Prominent Safety and Health Hazards During Crude Extraction: A Review of Process

Abstract

The oil and gas industry is variably classified in upstream sector and downstream sector, with both sectors having exposure to a good number of hazards. The crude oil extraction process is one of the prime objectives of the upstream sector which includes the exploration of the crude, subsequent drilling operation and maximum recovery of the crude oil and gas from the site of operation. The uncontrolled flow of hydrocarbon in well may lead to blowout and will probably have environmental impact; thus, the extraction process can have a huge impact on the elements of earth, which include the soil (area of exploration and production), water and air. Approximately on global scale, there are forty-thousand crude oil sites and millions of people work or live in nearby vicinity; and workers associated with the job will be largely influenced in regard of their safety and health. On comparison of O & G extraction industry with the construction industry, the fatality rate goes up by 2.5 times (Goldberg and Moye in the first hundred years of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. US Department of Labor, 1985), as exposure to hazards like noise, radiation, H2S, crystalline silica is significant. In the article further, we review the safety hazards and health hazards associated with the extraction of the crude along with assessing the probable causes of the fatal incidents and exposure to hazardous substances. Workers involved in crude extraction process have potential impact on their health such as loss of immunity, cancerous cell development, liver and respiratory tract damage and neurological disorders.