How to strike the right balance between cost, productivity and safety.
The oil and gas business is booming across North America, and as drilling activity intensifies, safety remains the primary area of concern. While tracked in terms of incident rates, legal exposure and insurance costs, we 
need to remember the real cost is measured in people’s pain and suffering, damage to the environment, and the loss of public confidence in our industry.
Oil and gas companies face an array of health, safety and environmental issues on a daily basis. This is partly due to the nature of transporting hazardous products and the inherent risks of loading, unloading, and transporting heavy tubular goods and other materials and equipment.
Compounding the issue, oil and gas workers including truck drivers are keeping pace with around-the-clock drilling schedules that often require 12-hour shifts for up to14 days straight. Job sites are typically in rural, isolated areas, so workers must travel long distances to get to the remote areas where the industry operates. As a result, fatigue is a prime contributing factor to many safety problems.
Another factor is the just-in-time nature of the work. Since virtually all equipment is rented; it must arrive at rig sites only when it’s needed to keep costs down. The resulting “I-need-it-now” or “I-need-it-returned-now” mindset can lead to serious logistics and safety challenges.
That said, what can you do to keep your workers, drivers, vehicles and operations safe? Additionally, what should you look for in third-party partners who may be working for you? Consider these keys to making safe business good business.
Five Keys to Oil and Gas Safety in a Logistics Operation
1. Reliable, well-maintained vehicles
It goes without saying that if you can’t get equipment, tubular goods, water or sand to drilling sites on time, production suffers and costs pile up. That’s why the vehicles that transport equipment to sites should be reliable and maintained to prevent downtime. Keeping equipment fit for duty calls for standard inspections, preventive maintenance at regular intervals and inspections at fuel stops.
2. Safe, well-trained drivers
Outreach to drivers is essential to making the road safer for all of us. Therefore, it’s critical to recruit, train and retain dedicated drivers who’ve mastered rigorous oil and gas processes and at all times know the risks associated with their jobs. What’s more they must be fully committed to safety as their top priority.
3. A strong safety culture
Having a strong safety culture reduces risks and keeps everyone on the job safe. A company-wide focus on safety does more than protect your personnel, physical assets and the environment. It will improve productivity and morale, while lowering turnover – all of which add to the bottom line. This means committing to supporting drivers and rewarding their safe actions. Recognition empowers employees to do their job responsibly and contributes to greater productivity and higher employee morale. Further, employees should feel that doing the right and safe thing is both their right and responsibility.
4. Logistics partners that know your business and safety
Don’t have the resources you need in-house to manage logistics and transportation? If you’re evaluating third-party logistics or transportation partners, be sure to select one that understands the critical nature of the oil and gas business, knows the importance of moving freight in a timely manner and is fully engaged in the safety process. Agree on the rules of engagement upfront to ensure their safety culture and programs mesh with yours. This will minimize the negative impacts of unsafe work practices on the road and in the field.
5. The right personal protective equipment
Both from a productivity and safety standpoint, it’s essential that drivers and other workers have the right personal protective equipment (PPE). Make sure drivers and equipment meet required standards for oil and gas drilling sites and are properly equipped to prevent unnecessary safety issues or delays.
A Blended Transportation Solution: The Proven Route to Safety
One of the best ways to prevent safety-related issues is a blended transportation solution that combines a dedicated fleet with a portfolio of contracted carriers. A blended approach connects you with safety services and resources you might not have in-house: driver safety training, screening, compliance and risk management programs. Preventive maintenance routines and carrier management compliance programs keep minor issues from becoming safety risks, and in general, blended solutions minimize exposure to risk.
Randy Tomlinson, Senior Manager Safety, Health and Security Ryder System, Inc. Randy has worked in the transportation industry for 35 years, beginning his career as a driver and transportation manager. He has spent the last 30 years focusing in health, safety and security activities. Over the years he has helped develop many of Ryder’s core programs and now heads their HSSE efforts in the oil and gas industry. He also has extensive experience in providing litigation support to the defense bar.
