STEPS NIOSH - Annual Alliance Report 2015 - 2016

ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
and the National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety (STEPS)
Network and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

  1. Alliance Background

    1. Date Signed

      December 2, 2014

    2. Evaluation Period

      December 2, 2015 to December 1, 2016.

    3. Overview

      Through the Alliance, OSHA, the National STEPS Network, and NIOSH will work together to prevent fatalities, injuries, and illnesses in the U.S. onshore exploration and production sector of the oil and gas industry.

    4. Implementation Team Members

      • OSHA

        • David Bates - Area Director, Oklahoma City OK Area Office
        • J.D. Danni - Safety and Health Specialist, OSHA Region 8
        • Dr. Michael Hodgson - Director, Office of Occupational Medicine and Nursing, Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management (DTSEM)
        • Todd Jordan - Director, Health Response Team, Salt Lake City Technical Center, DTSEM
        • Barnett Lawrence - Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP)
        • Mike Lynham - Assistant Regional Administrator, OSHA Region 8
        • Mike Marshall - Safety Engineer, Office of Chemical Process Safety and Enforcement Initiatives, Directorate of Enforcement Programs
        • Marianne McGee - Compliance Assistance Specialist, Corpus Christi TX Area Office

      • NIOSH

        • David Caruso - Program Coordinator and Senior Health Communication Specialist, Oil and Gas Extraction Program
        • Ryan Hill - Program Manager, Oil and Gas Extraction Program
        • Kyla Retzer - Epidemiologist, NIOSH Western States Office

      • National STEPS Network

        • Rick Ingram - BP; Chairperson of National STEPS Network
        • Jerry Jacobs - Patterson UTI; Co-Chairperson of National STEPS Network
        • Joyce Ryel - Complete Production; President of AESC; Co-Chairperson of National STEPS Network
        • Paul Breaux - Berkley Oil & Gas Specialty Services
        • Elizabeth Haley - PEC Premier
        • Kenny Jordan - Executive Director, Association of Energy Service Companies (AESC)
        • Liz Lawhorn-Cryder - Oil and energy professional
        • Josh Ortega - BGP Billiton; SafelandUSA Chair
        • David Pickard - XTO
        • Jim Sierra - Texas Oil and Gas Association
        • Dean Wingo - University of Texas - Arlington
        • Anthony Zacniewski - Bandera Drilling

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    • May 11, 2016
    • November 29, 2016

    The Alliance participants also met numerous times during this period to work on specific projects, including the Emerging Issues group, Oil and Gas Safety Conference planning and implementation, Step Up for Safety planning, NIOSH NORA Council meetings, and OSHA Oil and Gas Well Servicing and Drilling eTool meetings.

  3. Results

    The following table summarizes the Alliance's activities in support of the goals in the Alliance agreement.

    Training and Education: Provide support for the OSHA Oil and Gas Safety and Health Conferences.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached
    Training 2016 OSHA Oil and Gas Safety Conference. Houston, Texas. Nov. 29-30, 2016. The National STEPS Network, the University of Texas at Arlington, and OSHA worked with other organizations to plan and implement this fifth biennial conference. The conference featured presentations by Drs. Michael and Howard, motivational keynote presentations, 49 breakout sessions, and more than 100 exhibitors. Oil and Gas 1,080
     
    Training and Education: Provide support for oil and gas safety stand-downs.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached
    Training 2016 Step-Up for Safety in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry. Feb. to June 2016. The Alliance participants organized this safety stand-down to raise awareness among employers and workers about hazards in oil and gas exploration. During Step-Up events, employers around the country took time out from their work days to conduct site inspections, safety training, and other activities.

    Summary of results:
    • Number of companies reporting data:     52
    • Number of employees trained:     8,736
    • Number of contractors trained:     3,460
    • Number of hours spent training:     24,021
    • Number of jobsite inspections:     3,214
    • Number of hazards identified:     5,009
    		 Oil and Gas,
    Transportation    		 12,196
     
    Training and Education: Provide guidance and resources for development of training for employers and workers in the industry, including new and temporary workers.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached
    Training SafeLand USA Orientation Training. Provided orientation training for workers in the U.S. onshore exploration and production industry. Oil and Gas 56,539 (more than 950,000 since inception)
    Training Joint US/EU Conference on Health and Safety at Work: Hydraulic Fracturing – Bakken Safety Tour 2016. Aug. 31 – Sep. 1, 2016. This conference and site visit showcased Bakken Oilfield hydraulic fracturing safety practices for labor, government, and industry representatives of energy sectors of the U.S. and the European Union. The MONDAKS Safety Network and the Bismarck OSHA Area Office hosted the event, which resulted from the 2015 Joint US/EU Conference on Safety and Health. Representatives from the EU, OSHA, NIOSH, API, and industry attended the conference, which featured guest speakers and a visit to an active hydraulic fracturing site. Oil and Gas 75
     
    Outreach and Communication: Develop products, including fact sheets on the leading causes of fatalities in the industry and videos on key safety and health hazards in the industry.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached
    Alliance Product Hot Work Hazard Alert. Sep. 2016. Developed a hazard alert on how to prevent fatalities associated with hot work on oilfield tanks, tankers, and related equipment. Alert was developed based on an analysis of fatalities in the NIOSH NORA Council Fatalities in Oil and Gas (FOG) database. Distributed widely to employers and workers in the industry through national STEPS distribution channels (web site, Twitter, conference), local STEPS Networks, and affiliated organizations. For example:
    • Sent to more than 17,800 individuals through the National STEPS email distribution lists.
    • BP distributed it to all 700 of its contractor companies.
    • Featured in OSHA's QuickTakes (Nov. 15, 2016 issue): 160,000 subscribers
    		 Oil and Gas 18,500
     
    Outreach and Communication: Distribute Alliance and OSHA materials to employers and workers.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached
    Dissemination Tank Hazard Alert. Continued to disseminate this hazard alert, which was issued in May 2015 based on an analysis of fatalities in the NIOSH NORA Council Fatalities in Oil and Gas (FOG) database.

    This alert was widely distributed to an estimated 100,000 employers and workers in the industry from May to December 2015. Dissemination continued in this reporting period, including:
    • National STEPS Network tweet on Sep. 20, 2016. (102 following, 28 followers)
    • Workshop at 2016 Oil and Gas Safety Conference on Nov. 30, 2016 (50 attendees)
    • PEC Safety sent to 2,300 subscribers to the PEC Safety App, sent to 4,000 social media followers, and built the alert into its safety training manuals (11,219 students and 603 trainers).

    Summary of impact: There were 9 fatalities associated with manual tank gauging or collection of fluid samples in 2010 to 2014, and none in the year after the hazard alert was issued. In response to the identification of this hazard by NIOSH and OSHA researchers, the American Petroleum Institute issued a new safety standard (API 18.2, Custody Transfer of Crude Oil from Lease Tanks Using Alternative Measurement Methods) in 2016. In Oct. 20116, the Bureau of Land Management adopted API 18.2 to allow oil and gas companies to use measurement systems and automatic tank gauging systems without having to obtain a variance from BLM. See NIOSH Impact Sheet.    		 Oil and Gas 15,671
    Dissemination National STEPS Network Web Page. The National STEPS Network maintains and updates this web page. Several updates were made to the page in this period, including posting the Hot Work Hazard Alert. Oil and Gas 49,311 visits
    Dissemination OSHA's National STEPS Network/NIOSH Alliance Web Page. OSHA maintains and updates the OSHA and National STEPS Network/NIOSH Alliance Web page that is posted on the Agency Web site. The Web page includes the Alliance agreements, Alliance-developed products, and resources. Oil and Gas 640 visits
    Dissemination Annual Meeting of STEPS Networks. Nov. 29, 2016. Representatives from the national and local STEPS Networks, NIOSH, and OSHA met to share successes and challenges. Oil and Gas 75
    Other Support for OSHA's Campaign for Safety and Health Programs. Nov. 2016. National STEPS Network signed on as a co-sponsor. Oil and Gas, Safety and Health Programs Not Applicable
     
    Outreach and Communication: Provide technical review of OSHA materials.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached
    OSHA Product Review OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool. Dec. 2015 to Nov. 2016. Continued process of updating this eTool. Completed draft of new transportation module and submitted content to OSHA's Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management, which will put the updated eTool through the OSHA clearance process. Oil and Gas,
    Transportation    		 Not Applicable
     
    Outreach and Communication: Support the efforts of NIOSH and the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Oil and Gas Extraction Council to collect and analyze surveillance data, and disseminate reports summarizing fatal injuries in the industry.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached
    Other NORA Oil and Gas Extraction Council. Served on the Council and provided industry information to support the Council's work, including enhancement of the FOG database. The Council met on Sep. 21-22, 2016 in Houston. Oil and Gas Not Applicable
     
    Outreach and Communication: Work through the National STEPS Network’s Emerging Issues Focus Group to address key safety and health hazards in the industry.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported Number Reached
    Other Emerging Issues Focus Group Meeting. May 11-12, 2016. Participants developed action items on tank gauging and silica. Oil and Gas 80
    Other Emerging Issues Focus Group Meeting. Sep. 20, 2016. Participants developed action items on tank gauging and silica. Oil and Gas 80
     
    TOTAL     164,247

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    In the next year, the Alliance participants will implement the renewal agreement and work plan. For example, the Alliance participants will:

    • Complete their review and suggested updates to the OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool.
    • Develop a hazard alert on mobile engines as ignition sources.
    • Continue to disseminate the hazard alerts, including developing Spanish versions.
    • Disseminate other information developed by NIOSH, OSHA, and industry to employers and workers.

Report prepared by: Barnett Lawrence, Safety & Occupational Health Specialist, DCSP/OOSA; December 27, 2016.