Oil and Gas Industry: how can you improve lone workers’ safety?

Oil and Gas industry is an important part of the world economy: lots of vital infrastructures depend on this industry.

As in any sector, the safety of its workers is important, and some of the risks a lone worker has to face are the same faced by lone workers in other industries, such as falls, slips etc., but in Oil and Gas Industry there are additional risks. The following case study shows how we helped an important company operating in this sector.

Which risks might a lone worker face?

In addition to the standard risks, a lone worker could have to face chemical risks generated by the inhalation of hazardous materials, drilling fluids, or other risks due for example to working at heights or along pipelines, alongside high-risk equipment, or risks of explosion.

In some cases, these lone workers operate in remote locations, sometimes offshore. This means they may be under extra pressure, or physically or emotionally isolated. These conditions could generate accidents so finding the best solution to protect their workers is a must for an employer.

This is why we were contacted by this kind of company.

How can you reduce risks for the lone worker in Oil and Gas industry?

Our customer has several maintenance workers working alone in very large complexes. These workers often check valves, conducts, etc., where even a little fire could become a big issue.

We proposed VerticalMan^® , a man down app that runs on the Android system. Our solution allowed Oil and Gas Industry to:

1. use the device as a mobile phone in  ATEX areas;
2. have all the features of a classic man down device with remote notification to rescuers via SMS and telephone calls

In addition, the company was looking for a reliable solution that works also in places where there is no GPS signal because in case of emergency the rescue team must know the exact position of the lone worker even if the unfortunate is located indoors.  VerticalMan^® is the best solution in these situations thanks to the positioning via Wi-Fi network and IPS with beacons.

Another feature they asked is the ability to use other apps without them interfering with the man down function and the choice of a Smartphone and beacon produced by one of the world leaders in the supply of ATEX certified solutions, eCom.

What are additional VerticalMan^® benefits in Oil and Gas industry?

• It is high reliable: there are no false technical alarms.
• Can be customized with over 140 parameters, to satisfy the most different needs.
• The system’s administrator can also customize each SMS.
• There is also the possibility of having the positioning on the message with directly the link to Google Maps
• Can be integrated with the company central alarm system
• It guarantees the privacy of the operator: its position is in the volatile memory, and it is communicated only in case of alarm.

Conclusion

As we said before, reducing risks means to guarantee better safety condition for lone workers, to reduce rescue time and in some cases even save their life.

Many organizations still use old check-in procedures to ensure the safety of their employees. This approach is not capable of responding in real-time to really make a difference for your lone workers.

VerticalMan^® is an important ally in ensuring the safety of lone workers in Oil and Gas industry so that they are no longer alone.

It can also be used with wearable technology to allow lone workers to have both hands free and to send real time data at technical teams working from remote that can help in some cases the lone worker to solve issues promptly.

If you need a professional solution for your lone worker that fit the needs of your company, send an email to [email protected]

Solution Summary