OILFIELD SAFETY TRENDS
With the 2014-2015 downturn in the South Texas oil and gas industry, there have come two developments of great concern to worker personal safety. The first has to do with the large number of across the board layoffs coming at a time when the industry ought to be gearing up for the big crew change. It’s impossible to retain and train the best workers in South Texas when they are off seeking work in other industries outside of oil and gas.
The second unfortunate trend we see all too often is that companies lay off their in-house safety personnel. Cutting corners in safety never pays off, but this leaves the oil and gas safety certifications such as SafeLand and H2S in San Antonio to either be picked up by commercial training centers of varying quality and responsiveness or to have to wait for a safety trainer from another area. SafeLand is something that each worker needs to start oilfield work. In some cases, experienced workers have not been issued SafeLand cards, but new contracts are now requiring that training. For those workers with the potential to be working around hydrogen sulfide, they will also need to be trained to at least the H2S awareness certification.
INTERACTIVE CHALLENGES
One way San Antonio SafeLand training is enhanced is through the use of simple toys and games to encourage the active learning of oilfield workers. Drawing is a part of a good SafeLand course that allows students to occupy their hands while engaging their minds on the task of safety. Games can also help to unleash students’ competitive energy in a positive manner. When students compete to get the best answers to SafeLand topics, the safety culture wins.
FULL STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Moving from each SafeLand activity on a regular schedule keeps students from checking out and engages their minds during the SafeLand program. Some students also relate to certain activities better than others, so the shorter periods offer more opportunity for encouragement and teamwork to set in. High definition audiovisual equipment, when applied properly as is done at Eagle Ford Training San Antonio, can add extra interest to the entire SafeLand course.
VARIETY OF AMENITIES
Keeping students comfortable in San Antonio is important to enhance the learning experience. If students are uncomfortable due to poor temperature control, lack of air flow, cramped spaces, distracting noises, glare, or other uncomfortable factors, then they will have difficulty focusing on the message presented. Eagle Ford Training San Antonio provides SafeLand endorsements as accredited by IADC under the Rigpass program, which audits to check for all of these factors.
In order to keep hunger from distracting students, Eagle Ford Training San Antonio has an onsite snack bar with a wide variety of snacks and soft drinks. There is also a hot and tasty catered lunch available for students to look forward to.
MAKING A SAFETY CULTURE PAY OFF
The SafeLand training program as provided under IADC Rigpass is not just about knowing safety facts and regulations, although it is important that workers can find those facts when needed, it is about training a safety culture into each oil and gas worker before they enter the oilfield. When workers show proficiency on the written test, as in most training, they receive a certification to return to the oilfield. Also, the top students showing safety culture during part of the training may receive a highly coveted prize to show how highly valued the safety culture is. This makes Eagle Ford Training San Antonio’s offering of IADC Rigpass with SafeLand one of best training classes leading to the SafeLand certification for South Texas oilfield workers.
After the class is over, oilfield workers are encouraged to revisit our oilfield safety blog. This is where we elucidate SafeLand topics as well as the full spectrum of oil and gas safety. Popular topics tend to include hydraulic fracturing, well control, driving, and other SafeLand topics that are of concern in South Texas oilfields.
Recommended Training: PEC SafeLand in San Antonio