Electrical Safety: A Program Development Guide

Abstract

The upstream oil and gas industry in Canada is significant in size and employs thousands of workers who are exposed daily to workplace hazards, which include arc flash and shock. Occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMSs) are common and mature within the companies that are producers and the service industries that support the producers, but there is a lack of included content related to arc flash and shock, or the development and implementation of stand-alone electrical safety programs that effectively address proactive management of arc flash and shock. The “Safety Association” for Canada's upstream oil and gas industry was solicited by its six member associations to address the implementation of a “Guide” to assist the member associations in reviewing a “systems approach” for effective management of electrical hazards and the development and implementation of an electrical safety program. Consistency in policies, practices, and procedures related to arc flash and shock was a desired state for the upstream oil and gas industry. It was assessed that, by providing guidance on how to build, implement, and maintain a discipline-specific OHSMS, an electrical safety program would provide direction to the upstream oil and gas industry, with the goal of consistency and sustainability. The “Safety Association” initiated a project, and a steering committee with representatives from the six upstream oil and gas member associations was constituted to draft a guideline. Once developed, the industry “Safety Association” would provide the guideline for reference by all companies and individuals. This third-party “Safety Association” provides training and documentation tools for the upstream oil and gas industry in Canada.