Personal Protective Equipment in Oil and Gas

Industries such as oil and gas require knowledgeable engineers, with lapses in judgment having the potential to cost companies thousands in costly errors. To attract the best staff, and retain them, it is imperative to provide them with the necessary tools to do their jobs with confidence.

Proper protection is a key factor in enabling employees to perform to the best of their abilities. Without this, staff may lack the confidence to carry out their work. When safety is poor, injuries can sometimes occur, leading to long periods of time off work. Serious incidents can sometimes have the knock-on effect of skilled workers leaving a company, taking their knowledge with them, and with the growing skills shortage in the sector there are less people willing to replace them. 

LOCALISED PPE

DuPont’s Tyvek IsoClean hooded coverall can provide localised protection for workers. It’s IC0501 BWH00 is a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for sleeves, featuring tunnelled elastication at the wrist and bicep. It is constructed from Tyvek 500, a custom material developed by the company, and only comes in white. The sleeves are not clean-processed and are not sterilised. It meets EU regulations 2016/425, EN14126 as a barrier to infective agents, and is suitable for GMP class C/D clean rooms. 

Matching these compliance and suitability ratings is the model IC729S00, which offers headwear protection. The seamless design has an elastic headband to keep the product in place around the user, with each box containing 250 bouffants.

Localised protection can be extremely useful in applications where entire body suits are not necessary, reducing costs and waste for limited applications. Rather than having to throw away an entire suit after use, only the necessary parts now need to be discarded. This can help reduce costs and overall waste. It also provides an easy-to-use option compared to full-body suits, which can be time-consuming for workers to put on and take off. 

FULL BODY PPE

For full-body protection, DuPont also has a solution. The Tychem 2000 SFR is a fully body suit which protects users, with a respirator-fit hood and elasticated wrists. The suit stretches down to the feet, with attached socks and outer boot flaps. The seams are taped to prevent any harmful chemicals entering, and a semi-auto locking slider zipper ensures complete protection once someone is inside. 

Test results show a nearly third reduction in predicted body burn when exposed to hazardous materials when compared to the Lakeland Pyrolon CRFR over Nomex. Tychem 2000 SFR provides a barrier against inorganic acids and bases, as well as cleaning chemicals and particles. It is suitable for chemically hazardous environments and can be warn over fire-protective clothing.

EYES ON THE PRIZE

It shouldn’t take any explanation of how important eyes are to all aspects of life. Protecting them is of the upmost importance, and therefore suitable eyewear for hazardous oil and gas applications is extremely important. A range of safety googles is available, dependent on need and what is most suitable for the application at hand. 

Portwest Clear chemical safety googles PS21CLR features a clear acetate lens and indirect ventilation, making it suitable for use with hazardous chemicals. The glasses have anti-fog and scratch-resistant properties to improve both user safety and long-term durability. The googles do not contain any metal, making them safe to use in most environments and have been tested to EN 166 personal eye protection safety standards. 

An alternative option is the Uvex Pheos clear safety glasses 9192-720, specially developed for smaller faces, but keeping all the protective measures. The glasses have a large field of vision, with eyebrow protection and have a non-slip fit. The glasses also feature En 166 classification but also have EN 170 classification, for eye protection with ultraviolet filters. This grants workers an added level of protection.

Moving away from googles and instead to general face protection is the Bolle Sphere face shield, Spherpi. This is highly adaptable to most situations and does not restrict the field of vision in any way, as the headgear and brow guard can be adjusted by the user. It also features both EN 166 and EN 170 classifications. The shield is suitable for chemical, electrical, thermic, high energy impact, and speed particles at extreme temperature usage. 

SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT

In the age of mechanical automation, the need for well-educated and skilled staff is growing. Machinery cannot be harmed by chemicals in the same manner humans can be, as such we are seeing machines deployed into operations which would be considered harmful to people. 

However, what machines lack is experience and critical thinking skills in time-restricted scenarios. High staff turnover is expensive and can lead to costly errors down the line. Keeping staff safe, motivated, and happy can be the key to unlocking their full potential and keeping operating costs down in the long run.