Just like any other job, working in an offshore oil rig can sometimes be dangerous hence ensuring your safety together with those around you should be a given a top priority before anything else.
Well, we both know you cannot work or be effective when you are injured and laying somewhere on a hospital bed right? Perhaps one of the most dangerous thing that might occur while working in an offshore oil rig is getting exposed to hydrogen sulfide.
This can turn out to be even more dangerous when inhaled. Over the years, Offshore Living Quarters Manufacturers have been trying to reduce the chances and the risks of getting exposed to hydrogen sulfide.
Below are some of the measures put in place to ensure the safety of workers and any other person within the area of work.
Respiratory protection
Respiratory protection are programs put in place for workers mainly because of the threat posed by hydrogen sulfide when inhaled. There is always a constant monitoring of the drilling returns and placing of exhaust ventilations.
Positive pressure ventilations are also fitted in the living quarters. The ventilations are usually linked to the automatic shutdown of the HVAC systems when there is presence of hydrogen sulfide in the air.
The offshore oil rigs companies also have corrosion rings which are fitted in the pipes to help in detecting the weaknesses in the pipe. This is because hydrogen sulfide can usually be released through the corroded pipes. Read more about precaution measures at http://www.drillingcontractor.org/how-to-ensure-h2s-safety-on-offshore-rigs-8267
There are also oxygen tanks and gas masks always put near the drill pipes just in case someone has been exposed.
Electronic monitoring
It is important that you keep a constant monitoring of the hydrogen sulfide for the safety of everyone else and this is why you will always find an extensive system put in place in many offshore oil rigs.
You will find fixed detection systems in most of the areas. Other things include drill floor, mud logging unit and a properly installed air intake system to the living quarters.
The sensors in these places are always installed in the areas close to the point where the gas might be leaking from. The sensors are also made in such a way that they are able to withstand the effects coming in from things like mud, water, and steam among other mechanical damages.
The continuous monitoring is to ensure there is maximum performance. The electronic monitors are usually controlled and calibrated in some control panel at the rig control room.
Personal monitor
This is to help those workers who spend most of their time working in areas where there is too much noise.
In case of any alert, these people usually finds it difficult to hear the alarm due to the noise thus they are given personal hydrogen sulfide monitors to put on at all times. Visual alarms are also installed sometimes to help in ensuring the safety of these workers.
For any necessary emergency response, direct reading monitors which are portable are always made available to those helping with the rescue mission to check the levels of hydrogen sulfide as they attend to the affected workers.
Monitoring system inspection
The monitor systems should also be inspected regularly just to make sure that all the safety measures are fully functioning to their maximum abilities.
This is mostly done by the officer in charge of safety at the rigs. The inspection is done mainly to ensure that the monitors are in good working condition and can properly detect the dangerous amount of hydrogen sulfide in places where they are installed.
Just like the fixed monitors, the personal monitors should also be checked just to make sure they are in good shape and repair or replace them in case of any defects.
Working with poor monitors might lead to the recording of faulty information and that can cause a lot of problems in your working area especially at the offshore oil rigs when checking for the levels of hydrogen sulfide in the air.
The system inspection should be done at least once every month. It would even be much better if this could be done on a weekly basis.
Conclusion
Hydrogen sulfide is usually seen to be the most serious danger that can be posed when working in an offshore oil rig thus it should be taken care of at all cost. You must ensure that the place you are working in has some monitoring system put in place. This way you can always work knowing that your safety is guaranteed.