Part 5.2

Environmental, Health, and Safety Concerns

Objectives

• After reading the chapter and reviewing the materials presented the students will be able to:

• Understand laws and regulations to protect human health and the environment

• Examine exploration and production waste disposal

• Analyze cleanup methods for blowouts and spills• Discuss refining processes that minimize

environmental impact• Explain equipment and controls to promote

workplace safety

Introduction

• The transport, processing, and use of petroleum are fraught with potential hazards to human health and the earth’s ecology.

• Exploration, drilling, and production use toxic chemicals that can pollute the air, water, and ground.

• Producing and transporting petroleum products pose risks of fire, explosions, and pollution.

• Refining produces noxious chemicals that must be changed into harmless compounds or disposed of in harmless ways.

• For these reasons, the petroleum industry is subject to much criticism.

• The oil and gas industry cannot prevent all accidents, but it can do its part to ensure the safety of people and the environment.

• Environmental impacts are reduced by new laws, new technologies, and innovative industry practices.

U.S. Laws and Regulations

• Clean Air Act: Authorizes the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to set standards for air quality and regulate emissions of pollutants into the air.

• Clean Water Act: Charges the EPA with regulating pollutant discharges into surface waters.

• Safe Drinking Water Act: Protects underground waters. Almost half of the people in the United States get their drinking water from underground aquifers.

• Oil Pollutant Act: Provides guidance for offshore spill plans.• Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act: Authorizes the U.S. Secretary

of the Interior to grant mineral leases and regulate oil and gas activities on all lands under offshore waters within the U.S. jurisdiction.

U.S. Laws and Regulations

• Occupational Health and Safety Act: Employers must list hazardous materials, label them, and train employees in their proper handling.

• Migratory Bird Treaty Act: Covers five multinational treaties that protect migrating birds.

• Endangered Species Act: Protects species on the list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.

• Toxic Substances Control Act: Regulates the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, and disposal of chemicals.

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: Monitors the disposal of hazardous wastes.

• Many states and local jurisdictions have imposed additional regulations which in some cases are more stringent than the federal requirements.

International Laws and Treaties

• There are several international laws and treaties regarding safety and pollution prevention.

• The Safety of Life at Sea Treaty and Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Treaty.

• The Environmental Act of 1995.• The Kyoto Protocol aimed at fighting global

warming by reducing greenhouse gases (GHG).

Exploration and Production Environmental Impacts

• A closed loop drilling system re-circulates mud. The advantage of a closed loop system is that it lowers construction and reclamation costs and uses less water.

• Spent drilling fluids and cuttings comprise the largest quantity of waste from exploration and drilling. Offshore, muds that do not meet EPA standards must be barged away for disposal on land.

• A blowout is the uncontrolled release of crude oil and/or natural gas from an oil well after pressure control systems have failed. To reduce the potential impact of poisonous gases an operator might decide to ignite the stream to convert the poisonous gases to less hazardous substances during a blowout.

• To date the April 2010 offshore blowout of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig owned by British Petroleum represents the largest oil spill in U.S. history gushing over 125,000 million gallons. This is ten times greater than the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Spills from Tankers

• In 1989, the Exxon Valdez spilled an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil near Alaska.

• The spill killed plants and animals across 2,000 miles of shoreline and 500 miles out to sea devastating fishing, hunting, tourism, and recreation in the area.

• After the Valdez oil spill, international oil companies formed the Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) to improve cleanup endeavors and response time.

Prevention

• According to the Coast Guard, fatigue and inadequate technical knowledge are the primary reasons for accidents.

• Prevention is critical because spills are devastating to the environment and it is difficult to clean up.

• Single hulled vessels are twice as likely to produce a spill than double hulled vessels.

Cleaning Up the Sea

• Response to a spill must occur fast, and before the oil reaches the shore.• A boom which is a long floating fence, is towed slowly by a boom boat to

enclose the spill or to protect part of the shore.• Booms only work where the waves are no more than 2 to 3 feet high and

winds no stronger than 15 to 20 knots.• A skimmer is like a huge vacuum cleaner. Skimmers work only in oil that

is floating on top of the water, called an oil slick, and only in clam seas.• Burning removes 50 to 90% of the oil as long as it has not been

emulsified by wave action.• Using a dispersant to break down the oil into tiny droplets requires

specific conditions. Some dispersants may be more toxic than oil.• Chemicals such as gelling agents, sinking agents, demulsifiers, and

burning agents can be dropped by aircraft.

Cleaning Up the Shore

• The washed up oil can smother plants and destroy the ability of animals fur and bird feathers to retain heat.

• Oil onshore can be removed manually with shovels, buckets, and absorbent material.

• Some cleanup teams have used high pressure hot water to wash oil from between rocks, and low pressure cold water to return oil to the water for skimming or collection.

• A chemical fertilizer can be applied to stimulate growth of natural oil degrading bacteria.

• A clean up of marsh in France demonstrated that cleaned up sections recovered more slowly than sections left alone.

Cleaning Up Shallow Waters

• After the spill in Galveston Bay in 1990, the response team used a containment boom and skimming equipment to collect approximately 30% of the oil.

• Oil degrading bacteria was used to break down 85% to 100% of the remaining spill.

• Shallow, flat bottom boats travelled to the marsh area carrying the bacteria in dry form.

Hazards to Cleanup Workers

• A well organized cleanup effort provides protective clothing and gear as well as a safe place to eat, drink, and receive first aid treatment.

• Further information on marine accidents and cleanup can be found at The Oil Spill Working Group (OSWG) web site at www.ipieca.org

Pipeline and Transportation Environmental Impacts

• The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and EPA are involved in regulating pipeline companies.

• The main environmental concerns related to petroleum pipelines are potential leaks and spills.

• Pipelines can develop leaks or breaks from damages due to excavation (digging) or corrosion.

• Infrared (IR) cameras have become increasingly popular in the petroleum industry because they can accurately detect small gas leaks quickly while covering a broad area.

• Pigging is the practice of using pipeline inspection gauges or pigs to perform physical inspections of pipelines for corrosion or cracks.

• Sour gas may be burned using a combustion device called a flare before being emitted to the atmosphere.

Refining Environmental Impacts

• The refining process generate wastewater, storm water runoff, wash water, sewage and other process related wastes that must be managed to minimize their impact on the environment.

• Many of the refining process equipment generate air emissions that must be recaptured or treated before being released into the atmosphere.

Water Quality

• Refineries often use chemical treatment tanks, holding ponds, and oil degrading bacteria to remove contaminants such as H2S, ammonia, phenols, and salts from refinery waste water.

• In effluent water storage tanks, hazardous waste settles on the bottom, so the contents must be separated into water, oils, and solids.

• The waste water is then removed and recycled through the refinery’s waste water treatment plant where and oil is recovered for reuse.

• The water is centrifuged and heated to separate out the solids that are to be disposed off in a landfill.

Air Quality

• Refineries are major sources of emission of ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, and particulates.

• Refineries also emit EPA’a Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) such as benzene, toulene, and xylene.

• Many of these sources require controls to minimize their environmental impact.

Detecting Contaminated Water and Soil

• Soil and groundwater can become contaminated with oil and hazardous chemicals from breaks in pipelines, spills from trucks, or leaks from aboveground or underground tanks or refinery storage facilities.

• The passive soil gas technique is a way to identify the presence of volatile organic compounds, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and other contaminants in ground water, surface water, and soils.

Cleaning Contaminated Soil

• Mechanical Methods: In a process called soil venting, workers place slotted pipes down into the soil. The slotted pipes meet a horizontal pipe at the surface attached to the fan that blows out. The oil volatilizes, or evaporates, and passes into the slotted pipes, then flows to a treatment unit on the surface. The process is ineffective in removing metals and nonvolatile compounds.

• In leaching, a chemical is mixed with water and added to the soil. The chemical reacts with the contaminant. The mixture is collected using recovery wells. The recovered water mixture must be purified.

Cleaning Contaminated Soil

• Biodegradation: A wide variety of bacteria break down hydrocarbons essentially by eating them. A reclamation company can promote the action of such bacteria by mixing fertilizer with water and spraying or irrigating the soil. A oxygen source such as hydrogen peroxide can be added to the water.

Industrial Workplace Safety

• Injuries are costly in terms of medical treatment, liability for injured workers, and lost productivity.

• Each year more than 100 people are killed in the oil and gas industry due to industrial accidents.

• Primary sources of injury are highway crashes, struck by an object, explosions, caught in moving machinery, falling, electrocution, fire, aircraft crashes and other causes.

• Reducing Injuries: There are 3 critical ways to reduce risk to workers: designing safe equipment, enforcing controls, and wearing protective gear.

Equipment Designed for Safety

• An example might be installing a handrail to prevent workers from falling off an elevated walkway or platform.

• In the same way, pressure vessels, pumps, and other equipment must be designed with safety devices such as relief valves to release dangerous pressure.

• Many codes and standards have been developed by organizations such as the American Petroleum Institute (www.api.org) which can be used as guidelines.

• A hazard analysis is often conducted on a plant to determine what could go wrong.

• Many operators have vast experience and can offer details to improve safety.

Administrative Controls

• Administrative controls are defined as safety policies, regulations, supervision, schedules, and training designed to improve safety.

• Safety manuals generally contain information about the company’s safety programs, rules, and work procedures.

• Safety rules usually instruct workers on using personal protective equipment (PPE) and address job planning and job safety analysis (JSA).

Personal Protective Equipment

• Personal protective equipment is used to prevent employee injuries and illnesses resulting from contact with physical, chemical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards.

• Personal protective equipment often includes a hard hat, steel toed shoes, and safety glasses.

• Under certain conditions it may also include flame resistant clothing, a face shield, goggles, gloves, vest, earplugs, respirator, and fall protection harness.

Safety Regulations

• The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) covers everything from proper type of oil storage vehicles to training requirements for employees.

• The general duty clause states that each employer must furnish a worksite free from recognized hazards that cause or could cause injury or illness.

• Each company must complete an annual Summary of Work Related Injuries and illnesses (OSHA 300) form and post it from February 1 to may 1 each year.

• This form and other information can be found on the OSHA website at www.osha.gov.

• An employer is required to report to OSHA within 8 hours of the accident of all work related fatalities and hospitalizations that involve 3 or more employees.

Organizing a Safety and Health Program

• Elements of effective safety and health programs include:

• Making information available about risks and hazards to affected employees.

• Identifying hazards and taking measures to prevent accidents.

• Establishing safe workplace practices and documenting them in a safety manual.

• Conducting safety training for all employees.• Reporting and investigating all accidents to prevent

recurrence.

Checking for Hazards

• Hazards that could lead to accidents must be identified before they an be controlled.

• Two of the most common ways of checking methods of checking job sites for hazards are conducting a JSA (job safety analysis) and conducting a checklist inspection.

• A job safety analysis identifies potential hazards for each job step and records and recommends action or procedure to prevent hazards from causing an accident.

• Checklists are an effective way of self auditing the worksite.

Investigating Accidents

• The purpose of conducting accident investigations is to prevent a recurrence.

• All incidents must be investigated.• During the course of an investigation, the facts,

timelines, direct causes, and contributing factors are explored and documented.

• Interviews with each affected individual are conducted as soon as possible.

• Methods to prevent similar accidents based on the investigation results are promptly communicated to other workers so everyone can learn from the incident.

Worker’s Compensation

• Benefits to an injured worker include income, medical payments, and rehabilitation, regardless of fault.

• Companies benefit from the laws because they reduce personal injury litigation.

• Employers are usually required to carry worker’s compensation insurance for their employees.

• As with most insurance, safer companies pay lower premiums.

Incident Rates

• Recordable work related injuries and illnesses include death, loss of consciousness, days away from work, restricted activity or job transfer, and medical treatment beyond first aid.

• Incident rates are calculated based on number of work related injuries or illnesses for a given number of full time employees.

• Incident rates are used to determine the workers compensation insurance rates.

Industrial Hygiene

• Industrial hygiene helps prevent work related sickness, impaired health, or comfort.

• Factors an industrial hygienist would examine are : chemicals in the workplace, noise, vibration, radiation, extreme temperatures, ergonomic conditions (improperly designed tools or workstations), and biological factors (exposure to viruses or bacteria).

• Some key hygiene areas for the oil and gas industry are heat exhaustion, exposure to noise, chemicals, benzene, and poisonous gases such as H2S.

Contractor Safety

• Operating companies bear responsibility to inform contractors of any hazards.

• They must also inspect the site for potential hazards, implement a system to correct hazards, and make sure the contractor follows safe practices.

• The contractor must inform its employees of any existing hazards, take precautions to avoid creating hazards, and work with the operating company to correct hazards.

Proper Training

• A good training program ensures workers are trained in safety.

• All employees might receive training on emergency procedures, PPE requirements, or proper reporting of injuries.

• Safety professionals often develop a training matrix based on the potential hazards a worker might encounter.

• A successful training program should document the instruction each employee receives.

Safety Meetings

• Most companies hold group meetings every month to discuss safety issues. Topics might include new PPE requirements, changes in operating procedures, or updates to regulatory requirements.

• A tailgate meeting usually occurs at the beginning of a job or shift. Such meetings provide an opportunity to discuss possible hazards expected that day, review recent incidents, or conduct a JSA to facilitate the day’s work.

• Safety stand downs are large group safety called as needed, such as following a major incident. The purpose of this meeting is to heighten safety awareness or promote a discussion about a recent accident.

Emergency Planning

• Each worksite needs an emergency plan in the event of an accident.

• The plan should include emergency telephone numbers for ambulance, fire department, police, and local hospitals.

• Workers must know the proper protocols to be used in an emergency.

• Plans should include how to notify company management and safety staff members, especially if a worker has been injured.

• Usually an incident investigation team is assembled after an incident to determine how to avoid a repeat event.

Special Requirements

• Facilities that have over 10,000 pounds of a flammable or hazardous substance might be subject to special requirements under federal regulations.

• Process Safety Management under OSHA has fourteen elements covering topics such as process safety, operating procedures, training, maintenance, audits, incident investigations, and contractor responsibilities.

• Larger facilities might also be required to develop a risk management plan under EPA regulations.

• Scenarios are modeled to determine if a potential incident at a facility could impact the public.

Summary• According to the Coast Guard, fatigue and inadequate technical knowledge are the primary reasons for accidents.• A blowout is the uncontrolled release of crude oil and/or natural gas from an oil well after pressure control systems have failed.• A boom which is a long floating fence, is towed slowly by a boom boat to enclose the spill or to protect part of the shore.• Infrared (IR) cameras have become increasingly popular in the petroleum industry because they can accurately detect small gas leaks

quickly while covering a broad area.• Pigging is the practice of using pipeline inspection gauges or pigs to perform physical inspections of pipelines for corrosion or cracks.• The passive soil gas technique is a way to identify the presence of volatile organic compounds, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and other

contaminants in ground water, surface water, and soils.• Injuries are costly in terms of medical treatment, liability for injured workers, and lost productivity.• Reducing Injuries: There are 3 critical ways to reduce risk to workers: designing safe equipment, enforcing controls, and wearing

protective gear.• Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to prevent employee injuries and illnesses resulting from contact with physical, chemical,

electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards.• The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) covers everything from proper type of oil storage vehicles to training requirements for

employees.• A hazard analysis is often conducted on a plant to determine what could go wrong. • A good training program ensures workers are trained in safety.• Recordable work related injuries and illnesses include death, loss of consciousness, days away from work, restricted activity or job

transfer, and medical treatment beyond first aid.• Incident rates are calculated based on number of work related injuries or illnesses for a given number of full time employees.• Industrial hygiene helps prevent work related sickness, impaired health, or comfort.• Each worksite needs an emergency plan in the event of an accident.

Home Work

• 1. What is a blowout?• 2. Why are infrared cameras popular in the petroleum

industry?• 3. What are 3 ways to reduce risk to workers?• 4. What is PPE used for?