts the confidence that all the co- workers are fully aware and trained in all safety measures, and UK is turning out to be the safest place to work in this oil and gas sector.

Since MIST has become a new industry safety standard, there is a constant demand among the employers for this training and the training providers need proper approvals from the OPITO to cater this demand. The training providers has to apply and demonstrate their abilities to carry out the training effectively.

Basic Offshore Safety Induction And Emergency Training (BOSIET) is another 3 day safety training course one has to undergo in oil and gas sector, which includes features like:

• Providing information about the offshore industry
• Training of escaping by helicopters
• Training of personal survival in emergency
• Training to use Totally Enclosed Motor Propelled Survival Crafts or life boats (TEMPSC) and life rafts
• Providing first aid post escape
• To fight firs using fire extinguishers and self rescue breathing apparatus
• Work permit
• Emergency Breathing Systems (EBS)

Besides these various classroom trainings related to safe work, rules and regulations are provided. Various sea survival training, confidence in the water training forms this part of safety training through swimming pool sessions. With helicopter simulator training session workers are trained to escape by helicopters, evacuating the place and the use of the correct safety equipments in case of emergency. All safety trainings are provided to the workers to secure their lives and to make the offshore job hazard free as far as possible. Untoward incidents or casualties due to lack of training is a setback to the organization as Oil and Gas sector is one of the leading revenue earner of the UK government and scaling the growth of economy.

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Health and Safety Laws in the UK – What You Need to Know

In 1996 regulations were brought in to force in the UK which requires all businesses to have the relevant health and safety signs in place where there is a possible risk to people. But at no time should businesses use these signs as a substitute for putting the relevant safety systems and engineering controls in place.

There are a wide variety of health and safety signs that employers need to be aware of along with how they should be used. In this article we take a look at some of the signs that businesses should be displaying at all times and which comply with the Health and Safety (Signs and Signals) Regulations that were brought into force on the 1st April 1996.

1. First Aid Signs – These should show where either first aid or rescue facilities are located if required. Where the first aid signs are situated should also show where a first aid kit has been placed to be used for small emergencies. Also these signs should explain what needs to be done in the event of an emergency along with any emergency contact numbers.

2. Fire Safety Sign – These will be located at various points around a building and will provide information as to where escape routes are for evacuating the building in the event of a fire. These signs should also provide details of where any equipment to fight fires with is located and how the equipment must be used.

3. Prohibition Sign – These signs show what behaviours are prohibited as they may not only put the person at risk doing them but also those around them.

4. Mandatory Sign – These ones require people to follow certain procedures and there are many different types of signs that fit into this group. Some of the more common kinds you will see is the request that hard hats must be worn at all times on construction sites.

5. Warning Sign – Such health and safety signs are designed to show that there is a clear risk to a person’s health and safety. These signs will be used in many different places and again most likely on construction sites, factories or science facilities.

In this article we have taken a look at the kinds of health and safety signs that must be displayed today in the UK. Should these signs be displayed incorrectly or not at all a business is at risk of being fined quite substantially. Also all such signs must be maintained.

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OSHA Safety Training For New Computer Users

The Occupational & Safety and Health Act known as OSHA, emphasizes the responsibility of employers for providing a workplace free from hazards. Ensuring every new employee receives health and safety training is an essential part of every orientation from understanding where the emergency exits are to the procedures to follow in the event of an accident. Now there is an easy way for even inexperienced computer users to train online.

Online OSHA safety training providers have been reviewed and accepted by OSHA, but the list is small. Students can log on to any computer that has access to the internet and start training. They can start and stop and pick up where they left off. No prior computer experience is required.

One of the most popular educational programs that is offered by OSHA and others authorized to train is the OSHA 10 Hour course. This is a course that focuses on Construction and General Industry safety issues. Both courses are rated for 10 hours of safety study online. At the conclusion of the course you can print out a certification of completion, and the Department of Labor will mail your personalized OSHA 10 Hour Card several weeks later.

The beauty of the program is that you do not have to be computer whiz or for that matter have much of any computer experience whatsoever. Many students do not even own their own computers but can be trained at work, the library, or a friend or family membe’rs home. To start training you log on to the site with your own personal id and password to access the course. You will need an e-mail address in order to receive your login information. However, if you don’t have an email address you can use a work colleague, friend or family member’s address to get started.

You don’t have to finish your training all at once. The course picks up where you left off that last time. What’s more, you will always have access to an authorized OSHA trainer. You can e-mail or call the trainer regarding the course content to get assistance and there is a 24/7 toll free support for any technical questions you may have. Beginners can call our 800 line to get started. The overwhelming number of students do not have to call support for any assistance.

The OSHA 10 Hour outreach training course was developed by the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) as a voluntary safety course to teach workers about the hazards of construction and general industry work and the regulations applicable to their worksite. OSHA has also authorized a few online OSHA 10-hour outreach training courses, allowing a worker to take the required class on the computer via the Internet, and have the wallet card subsequently mailed to the trainee.

Seven states now have laws on the books that require construction workers to complete the OSHA 10-hour construction safety training course before they can work on certain construction projects. The states with an OSHA law already in effect are Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, and most recently, Missouri. The state of Nevada OSHA training law becomes effective January 1st, 2010. Nevada has even mandated supervisory employees to be trained on the OSHA 30 Hour Course, a far more comprehensive safety program. You can expect more states to get on board in the next few years.

OSHA’s mission is quite clear: Assure so far as possible every man and women in the workplace safe and healthful working conditions. Now there is a great way to train your employees effectively and efficiently.

The first step to providing health and safety training is to consider the type of training you want to introduce to your workplace. To do this, you need to consider the skills and knowledge required to be able to carry out the job in a safe and healthy fashion. Then, compare these against your employee’s current skills and identify the gaps.

The most popular online course is the OSHA 10 Hour. This course is designed for construction workers, foreman, job supervisors,and anyone involved in the construction industry. OSHA recommends Outreach Training Program courses as an orientation to occupational safety and health for workers covered by OSHA.

The 10 hour course learning objectives are:

  • General understanding of the OSHA Act and the functions of OSHA
  • Inform the student on the procedures and priorities of an OSHA Compliance inspection
  • Describe the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees under the OSHA Act
  • Provide students with the skills and knowledge to identify and control hazards in the workplace
  • Provide students with the tools and knowledge to control and eliminate hazards in the workplace
  • Promote a proactive safety attitude within the student

You will also need to review your history of previous work related injuries, near misses or illness. Take a look at your risk assessments to see where information and/or training have been identified as factors in controlling risks and then consult employees for their views. Most employees will welcome training to help in reducing accidents and lost time from the job.

Managers will need to check if their state law or industry requires them to carry out specific training.

Deciding upon the style to adopt for your health and safety training will require a few considerations. Depending on the nature of your business, is likely to depend on the kind of training you require. Most employers are beginning to recognize that large scale gatherings are too costly and unproductive due to lost time from the job. Many live training sessions do not include any form of testing so you cannot be sure that employees have learned the material. That is why more and more employers are turning to online training for their safety and human resource training. Over 10,000 OSHA 10 cards have been delivered using the online format and thousands of employees are being trained each year.

The important thing to remember is to make sure the information provided is delivered in an easy to understand format that delivers your key messages to all involved. If something goes wrong on the premises and an employee suffers an accident, you need to feel confident that all measures were taken to avoid the accident occurring in the first place.

Investing in your employee’s education isn’t only the right thing to do, it’s becoming the law.

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Connect With Your Workforce With Better Health And Safety Software

Today’s HSE practices are better than they have ever been. Not only is there a greater public awareness and professional focus on workplace safety, there is an entire industry around helping HSE professionals create a safer workplace. Nowhere can this be better seen than in the health and safety software industry.

This industry has become an integral part of today’s HSE management process. Those that aren’t using it are thinking about it or actively looking for health and safety software solutions that will help them improve their ability to create a safer workplace.The benefits of health and safety software Yes, it, in general, is designed to improve a number of existing processes within the workplace, including incident reporting, hazard management, inductions and training, job safety assessments, contractor management, prequalification, and more. Most of these usually rely on a paper-based system and a lot of manual input from managers and staff. But good health and safety software needs to offer a lot more than just a better process. It should have built-in functionality that actively assists HSE managers in creating a safer workplace.

When you’re looking for health and safety software solutions, there are a number of things you should insist on:
1.Reporting: Comprehensive reports on all information captured by the system should be readily available within a few simple clicks. The better and more up to date this information is, the faster you are able to act upon the results gathered. This can literally be the difference of implementing vital changes in time-or not.

2.Automation: While automation is a natural part of improving process, it can also provide additional functionality not previously available. For example, automatic notification of key people on safety related incidents, automatic reminders for when an induction is about to expire, automatic refusal of entry if a contractor’s insurance has expired.

3.Familiarity: Just because you’re improving your capabilities, doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel. Look for health and safety software that draws upon an existing understanding of HSE processes. Does the software use the same language? Does it follow the same logical progression through the process? Is the user-functionality recognizable? This not only cuts down on training time, it means you can have your software up and running in a shorter time.

You also need to look at the specific workplace safety requirements of your organization. The better you understand what is unique about your HSE requirements, the easier it will be as you look for suitable health and safety software solutions.

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