TEXT: Safety is a top priority and should never be overlooked. Safety should never be taken lightly and is a topic of conversation in every forum. The question that always arises is how robust are the safety measures in the Oil and Gas industry? In this regard, many analysts have conducted research on overcoming unsafe practices in the Oil and Gas sector. The reference of some researchers specifically related to safe operation in the Oil and Gas sector is discussed.
A study by Tokarski revealed that over 30% of major accidents experienced in the Oil and Gas industry are triggered by inadequate maintenance. DeWolf opines that piping failures and chemical releases due to poor maintenance are predominant causal factors of 38% of accidents in the Netherlands Petroleum industry. Storage tank accidents on the Norwegian Shelf have been the main cause of over 242 accidents, with poor maintenance and operation being at the core of the problem. According to the Katsakiorri study, poor asset integrity is the main cause of recurrence in offshore accidents, with poor operational discipline and staff training also being at the root of the problem. The authors of the study, Knegtering et al., argue that although accidents can be unpredictable and stochastic, the causes of most accidents are similar. Singh et al. suggest that a possible reason for this is the failure to properly learn and benchmark from previous accidents however, Skalle et al. are of the view that integrating human causal factors with technical factors could help in ascertaining the root causes of accidents.
As evident above, most of the researchers have mainly concluded that poor maintenance, asset integrity, and lack of training of staff results in unforeseen incidents. The general public in our region is unaware of the risks associated with unsafe handling of fuel. The unfortunate incidents in LPG sector and while handling of Natural gas that have occurred in the recent past in Pakistan are also attributed to these factors. LPG accidents are mainly due to the use of sub-standard cylinders, asset integrity, poor maintenance & unawareness to use/ handle LPG. Similarly Natural gas consumers are also unaware of associated risks and do not follow safety precautions such as closing safety nobs and valves etc.
It is inferred that the low rate of adaptability of safe practice in the general public is continuously giving rise to fatal and lethal accidents in everyday life. Due to this reason, the probability of accidents and explosions has experienced an evident shift in recent times. As highlighted earlier, the root cause of such incidents is generally deduced to be improper handling, poor maintenance, and non-implementation of SOPs among the general public. With a responsible attitude and adequate counselling of general population, the rate of such accidents can be minimized to near zero.
by G.M Shaheen and Sadaq Iqbal
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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