Offshore Fire Safety

Durasteel can be installed within oil rigs to increase the level of fire protection and also act as prevention for the spreading of fire. The prevention of fire and explosion along with
the protection from blasts and fire on offshore working environments is one of the major safety regulations. These are aimed at protecting workers on these platforms from fire
and blasts and give them the time and means to escape in the event on an incident occurring.
!" #ovec" $%& Fire
'rotection Fluid is a highly(effective fire extinguishant) designed to knock down fires
*uickly) before they have a chance to disrupt production or spread to +lass , ha-ards) such
as gasoline) oil and oil(based paints.
The Problem for Emergency Responders
.ecently) the authors of this article spent several days in the upstate #ew /ork area as independent consultants investigating an oil rig fire and meeting with local responders to
get their statements on what actions they took during the incident. 0e found several fire departments and other emergency response agencies responded to the call. !ost felt
they were completely unprepared for such an event and had little idea of the magnitude of the health and safety ha-ards at the location. The emergency responders1 desire to
determine whether they could have done more or even responded properly brought about our decision to write this article for the good of the emergency response community
and the health and safety professionals interacting with these organi-ations. The fire burned for nearly $% hours) destroyed a multimillion(dollar rig) and destroyed the bore(hole)
causing the need to spend thousands in additional funds to work the hole over and get the well into operation.
2t is clear a knowledge gap exists) and collaborative efforts between the emergency response community and exploration companies can provide higher levels of safety for
communities) responders) and exploration company employees. This is a real problem for small to medium(si-ed response organi-ations) such as fire departments) emergency
medical services) police) and emergency management agencies that provide emergency services in the remote areas that usually are selected for exploration activities.
.esponse groups in traditional oil and gas fields are accustomed to dealing with double) triple) and even larger drilling rigs and the ha-ards associated with this industry. !any
responders in traditional oil and gas exploration areas of the 3nited States may even have worked in the oilfields before becoming emergency responders. 4ikewise) health and
safety professionals in traditional drilling areas are more accustomed to working with local responders to ensure they are aware of the ha-ards associated with drilling locations
and what resources the energy exploration companies have to assist in times of emergency.
The *uestions that were asked of the authors during the interviews ranged from 5+an you teach a fire training course for us that will allow our members to extinguish rig fires65
to 50hat chemicals were our crew members exposed to65
7ery few drilling rig fires can be put out by spraying water and foam at them. These are necessary for cooling operations) but one must get drilling fluid 8mud9 down hole to
complete the extinguishing process if the driller cannot get the blowout preventer to operate. !ost traditional fire departments) for example) are accustomed to the basic home
fire) where it is very appropriate to spray the 5wet stuff5 onto the 5red stuff5 and the fire goes out.
Rig Life, the OSH Professional, and Emergency Responders
,lowout preventer) rat hole) rotary) etc. 0hat is this foreign language that is being spoken6 The oil and gas industry has terms for every part of its rigs) and the employees who
work the rigs have taken these terms over the years and made them their own.
2t is important for responders to know whom to speak to on the rig and that person1s responsibilities. The energy exploration company1s health and safety professional has a
responsibility to the emergency responders in the area of the company1s operations to make them informed of the points of contact at rig locations and to make the responders
more informed about the employee positions and the working parts of drilling operations. !ore importantly) the health and safety professional has the obligation to raise
situation awareness levels of emergency responders and allow the responders to develop a sense of respect for the true ha-ards present during drilling operations.
4et1s take a rundown of the drilling gang: The lead man on the site is the company man. This is the person who represents the exploration company and generally is always on
site. ;xploration companies often set up a mobile trailer on site for their company men to inhabit. To allow the reader to get a feel for the flow of the organi-ational structure) this
employee is like a site or plant manager for general industry or a division chief for the emergency response industry. <e=she is an upper(level management person for the
energy exploration company who reports directly to the senior company executives on the status of the operation.
The exploration company and the drilling rig company are generally not from the same overall organi-ation. The primary supervisor for the drilling rig company is commonly
referred to as the toolpusher. The toolpusher is in charge of the entire site as it relates to actual drilling operations. !ost of these men=women have been in the business for
some time and) generally speaking) have the respect of their crew. This position is similar to a department supervisor for general industry or a battalion chief in the fire service.
The next person in line is the driller. <e=she works for the drilling rid company. The driller runs the crew and physically operates the rig. 2f this guy sounds like a fire or rescue
captain or a general industry foreman to you) then you1re right on track. <e=she is assisted by several key people commonly called roughnecks((but just as in emergency
response or general industry) they have speciali-ed functions) such as a derrickman) who handles work on the tower(like structure that stands over the rig. This group ranges all
the way down to the rookie roughneck.
>ny communication an emergency responder wishes to have on site needs to be taken through the drilling location1s chain of command. 2f a rig has been set up in an
emergency response organi-ation1s district) the energy exploration company1s health and safety professional will need to make contact with the response organi-ation and
introduce not only the main drilling crew) but also the relief drilling crew to the organi-ation. ?enerally speaking) the drilling crews work two(week tours of duty. ;ach drilling crew
consists of a day shift and a night shift. On average) they work seven $%(hour days per week.
2t is very important for the exploration company1s health and safety professional to take the initiative to contact local emergency responders. !any of these emergency response
organi-ations are staffed by volunteers. They may not even be aware a drilling location has been established in their response area.
The Main Parts of the Drilling Rig
To keep it simple) there are a few structures the health and safety professional will want to let the emergency response organi-ations know about. These structures can be
broken down into the pit) pipe racks) doghouse) cellar) rig floor) and the derrick.
The pit is a cut in the earth that is lined with heavy plastic. This pit is used for excess drilling water) cuttings) or fluid to be collected after it has been cycled up from the bore
hole. The pipe racks are the ground(level structures that store the drill string 8or drilling pipe9. The string is pulled up through the pipe gate by the draw works as needed. The
doghouse is the building situated near the rig that contains many of the charting devices and field lab testing areas for the rig. The toolpusher is often found in the doghouse
along with the driller while he is waiting for the next @elly or section of drilling string to be rotated into the earth. The 5derrick is a large load(bearing structure) usually of bolted
construction. 2n drilling) the standard derrick has four legs standing at the corners of the substructure and reaching to the crown block. The substructure is an assembly of heavy
beams used to elevate the derrick and provide space to install blowout preventers) casing heads) and so forth.5 8www.osha.gov9.
Hazards to Stress to Emergency Responders
2f the emergency responders have never been around a drilling operation) they may lack situational awareness of the true ha-ards to which they are being exposed. !any
responders feel the biggest ha-ard they face on drilling locations is fire. >lthough this is a real ha-ard) you cannot overlook the fact the underground formations also contain
hydrogen sulfide ha-ards and overpressuri-ation ha-ards. The site has open pits that contain water and drilling fluid 8called mud9 that) if not noticed) can be a place where the
unaware emergency responder may fall in and be unable to get out of because of the slick linings and the weight of his '';) once it becomes soaked with drilling fluid or oily
water.
The rig itself presents ha-ards from its moving parts) trip ha-ards) and fall from height ha-ards) etc. !any drilling rigs have been modified from their original design to allow for
*uicker set(up time and the ability to make @ellies faster. These modifications often come in the form of removing handrails and chains that protect drilling rig workers from fall
ha-ards. The health and safety professional should make regular site audits of the location to ensure the rig is not modified in a manner that exposes employees and
emergency responders to undue ha-ards. 2t is important that safety be stressed to emergency response organi-ations and that site safety awareness training be offered at no
charge to emergency response organi-ations that have the potential to respond to an energy exploration company1s drilling location.
Ho !ire Departments and Other Response Organizations "an Protect Themsel#es
;mergency response organi-ations can help make their communities safer by becoming proactive and being aware of the arrival of an oil or gas drilling rig in their districts.
Seek out the energy exploration company and ask for its health and safety professionals1 contact information.
The oil and gas exploration company has an obligation to establish a contingency plan and an emergency action plan for the area of operational impact. 'art of this process is
to contact emergency services to inform them of their operation and the ha-ards of their operation and to determine how they can contact the fire department) emergency
medical services) and the police department in the event of an emergency. >long with the exploration company1s contingency planning process) it also is re*uired to contact the
people who live nearby who could be affected if a release of natural gas or poisonous hydrogen sulfide were to occur. These plans must be made in writing and maintained on
site of the drilling operations. 2n the photo at left) an oil and gas emergency planner takes air samples at the test valve to determine whether < %S is present during drilling
operations.
0hen the exploration company health and safety professional contacts an emergency response department for emergency information) the response organi-ation should
re*uest a meeting with the health and safety professional) the location1s company man) and the toolpusher. 2f possible) the emergency response organi-ation should re*uest a
site tour and arrange for a date when the organi-ation can take its first due response apparatus and personnel to the drilling site for a tour. The response organi-ation should
re*uest that the health and safety professional review the specific ha-ards of the location with responders) and the responders should preplan the site) just as they would with
any other high(ha-ard structure in their response district. Some items emergency response groups can look for are which side the derrick is hinged on. 3nder fire or high(wind
conditions) the derrick has a tendency to collapse toward the hinge side) which is usually the same side as the doghouse. .esponders would not want to position their
apparatus in the collapse -one of the hinged side of the derrick.
$hat Happens $hen the $ell %oes $ild&
From time to time) a well may get a kick in it 8overpressure of either gas or hydrogen sulfide9 in the bore. 2f not controlled) this can blow the rig apart and may leave a burning
heap of twisted metal.
!ost drilling companies have employees who have received training to control a kick in the bore by renowned companies. 2n some states) it is re*uired that at least one certified
well control employee be on location at all times. 2t is not always possible for the drilling company1s employees to resolve the kick) and in that case) nearly all drilling companies
have an emergency response contract with a well control outfit as a contingency. 2t takes time for the contract well control emergency response team to arrive. 4ocal emergency
response organi-ations) rig hands) and exploration company health and safety professionals must be able to fill the resource gap until the well kill group arrives.
2t is important to remember the three primary directives with which all emergency responders must establish emergency incident priorities: life safety) incident stabili-ation) and
property conservation. The time an emergency response organi-ation spent on site during the preplanning process will allow its members to safely determine what their
limitations are and what their emergency response organi-ation could reasonably be expected to do in the event a well gets out of control.
The response organi-ation should concentrate its efforts on the evacuation of civilians who are within the established ha-ard -ones and determine the reasonable actions they
should take based upon the presenting incident and the recommendations of the exploration company1s health and safety professional and other company officials.
!ost rig locations will have company men on site or close by. These people are experts and should become part of a unified command structure with the emergency response
organi-ation. !ost companies have a tremendous amount of resources and can get them on site fairly *uickly. 0ater trucks that are AxA and high(volume pumps are just some
of the resources that can assist in the emergency operations. .emember) it is important to not get too close merely because the fire is not as big as the responders would have
thought. The geological formation can shift or debris that is occluding the bore hole can break free((and the fire can intensify in a fraction of a secondB
"losing "omments
Drilling operations are safe to have in close proximity to communities) but it is important that emergency responders take time to gain situational awareness of the associated
ha-ards in regard to response to drilling rig locations. ;xploration company health and safety professionals must make an opportunity to take local responders to the drilling
location and allow time for them to walk the job down and preplan their response.
.esponders should take into consideration everything from location access to additional e*uipment needs. 2n reference to the rig fire the authors recently investigated) one of
the biggest barriers to the incident was being able to get e*uipment and personnel on location due to the rugged terrain.
>n emergency response organi-ation is more likely to respond to a rig location for a medical emergency than a fireC however) they must be prepared for a worst(case scenario.
2t is important to reali-e preplanning may also include accepting the fact that sometimes community evacuation and self(stabili-ation of a well incident is the best action
emergency responders can take. .egardless) the safety of the community) responders) and exploration company employees is a two(way street and must be a cooperative
approach) with both emergency responders and health and safety professionals seeking each other out to develop a safe plan of response.