In February 2015, thousands of oil workers walked off their job sites in protest over health and refinery safety issues, after contract talks broke down. The strike would last more than a month and would be the largest of its kind in the oil refinery industry since 1980.
While the 2015 was specifically over worker fatigue and performance of routine maintenance by contractors, not outdated or malfunctioning safety equipment, the message was clear–employees did not feel protected. Your employees are your greatest asset. If you help them feel protected, you will see smooth production, improved employee trust and morale, and reduced liability to your plant and management.
Maintain Production, Save Money
Your refinery employees are your greatest asset; they keep your business running smoothly.
When employees feel safe, they are free to do their jobs and not spend time worrying about whether they’ll be taken care of in the event of an accident. Less worry means fewer errors and accidents, along with better overall productivity. It also helps decrease the staff turnover rate due to concerns over personal safety.
Keeping workers safe not only improves production, but it also saves money too. According to the 2013/2014 UK Health and Safety Executive, it costs a company $10,000 per non-fatal injury and about $2 million per fatality, in terms of lost production and health care costs.
Your employees are an essential part of your business, and keeping them safe with the best safety equipment for your location will save you money and improve productivity at your refinery.
Improve Trust and Morale
If your refinery has old or outdated safety showers, you risk your employees’ safety as well as their trust. Updating your safety measures and working with employees to decide the best fit for the conditions will improve worker morale and their trust in you.
“Naturally, workers rely on management to make the proper provisions for emergency treatment. It is management’s responsibility to know and comply with current treatment preparation requirements and to acquire emergency response equipment that will provide such treatment,” wrote Michael Armatage, director of safety shower sales and EPC Specialist at ATS, in Occupational Health and Safety.
Employee trust is vital to maintain production at your refinery. Updating your safety measures and working with employees to decide the best safety shower solutions will help keep your business running smoothly.
Reduce Liability Through Refinery Safety
Providing your employees with safety shower equipment that meets or exceeds government requirements will reduce your liability, keep your plant running, and increase employees’ confidence in your business.
There are serious legal ramifications, including possible government fines and civil liability in having subpar safety shower equipment at your refinery. After the 2005 explosion at BP’s Texas City, Texas refinery, OSHA imposed a $50.61 million penalty. Review your equipment and make sure it meets current OSHA and ANSI (2014) regulations as well as other state requirements, including Washington State’s higher safety standard of Assembly Certified.
If you invest in the best safety shower solutions for your refinery to improve refinery safety, then you’ll be protecting your company from liability as well as your employees from harm.
Working in the field in the oil and gas industry is more dangerous than a white-collar office job, but if you provide your employees with custom, up-to-date safety shower solutions, you’ll protect them, boost morale, and maintain their trust while reducing your own liability and improve your bottom line.
