OSHA, in partnership with NIOSH and the National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety Network (STEPS), sponsored a national stand down to raise awareness and to promote safety and health practices at U.S. oil and gas exploration and production sites. The event at the Humble Civic Center in Humble, TX, was webcast nationwide to regional STEPS network locations.
The event featured remarks from Ryan Hill, program manager for NIOSH's Western States Office, and included industry association roundtables and case study presentations. Participants also viewed a new video on respirable silica, and OSHA featured an informative video on incident statistics.
Following the stand down, participants were asked to share safety and health information with workers and contractors by devoting a minimum of 1 hour to the task, in 15-minute increments at their worksites, until Jan. 30, 2014. To participate and record results, companies must register online at http://www.oshastanddown.org.
Click here for more information on the stand down or click here to read an interview ASSE's Oil & Gas Practice Specialty conducted with Rick Ingram of STEPS.