i

THE EFFICACY OF OSHA'S COVID-19 CONTROL AND

PREVENTION GUIDELINES IN THE PETROLEUM
INDUSTRY

An Undergraduate Research Proposal

by

Christian Joseph M. Villegas

Dale Mathew C. Consuelo
John Argie E. Engieres
Kaye Aizerner Evangelista

Submitted to the Faculty of the

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology
Palawan State University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering

November 2021
 ii

PROPOSAL APPROVAL SHEET

This research proposal entitled “THE EFFICACY OF OSHA'S COVID-19

CONTROL AND PREVENTION GUIDELINES IN THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY”,
prepared and submitted by “CHRISTIAN JOSEPH VILLEGAS, DALE MATTHEW
CONSUELO, KAYE AIZERNER EVANGELISTA, AND JOHN ARGIE ENGIERES”,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements in Research 01 subject is hereby accepted and
approved.

ENGR. JERICO PADRONES

Research Adviser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evaluated by the Panel of Examiners with a grade of _____________

ENGR. JAYSON SANTOS

Chairperson, Panel of Examiner

ENGR. CARLO Z. FERIA ENGR. KRISTEL LOREN DELA RAMA

Member, Panel of Examiner Member, Panel of Examiners
 iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TITLE PAGE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i

PROPOSAL APPROVAL SHEET ------------------------------------------------------------- ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ iii

LIST OF FIGURES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- v

LIST OF TABLES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vi

Chapter 1 – INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1

1.1 Background of the Study ------------------------------------------------------- 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem ------------------------------------------------------- 5

1.3 Objectives of the Study --------------------------------------------------------- 6

1.4 Significance of the Study ------------------------------------------------------- 7

1.5 Scope and Delimitation of the Study ------------------------------------------ 8

1.6 Assumptions of the Study ------------------------------------------------------- 9

Chapter 2 – REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES ------------------ 10

2.1 Oil and Gas Industry Overview ----------------------------------------------- 10

2.2 Health and Illnesses Risk ------------------------------------------------------ 10

2.2.1 Risk Management Process -------------------------------------------- 11

2.3 HSE Management in Petroleum Industry ------------------------------------ 12

2.4 What is OSHA? ------------------------------------------------------------------15

2.4.1 OSHA’s Health and Safety Guidelines for Petroleum Industry ---

18

2.5 COVID-19 and its effects to Oil and Gas Industry ------------------------- 23
 iv

2.5.1 Risk Assessment Process for COVID-19 Pandemic -------------- 25

2.5.2 Pandemic Specific Challenges ------------------------------------- 26

2.6 OSHA’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines for Oil

and Gas Industry --------------------------------------------------------------- 27

2.7 Impacts and Effectiveness of OSHA’s Guidelines

to Petroleum Industry --------------------------------------------------------- 32

Chapter 3 – CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ---------------------------------------------- 34

3.1 Concept of the Research ------------------------------------------------------ 34

3.2 Research Paradigm ------------------------------------------------------------ 35

3.3 Definition of Terms ----------------------------------------------------------- 35

3.4 Research Hypothesis ---------------------------------------------------------- 38

Chapter 4 – MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, AND METHOD ----------------------------- 39

4.1 Materials, Equipment, and Instrument ------------------------------------- 39

4.2 Research Design and Methods ---------------------------------------------- 39

4.2.1 Research Process Flowchart ---------------------------------------- 40

REFERENCES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43

GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS ---------------------------------------------------- 45

APPENDICES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48

RESEARCH WORK PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------- 55

 v

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
2.4.1 Fourteen Elements of Process Safety Management ------------------------------- 16
2.5.1 Demand/Supply Balance -------------------------------------------------------------- 24
2.5.2 Crude Oil Prices during COVID-19 ------------------------------------------------- 25
2.5.1.1 Phase of Pandemic --------------------------------------------------------------------- 26
2.7.1 Event Type Distribution for Both Process and Personnel Incidents ------------ 33
 vi

LIST OF TABLES
Figure Page
2.4.1.1 Core Elements of the Safety and Health Program Recommended Practices -- 18
2.6.1 OSHA’s Guidance for Oil and Gas Workers and Employers ------------------- 28
 1

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant loss of human life around

the world, and it poses an unprecedented threat to public health, food systems, and the

world of workplace. According to World Health Organization (2020), the economic and

social disruption caused by the pandemic is devastating; tens of millions of people are at

risk of falling into extreme poverty, while the number of undernourished people,

currently estimated at nearly 690 million, could increase by up to 132 million by the end

of the year. In addition to this, millions of enterprises face an existential threat. Nearly

half of the world’s 3.3 billion global workforce are at risk of losing their livelihoods.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-

CoV-2 virus (WHO 2020). COVID-19 was reported to have broken out in China as early

as December of 2019. The disease has since spread worldwide causing a global ongoing

pandemic.

More than 97,966 businesses have permanently shut down during pandemic,

according to Yelp.com's Local Economic Impact Report. In fact, if economic trends

continue at this rate, one in five business owners anticipates they won’t make it until the

end of the year,” Kevin Kuhlman (Fortune 2020).

The lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic has effectively shut down a

number of sectors. Restaurants, shops and leisure facilities have been ordered to close, air

travel has halted, and public transport has been greatly reduced (Institute for Fiscal

Studies 2020).
 2

Based on the analysis of S&P Global Market Intelligence (2020), many industries

have been significantly impacted by the said crisis, these include the Airlines industry,

Casino and Gaming industry, and most especially the Oil and Gas industry wherein the

oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia led to a dramatic fall in oil prices due to a

drastic reduced for oil demand. It was supported by Suneson (2020), who posited that,

due to people who continue to work from home and avoid travel, the demand for oil and

gas has plummeted. Instead, cite/mention that all industries are affected by COVID-19,

lockdowns due to surge on the number of cases.

Oil and Gas Industry is a main industry in the energy market which play an influential

role in the global economy as the world’s primary fuel sources. The processes and

systems involved in producing and distributing oil and gas are highly complex, capital-

intensive, and require state-of –the-art technology which also possesses serious safety and

health threats to the oilfield workers. With that being said, safety and health management

is an essential component in Oil and Gas industry activities. Despite of the pandemic, the

oil and gas industry has to continue its operation in order to fulfil the world’s demand. It

must address concerns on COVID-19 to ensure the health and safety of its workers while

performing their duties in the sites.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a large regulatory

agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial

powers to inspect and examine workplaces. The OSHA COVID-19 Control and

Prevention is the guidelines of recommendations and, thus it is not a standard nor

regulation which creates legal obligations. These recommendations include descriptions

of mandatory health and safety standards primarily to combat COVID-19.

 3

Nearly half of the world’s 3.3 billion global workforce are at risk of losing their

livelihoods. Because most of the operational conditions, chemicals, and end products

(hydrocarbons and other compounds) associated with Oil and Gas production are well-

known to pose serious safety and health threats to workers, safety and health management

is an essential component of Oil and Gas industry activities. Start the paragraph with Oil

and Gas Industry introduction.

According to API (2021), Safety is important to everyone and is a core value for

the natural gas and oil industry. The natural gas and oil industry’s commitment to

excellence in workplace safety not only protects the 10.3 million U.S. jobs supported by

the industry across the country, but it also keeps surrounding communities and the

environment healthy and safe. The oil and natural gas industry supports 10.3 million U.S.

jobs and nearly 8 percent of the U.S. economy. Therefore, it is critical that oil and natural

gas companies are aware of and plan for the potential threats that could directly or

indirectly impact their employees and operations. Workplace safety covers a large and

varied set of procedures, conditions and environments, from personal safety, which

protects the individual worker, to operational and process safety, which focuses on the

equipment and procedures that keep hydrocarbons and other hazardous materials properly

contained. Personal safety and process safety work hand-in-hand to ensure responsible

development of natural gas and oil – providing the essential products that make modern

life possible while keeping our workers and nearby communities safe.

On the other hand, there are some reports that indicated a huge impact of COVID-19

to oil and gas companies. On the demand side, containment measures and economic

disruptions related to the COVID-19 outbreak have led to a slowdown in production and
 4

mobility worldwide, producing a significant drop in global demand for oil. In April, the

International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that demand was down 30% compared to a

year ago, reaching a level not seen since 1995 (IEA, 2020). Supply side, on the flip side,

with oil demand starting to collapse as lockdowns took hold, an agreement to cut

production was eventually reached by OPEC+ on April 2020. The agreement, which

involved cutting the collective daily output of affected companies by almost one quarter

for the next two months, represented the largest cut in the history of the producer cartel

(Brower, 2020). Yet, the rapidly evolving crisis and its impact on oil demand, makes it

unclear whether the intervention will be sufficient to rebalance the market. In terms with

the employment and work routine aspects, since COVID-19 is a serious threat to the

health and safety of the oilfield workers as it can put the persons’ life to death, thousands

of oilfield workers have lost their jobs and others have decided to stop working face to

face during the outbreak whereas it could take years of employment levels to return to

pre-COVID levels (Brickhart and Francis, 2021). Furthermore, there is a significant

change in the work routine of the oilfield workers since the virus can be easily

transmitted from one to another. Hence, many oil and gas industries have experienced

significant loss with oilfield workers and firms’ revenue which resulted to bankruptcy of

some enterprise, if not resulted to companies’ shut down.

The alarming incident data presented above clearly emphasizes the importance of an

effective occupational safety and health management system that incorporates safety and

health concerns into daily routines. Following the guidelines is thus one of the issues, and

if the guidelines are followed, is it effective enough to reduce workplace casualties?

 5

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of OSHA's COVID-19 prevention

recommendations as perceived by oilfield workers in the Petroleum Industry for the fiscal

year 2020-2021. This study's respondents will be petroleum engineers working in a few

selected petroleum companies. This study will also assess the current situation of

businesses in the oil and gas industry, particularly those that are adhering to OSHA

recommendations for mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the

workplace.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

One of the most affected sectors during the peak of the crisis is the Oil and Gas

Industry, as it created a perfect storm for the global petroleum industry and may cause the

workers to lose their jobs. According to Rogers et. al., (2020), this pandemic has

produced a huge negative impact to petroleum industry, combining oversupply with a

dramatic fall in demand – all the time when ongoing requirements to decarbonize

economies are gathering pace.

In order to bounce back from the crisis, the American Occupational Health and

Safety Administration has made COVID-19 control and prevention guidelines in order

for the industry to continue its operation again. The health and safety guidelines created

for the workplace, specifically for the workers has a huge modification from the old one.

Therefore, this research seeks to know the efficacy of OSHA’s COVID-19 control

and prevention guidelines as perceived by the oilfield workers in the Petroleum Industry

for the year 2020-2021. By this reason, the researchers formulated questions to be able to

understand and properly provide solutions to the said problem.

Specifically, this research attempts to answer the following sub-questions:

 6

1. How extensive is the implementation of OSHA guidelines in the oil and gas

industry?

2. What were the changes or additional controls implemented to address

COVID19 in the workplaces?

3. Describe the perceptions of oilfield workers in terms of the efficacy of the

OSHA guidelines in the oilfield as per the following aspects;

a. infection rate among the oilfield workers

b. disruptions on operation

c. work schedules or rotations

4. What are the difficulties encountered by the workers who observe OSHA’s

guidelines?

5. How is the sufficiency of OSHA’s guidelines are perceived by the workers?

6. Based on the results of the research, is OSHA’s practices recommendable to

other companies who don’t exercise it?

1.3 Objective/s of the Study

This research seeks to know the effectiveness of the OSHA’s COVID-19

Control and Prevention Guidelines as perceived by the Petroleum Engineers in the

Petroleum Industry for the year 2020 - 2021.

Specifically, this research attempts to achieve the following: (align with the

statements)

● Determine the extent to which OSHA guidelines are followed in the petroleum

industry.
 7

● Determine any additional controls that were implemented in addition to OSHA

guidelines to address COVID-19 in the workplace.

● Determine the efficacy of OSHA's guidelines as per these aspects; infection rate

among the oilfield workers, disruptions on operations, and work schedules or

rotations by basing on the perception of the oilfield workers.

● Identify the difficulties encountered by workers who exercise the OSHA’s

COVID-19 control and prevention guidelines.

● Determine the efficiency of OSHA’s guidelines as perceive by the oilfield

workers.

● Determine whether the current OSHA guidelines is recommendable to those who

do not exercise the guidelines.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This research endeavour will benefit the following entities:

Oilfield Workers. This study will benefit the oilfield workers in a way that

they may increase their health awareness and further protect themselves from

more imminent danger. Workers are already facing hazards and due to this world

pandemic, they are burdened with more threats that are invisible to the eyes of

many.

Company. This study will benefit the company by using the results to

improve their overall health status and increase the morale of the company.

Increasing the morale of the company means workers will want to stay and work

for a longer time. This also increases the reputation of the company and more
 8

engineers will strive to work in this company as they have a high reputation in

health and risk management. And also, to decrease the overall cost.

Owners. This study will benefit the owners by informing them of how the

OSHA's recommendations are affecting their company's current situation during

the pandemic. Giving them enough information about what is going well or

poorly in their own companies, whether they are following or not following

OSHA's recommendations for COVID-19 mitigation and prevention.

Society. This research will benefit society in the sense that it will provide

information about the current state of the Philippine Oil and Gas Industry during

this pandemic. If the current OSHA recommendation was/were effective in

mitigating and preventing COVID-19 spread in the workplace.

Future Researchers. This study will benefit future researchers by providing

them with a background on the same problem as these findings. Providing them

with adequate information on this subject that will help them with their ongoing

research project or proposal.

1.5 Scope and Delimitation/s of the Study

This investigation will focus only on the effectiveness of OSHA’s COVID-19

Control and Prevention Guidelines in Petroleum Industry. This study is a combination of

qualitative and quantitative data processing in nature. The respondents are group into two

(2): first off are the professionals and/or petroleum engineers who work during pandemic

and exercise OSHA’s COVID-19 Control and Prevention Guidelines, and the other one is

the professionals and/or petroleum engineers who do not exercise the said control and

prevention guidelines. The researchers use two groups to determine if OSHA’s COVID-
 9

19 Control and Prevention Guidelines are recommendable to those companies who do not

apply the guidelines on their protocol. Furthermore, the scope of the study will cover

professionals who work in Philippines or in other countries Petroleum Industry.

This research also covers the difficulties encountered by the professionals as they

implement the OSHA’s COVID-19 Control and Prevention Guidelines. Thus, the

researchers aim to determine if there are any significant changes in their work routine as

a petroleum engineer and what are these changes that professionals experience as they

modify the companies’ protocol

The researchers will delimit the respondents to only those professionals who have

on-site experience in petroleum industry during this pandemic.

1.6 Assumption/s of the Study

In conducting this research, the following assumptions are made:

1. The oilfield workers that apply OSHA's COVID-19 Control and Prevention

Guidelines are more productive and safer in work.

2. The OSHA's COVID-19 Control and Prevention Guidelines is recommended

to be applied for those who don’t practice it to further increase the

productivity in the petroleum industry.

 10

Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Oil and Gas Industry Overview

Currently, oil and gas is among our most vital natural resources as it powered, if

not driven, the world and its society. Its products underpin modern civilization, mainly

providing energy to power to community, heat homes, and provide fuel for vehicles and

aero planes; thus, helps the world run the life of almost all people around the ecosphere

with much ease and convene. According to World Energy Council (2016), oil and gas

remains the world’s leading and largest source of energy, accounting to 54.9 percent of

global energy consumption. The consumption of primary energy amounted to the

equivalent of about 13.28 billion metric tons of oil and 3.7 trillion metric tons of natural

gas in 2016 (Statista, 2016). However, despite being the world’s most important

resources, no one is immune to the effects of natural disasters, climate crisis, not even

those responsible for it causes, and physical risks, and safety hazards.

2.2 Health and Illnesses Risk

Numerous risks confront oil and gas sector, all of which threaten its long term

viability; chemical hazards (toxic, corrosive, carcinogens, asphyxiates, irritant and

sensitizing substances); physical hazards (noise, vibrations, radiations, extreme

temperature); biological hazards (virus, parasites, bacteria); ergonomic hazards (manual

handling activities, repetitive motions, awkward postures); and psychosocial hazards are

all common in the oil and gas industry (overwork, odd working hours, isolated sites,

violence).
 11

2.2.1 Risk Management Process

Risk management plays a vital role and is very crucial in preventing work related

injury and illness. It includes:

● Identifying Risks

● Evaluating and Prioritizing the Risks

● Implementing preventive/protective measures to control the risks

According to an article from the company of WIPRO, there are a number of

circumstances in Oil and Gas industry where a proper risk management process is

essential. For example:

● Job safety analysis: It is a process of systematically evaluating certain jobs,

task, processes or procedures and eliminating or reducing the risks or hazards

to As Low as Reasonably Practical (ALARP) in order to protect workers from

injury or illness.

● Workplace inspections and audits

● Change management – identification of new hazards, introduction of new

equipment/process, or regulatory needs

 12

Generally, Risk Management Process in the Oil and Gas Industry involves the

key steps; these key steps include Planning, Risk Identification, Risk Assessment,

Risk Recording, Risk Control, Follow on Assessment, and Monitor and Review.

2.3 HSE Management in Petroleum Industry

An explosion at the Amuay oil refinery, part of the Paraguana Refinery Complex,

on August 25, 2012, killed 48 persons, mostly National Guard personnel stationed there,

and injured 151 others. The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion and ensuing fire on

the semisubmersible Deepwater Horizon Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) on

April 20, 2010, killed 11 workers and injured 16 others. The explosion caused the

Deepwater Horizon to burn and sink, resulting in a gigantic offshore oil spill in the Gulf

of Mexico that is thought to be the world's largest accidental marine oil spill and the

worst environmental disaster in US History. According to the report developed by the

NORA Oil and Gas Extraction Council; In the US, during 2003-2008, 648 oil and gas

extraction workers were fatally injured on the job, resulting in an occupational fatality

rate of 29.1 deaths per 100,000 workers – eight times higher than the rate for all U.S

workers. Nearly half of all fatal events in the Oil and Gas extraction industry resulted

from highway crashes (29%) and workers struck by objects and equipment’s (20%).

Hence, the nature and prevalence of injuries, diseases, psychological ill-health, and

environmental ruins that the professionals’ may encounter signify that there is an urgent

need by stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to institute measures to manage these
 13

imminent hazards. It was accentuated by Chauhan (2020), who posited that, these

alarming incidents data clearly emphasizes the need for an effective occupational safety

and health management system that integrates safety and health concerns into a daily

routine.

Because of the type and frequency of injuries, illnesses, mental issues, and

environmental destruction that professionals may encounter, stakeholders in the oil and

gas business must move quickly to prevent these risks. According to Oppong (2020),

government should enact laws that requires oil companies to carry out safety audits

internally and also train external auditors to assess compliance with safety regulations. In

line with this, Health, Safety, and Environment Risk Management performance has

become essential in the industry as it plays a major role in mitigating both risk and

consequences of hazards, thus HSE specialist assure that every oil companies comply

with different standards and perform best-recommended practices (AlKazimi, et. al.,

2014). Therefore, HSE Risk Management is very important which mainly contributes to

the reasonable applicable reduction, if not gone, accidents, fatalities, losses (both time

and property), and occupational health.

It was supported by Chauhan (2020), who said that, Health, Safety, and

Environment Risk Management Enables Oil and Gas industry in performing hazard

identification, risk assessment and implanting various control methods as it ensures well-

being of all the employees and the environment that contributes to a more inspired, and

performance driven work; and a reduction to companies’ costs associated with accidents

and incidents. Hence, implementation of HSE management system gives competitive

 14

edge and improves relationship between stakeholders, such as clients, contractors,

subcontractors, consultants, suppliers, employees, and unions.

2.3 HSE Management in Petroleum Industry

An explosion at the Amuay oil refinery, part of the Paraguana Refinery Complex,

on August 25, 2012, killed 48 persons, mostly National Guard personnel stationed there,

and injured 151 others. The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion and ensuing fire on

the semisubmersible Deepwater Horizon Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) on

April 20, 2010, killed 11 workers and injured 16 others. The explosion caused the

Deepwater Horizon to burn and sink, resulting in a gigantic offshore oil spill in the Gulf

of Mexico that is thought to be the world's largest accidental marine oil spill and the

worst environmental disaster in US History. According to the report developed by the

NORA Oil and Gas Extraction Council; In the US, during 2003-2008, 648 oil and gas

extraction workers were fatally injured on the job, resulting in an occupational fatality

rate of 29.1 deaths per 100,000 workers – eight times higher than the rate for all U.S

workers. Nearly half of all fatal events in the Oil and Gas extraction industry resulted

from highway crashes (29%) and workers struck by objects and equipment’s (20%).

Hence, the nature and prevalence of injuries, diseases, psychological ill-health, and

environmental ruins that the professionals’ may encounter signify that there is an urgent

need by stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to institute measures to manage these

imminent hazards. It was accentuated by Chauhan (2020), who posited that, these

alarming incidents data clearly emphasizes the need for an effective occupational safety
 15

and health management system that integrates safety and health concerns into a daily

routine.

Because of the type and frequency of injuries, illnesses, mental issues, and

environmental destruction that professionals may encounter, stakeholders in the oil and

gas business must move quickly to prevent these risks. According to Oppong (2020),

government should enact laws that requires oil companies to carry out safet audits

internally and also train external auditors to assess compliance with safety regulations. In

line with this, Health, Safety, and Environment Risk Management performance has

become essential in the industry as it plays a major role in mitigating both risk and

consequences of hazards, thus HSE specialist assure that every oil companies comply

with different standards and perform best-recommended practices (AlKazimi, et. al.,

2014). Therefore, HSE Risk Management is very important which mainly contributes to

the reasonable applicable reduction, if not gone, accidents, fatalities, losses (both time

and property), and occupational health.

It was supported by Chauhan (2020), who said that, Health, Safety, and

Environment Risk Management Enables Oil and Gas industry in performing hazard

identification, risk assessment and implanting various control methods as it ensures well-

being of all the employees and the environment that contributes to a more inspired, and

performance driven work; and a reduction to companies’ costs associated with accidents

and incidents. Hence, implementation of HSE management system gives competitive

edge and improves relationship between stakeholders, such as clients, contractors,

subcontractors, consultants, suppliers, employees, and unions.

2.4 What is OSHA?

 16

Recent disasters in the petrochemical industry have indicated that more clearly

defined process safety controls are needed (Jackson, 1991). The Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA) was established in 1970 by the United States Congress

and President Richard Nixon with the goal of ensuring that no person has to choose

between their life and their job. Moreover, it is a program designed to change the culture

of how process are managed over a long period of time. It is an administration that

focuses on safe and healthy work conditions as they enforce standards for different

workplace sectors especially the oil and gas regions which possesses general principles of

safety as well as more workplace specific standards for fields like medicine.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States

Department of Labor promulgated a set of PSM guidelines (US OSHA 1993) effective 26

May 1992 in response to a number of process industry incidents in the 1980s. This

proposed organization namely United States Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA) regulation for process safety management of highly hazardous

chemicals is scheduled to be issued by the end of 1991.

In addition to the abovementioned, Process Safety Management (PSM) is a systematical

analytical tool for preventing the release of highly hazardous chemicals. Hazardous

chemicals include toxic, reactive, explosive and highly flammable liquid and gases. It is a

comprehensive management that aims to decrease the number and severity of incidents

relating to highly hazardous chemical releases (US OSHA, 1993). Furthermore, OSHA

1910.119 provided the fourteen elements of process safety management which is shown

in figure 2.4.1
 17

Fig. 2.4.1. Fourteen elements of process safety management per OSHA 1910.119

(Laskar, Mallinson & Aldeeb, 2011).

According to Jackson (1991), on an international basis the United States

Occupational Safety and Health Administration is similar to the United Kingdom’s

Health and Safety Executive. OSHA’s approach to Process Safety Management will be

similar to the following two United Kingdom approaches: (1) the Safety Case – required

by the onshore CIMAH (Control of Industrial Major Hazards) regulation, and (2) the

Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) – procedure published by the UKOOA (UK Offshore

Operators Association).

Since the OSHA’s inception, the organization has made significant progress on

different workplace. The number of workstation injuries, illnesses, and deaths has

decreased considerably. OSHA has work with state partners to address catastrophic safety

hazards and health threats. They have created common sense rules and enacted

legislations to punish those who endanger workers. The OSHA’s policies, procedures,
 18

enforcements actions, compliance support, as well as cooperative programs, have save

thousands of lives and prevented countless injuries and illness as they are committed to

protecting workers from toxic chemicals and fatal safety hazard at work, ensuring that

vulnerable people in high-risk jobs have access to critical information and education

about workplace dangers, as well as providing employers with robust compliance help to

encourage best practice that can save lives.

Although the goal of the organization to eliminate the danger is far from

complete, the progress gives them motivation, hope, and confidence that they will

continue to make a lasting difference avoiding, if not avoid, reducing injuries, fatalities,

and casualties from the people’s lives.

2.4.1 OSHA’s Health and Safety Guidelines for Petroleum Industry

According to Allison and Mandler (2018), hundreds of thousands of people work

in oil and gas extraction in the United States; ensuing their health and safety is a major

concern for employers, regulators, trade associations, industry groups, and local

communities. In line with this, work in oil and gas industry involves physical labor, 24/7

operations, heavy machinery, hazardous chemicals, often-remote locations, and all

weather conditions, resulting in an elevated risk of physical harm and the need for special

protections to reduce this risk.

Table 2.4.1.1 Core Elements of the Safety and Health Program Recommended

Practices (OSHA, 2016).

 19

● Top management demonstrates its

commitment to continuous improvement

in safety and health, communicates that

commitment to workers, and sets program

expectations and responsibilities.

MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP
● Managers at all levels make safety and

health a core organizational value,

establish safety and health goals and

objectives, provide adequate resources

and support for the program, and set a

good example.

WORKER PARTICIPATION
● Workers and their representatives are

involved in all aspects of the program—

including setting goals, identifying and

reporting hazards, investigating incidents,

and tracking progress.

● All workers, including contractors and

temporary workers, understand their roles

and responsibilities under the program and

what they need to do to effectively carry

 20

them out.

● Workers are encouraged and have means

to communicate openly with management

and to report safety and health concerns

without fear of retaliation.

● Any potential barriers or obstacles to

worker participation in the program (for

example, language, lack of information, or

disincentives) are removed or addressed.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
● Procedures are put in place to continually

& ASSESSMENT identify workplace hazards and evaluate

risks.

● Safety and health hazards from routine,

nonroutine, and emergency situations are

identified and assessed.

● An initial assessment of existing hazards,

exposures, and control measures is

followed by periodic inspections and

reassessments, to identify new hazards.

 21

● Any incidents are investigated with the

goal of identifying the root causes.

● Identified hazards are prioritized for

control.

● Employers and workers cooperate to

identify and select methods for

eliminating, preventing, or controlling

workplace hazards.

● Controls are selected according to a

hierarchy that uses engineering solutions

HAZARD PREVENTION &
first, followed by safe work practices,
CONTROL
administrative controls, and finally

personal protective equipment (PPE).

● A plan is developed to ensure that controls

are implemented, interim protection is

provided, progress is tracked, and the

effectiveness of controls is verified.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

● All workers are trained to understand how

the program works and how to carry out

 22

the responsibilities assigned to them under

the program.

● Employers, managers, and supervisors

receive training on safety concepts and

their responsibility for protecting workers’

rights and responding to workers’ reports

and concerns.

● All workers are trained to recognize

workplace hazards and to understand the

control measures that have been

implemented.

PROGRAM EVALUATION &

● Control measures are periodically
IMPROVEMENT
evaluated for effectiveness.

● Processes are established to monitor

program performance, verify program

implementation, and identify program

shortcomings and opportunities for

improvement.

● Necessary actions are taken to improve

the program and overall safety and health

 23

performance.

● Host employers, contractors, and staffing

agencies commit to providing the same

level of safety and health protection to all

employees.

● Host employers, contractors, and staffing

agencies communicate the hazards present

COMMUNICATION AND at the worksite and the hazards that work

COORDINATION FOR HOST of contract workers may create on site.

EMPLOYERS, CONTRACTORS,
● Host employers establish specifications
AND STAFFING AGENCIES
and qualifications for contractors and

staffing agencies.

● Before beginning work, host employers,

contractors, and staffing agencies

coordinate on work planning and

scheduling to identify and resolve any

conflicts that could affect safety or health.

2.5 COVID-19 and its effects to Oil and Gas Industry

 24

According to the study of Norouzi et. al., (2020), the first and foremost aspect of a

pandemic is human suffering and the loss of life. However, this type of epidemic can

have significant multi-dimensional effects, including economic and environmental

consequences. Furthermore, we understand that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

would differ by industry; nonetheless, most sectors will be badly impacted merely due to

the extreme fall in economic activity, resulting in demand destruction for the items and/or

services they used to offer/sell. However, because there is a tendency to overgeneralize in

the oil and gas industry, we should consider and analyze the impact on various aspects of

the industry, including upstream, midstream, and downstream segments, as well as

supporting businesses such as services, infrastructure, shipping, and others. As a result,

the impact will differ depending on how linked the businesses are. The degree of impact

on ‘independents’ will then vary.

The Oil and Gas Industry is one of the most affected sectors by the pandemic.

According to the study of Institute for Essential Services Reform (2020), upstream is

severely impacted negatively; steep decline in revenues, which in some cases may not

cover relatively higher-cost producers’ operating be difficult and very risky as it could

jeopardize the extraction of the reserves in the future. Moreover, investment in

exploration and development will be drastically cut, which will have an impact over the

production capacity in the long-run; a recipe of oil price shock if demand rapidly. The

reduction in activities will in turn have negative impact on the service companies.

Downstream, on the other hand, also has experienced the negative impact of the

pandemic as the lack of demand will result in the contraction of refining margins,

deteriorating refining economics.

 25

The Oil Price collapse due to pandemic has been huge for the Petroleum Industry,

on March 6 2020, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries decided and

agreed to cut 9.7 million barrels per day starting in May 2020, much too late in adapting

to the heavy demand destruction. It was supported by Bassols and Carmen (2020), who

posited that, this agreement of cutting the production of 9.7 million barrels per day will

continue for two years as it is the only way to stabilize the prices. In addition to this,

demand destruction of more than 20 million barrels per day in Q2 2020, the rebound of

which really depends on how the COVID-19 Pandemic would pan out. In line with this,

the study of Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) (2020), provided a graph of a

demand/supply relation in oil and gas industry during pandemic.

Fig 2. 5.1. Demand/Supply Balance

In addition to this, they also provided a detailed graph of crude oil prices during

COVID-19 Crisis (shown in Fig. 2.5.2)

 26

Fig 2. 5.2. Crude oil prices during COVID-19

2.5.1 Risk Assessment Process for COVID-19 Pandemic

The oil and gas industry navigates numerous risks that impact its business

continuity, from hurricanes to process safety incidents, from supply chain disruptions to

violent conflicts. One of these potential risks, a global pandemic, became reality in 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted the global economy and the oil and

gas industry, with direct health impacts on employees as well as operational

consequences (IOGP-IPEICA Health Committee, 2020). The sector relies on a globally

mobile workforce that frequently spends long periods of time living in close quarters on

offshore platforms, vessels, and onshore camps, which increase the risk of a pandemic

having a negative impact on operations.

 27

A full-fledged epidemic will have an impact on every part of civilization Existing

routes of collaboration will be tested, and new ones will emerge. Society will be forced to

make difficult judgements balancing objectives such as economic impact vs. health,

national vs. global imperatives, and developed vs. developing country demands.

As such, it is useful to consider a model made by World Health Organization

indicating different phases of a pandemic, and develop scenarios for these expected

timelines.

Fig 2.5.1.1. Phase of a Pandemic (World Health Organization)

2.5.2 Pandemic Specific Challenges

Providing effective risk mitigating measures to reduce the danger of international

and local transmission of infectious diseases is a top priority of the industry in order for

the companies to start their operation again. However, there are some considerations and

specific challenges that the industry might encounter along the way, these includes;
 28

 Available health care systems may be overwhelmed.

 Diagnostic availability and contact tracing capability may be inadequate.

 New, unknown pathogen with limited understanding of how to best respond.

 Effects on local or global economies, potentially with specific impact on the oil

and gas market.

 Inability to travel or travel limitations, e.g., due to border closures, and national or

regional restrictions.

 Societal concern and potential resulting panic.

 Diversity in national response, in terms of control measures and timing.

 Prolonged period of imposed restrictions on business and society.

 Limited availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other required

response materials.

 Access to quarantine and/or isolation facilities, treatments and vaccinations may

be limited.

 Managing extended rotations, delayed repatriation, and lack of availability of key

personnel.

 Fatigue and mental well-being of personnel over prolonged periods.

 Postponed training, fitness for duty assessments and competence certification

requirements.

 Deferred maintenance and asset integrity concerns.

 Clarity on societal priorities linked to whether the oil and gas industry provides a

critical societal service.

 29

2.6 OSHA’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines for Oil and Gas Industry

In order to bounce back from the effect of the crisis in oil and gas industry, OSHA

recently issued guidelines for oil and gas workers and employers during the Coronavirus

(COVID-19) pandemic. The provided guidelines will help the industry continue its

operation and provide the service the world solely needs.

Based on the article of Industrial Safety and Hygiene News (2020), while similar

to guidelines issued previously by various governmental authorities, this guidance is

specific to oil and gas industry workers and employers. OSHA has created a table that

describes oil and gas work tasks associated with the exposure risk levels in OSHA’s

occupational exposure risk pyramid as a guide.

Table 2.6.1. OSHA’s guidance for oil and gas workers and employers (ISHN, 2020).

Stagger workers' arrival and departure times to avoid congregations of workers in

parking areas, locker and shower rooms, smoking areas, control rooms and other

common areas.

Encourage single-file movement with six feet between each worker through the

facility/site, where possible.

Provide visual cues (e.g., floor markings, signs) as a reminder to workers to maintain

social distancing (six feet).

Designate workers to monitor and facilitate distancing.

Limit the number of personnel allowed in doghouses, control rooms and other
 30

operating areas.

Limit meeting sizes and/or hold meetings virtually or using social distancing outside,

if possible.

Stagger break times or provide temporary break areas, including for water breaks,

and restrooms to avoid groups of workers gathering during breaks. Workers should

maintain at least six feet of distance from others at all times, including on breaks.

Remove or rearrange chairs and tables, or add partitions to tables, in break rooms,

control rooms and other areas workers may frequent to increase worker separation.

Identify alternative areas to accommodate overflow volume, such as training and

conference rooms, or using outside tents for shaded break and lunch areas.

Encourage workers to avoid carpooling to and from work and job sites

Consider cohorting workers into shifts and shared shuttle vehicle assignments.

Provide workers handwashing stations equipped with soap, running water and single-

use paper towels in multiple locations. If possible, choose handwashing stations that

are touch-free.

Provide alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing at least 60 percent alcohol if soap

and water are not immediately available.

Place hand sanitizers in multiple locations. If possible, choose hand sanitizer stations

that are touch-free.

Consider other workplace policies and programs to promote personal hygiene, such
 31

as:

○ Building additional short breaks into staff schedules to increase how

often staff can wash their hands with soap and water or use hand

sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol;

○ Providing tissues and no-touch trash receptacles for workers to use;

○ Providing information on cough and sneeze etiquette; and

○ Educating workers that cigarettes and smokeless tobacco use can lead

to increased contact between potentially contaminated hands and their

mouth, and that avoiding these products may reduce their risk of

infection.

Clean and disinfect shared common equipment such as communications headsets,

operating terminals and other routinely touched items between shifts.

Provide disposable drinking water cups or individual bottles of water in hydration

stations and disposable plates, bowls, etc. in break and dining areas along with

discouraging the use of shared condiment bottles.

Workers in this industry should wear cloth face coverings, which are not PPE or a

substitute for PPE. However, while noting that the CDC recommends cloth face

coverings, the guidance also notes that it may not be practical for workers in this

industry to wear a single cloth face covering for the full duration of a work shift, such

as when they become wet, soiled or visibly contaminated. Additional

recommendations designed to address certain industry-specific concerns are included

 32

for employers who determine cloth face coverings should be worn in the workplace

(consult full guidance for reference).

Workers should avoid touching their faces, including their eyes, noses and mouths,

until they have thoroughly washed their hands upon completing work and removing

PPE.

Workers should be careful not to touch their eyes, noses and mouths when removing

a cloth face covering or other facial PPE.

Regarding PPE, OSHA says this:

○ Most oil and gas workers in normal work environments are unlikely to

need PPE beyond what they use to protect themselves during routine

job tasks. Conduct a hazard assessment (sometimes called a job

hazard analysis) to determine the proper PPE for industrial hazards.

Reminder: Face masks and cloth face coverings are not substitutes for

respiratory protection from industrial hazards.

○ Employers should consider whether their hazard and risk assessments

warrant the use of items such as gloves or eye and face protection, if

not already in use. For example, workers may need eye and face

protection (e.g., goggles, face shields) when work requires being

within six feet of other workers and when other engineering and

administrative controls cannot prevent worker exposure to potentially

infectious respiratory droplets.

○ Consider possible additional hazards (e.g., PPE catching in

 33

machinery, limiting worker dexterity or vision) that can be created by

new PPE in the work environment.

○ The sharing of PPE, such as gloves, aprons and face shields, including

equipment used for hazards other than SARS-CoV-2 (e.g., for mixing

mud-drilling fluids that contain hazardous chemicals), should be

avoided, if possible. If the PPE must be shared, it needs to be cleaned

and disinfected according to manufacturer recommendations before

being used by another person. Follow proper donning and doffing

procedures for PPE.

○ Note that workers who perform tasks involving hazardous chemicals

may also require PPE and/or other controls to protect them from

chemical hazards. Employers may need to adapt guidance from this

section, and the Interim Guidance for Workers and Employers of

Workers at Increased Risk of Occupational Exposure, in order to fully

protect workers performing activities in oil and gas drilling, servicing,

production and/or processing workplaces that involve work with

hazardous chemicals.

2.7 Impacts and Effectiveness of OSHA’s Guidelines to Petroleum Industry

Oil and gas extraction workers face numerous safety hazards, resulting in a high

fatality rate. Many different types of equipment and materials are used in oil and gas

extraction and many other activities. Recognizing and controlling hazards is critical to
 34

preventing injuries and fatalities. Based on the article from Yu et.al., (2017) Texas has

the highest employment and fatality rates in the oil and gas industries. They developed a

Safety Management System (SMS) for Drilling and Servicing Operations within the

OSHA Jurisdiction Area of Texas, wherein it provides a framework for an SMS to guide

industries in developing safety programs. It combines process and personnel safety to be

a good fit for drilling and servicing operations. Incidents were classified as process

incidents or personnel incidents. A pie graph illustrating the distribution of process

incidents and personnel incidents is shown in Fig.2.7.1.

Fig. 2.7.1. Event Type Distribution for Both Process and Personnel Incidents (Yu

et.al., 2017).

Thus, it was concluded that integrated SMS must be developed to address both

process and personnel safety hazards and provide guidelines to prevent employees from

being exposed to the hazards. More prescriptive safety programs must be established by

industries based on how they conduct their operations.

 35

Chapter 3
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

3.1 Concept of the Research

In this paper, “EFFICACY OF OSHA'S COVID-19 CONTROL AND

PREVENTION GUIDELINES IN THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY” measures the

severity of the problem, the compliance to OSHAs guidelines and its impact to the

operation. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected nearly every industry,

including the petroleum industry. This study aims to identify the specific problems

concerning the pandemic regulation that is, mainly, affecting overall productivity of the

teams on-site.

Next, the study encounters the acquisition and review of related literature. Key

notes of such are: OSHA’ Control and Prevention Guidelines, COVID-19, etc. As such,

the researches create a hypothesis of its efficacy.

The researchers based the study on OSHA’s Control and Prevention Guidelines

and thus, the summary of the guidelines, compilation and translation into a survey

questionnaire is developed to be the research instrument. The questionnaire will be

created via Google Forms using Likert’s scale format.

At this point, the study would have a survey questionnaire, however a

questionnaire needs respondents. A specific number of oilfield workers will be identified

and selected for data acquisition. Contacting international engineers comes first, then

sending the questionnaires via Google Forms, and finally collection of data. The data will

be analysed, factors will be identified and categorized; and a figure will be constructed to

present the data in a more readable manner.

 36

Finally, assessing the hypothesis based on the results of the data gathered from the

respondents and the construction of a solution will be done. Recommendations are

inserted for future studies to look into.

3.2 Research Paradigm

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

● Extensive Implementation of
OSHA19 guidelines  EFFICACY OF COVID19 OSHA
GUIDELINES IN THE OIL AND
● Changes and Controls GAS INDUSTRY AS PERCEIVED
Implemented BY OILFIELD WORKERSIN
TERMS OF:
● Difficulties Encountered in the
a. prevention of infection rate
Implementation among the oilfield workers

● Sufficiency of OSHA b. disruptions on operation

guidelines
 Recommendable to other workers

3.3 Definition of Terms

● Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)- a type of respiratory disease that causes

fear and death in many people and has an impact on workers' overall health and

safety, particularly in the petroleum industry.

● Crude oil - a product extracted from reservoirs by petroleum engineers during the

drilling process. This is the raw material used in the manufacture of many

commercial products such as gasoline and so on.

 37

● Downstream operations - are the processes involved in converting oil and gas into

finished products that have been harmed by the current pandemic (COVID-19).

This is due to the fact that a lack of demand will cause refining margins to

contract, thereby deteriorating refining economics.

● Efficacy- the degree to which OSHA's guidelines are effective in mitigating and

preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

● Environmental impact - refers to the impact of many human activities on the

environment, and how those impacts affect the lives of professionals in the

petroleum industry, making it more difficult and costly to operate.

● NIOSH- the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is a non-profit

organization that promotes occupational safety and health (NIOSH). They help to

categorize safety and injury hazards, particularly in the context of confined

spaces.

● Hazard - anything in the workplace that could endanger the workers and

employers.

● Hazard identification - the process of identifying potential hazards in order for

workers and employers to avoid harm to their health and prevent casualties or

deaths.

● HSE - or health, safety, and environment. Concerned with people's health and

safety, and protecting them from various types of risks and hazards in the

workplace.
 38

● HSE management - responsible for overseeing any specific health and safety

planning and operations that will ensure safety and prevent hazards from causing

harm to people.

● Injury - a damage to body caused by various types of workplace hazards.

● Likert scale - a method used in this study to scale the collected information such

as respondents' views and opinions by allowing them to select answers from a

variety of options in the surveys given to each of them. This is a method that will

allow the researchers to gain more knowledge about the research topic of choice.

● OSHA- is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which provides a

set of guidelines to keep employers and employees safe, particularly in the

petroleum industry where risks and hazards abound.

● Personnel Incidents - includes electrocution, falls, being struck by, caught in, or

between equipment parts, and a few other unusual circumstances such as

drowning

● Petroleum Engineer- are engineers involved in the recovery and production of

petroleum. They will be the study's respondents regarding the efficacy of OSHA's

guidelines during the pandemic.

● Petroleum industry - the field of study in which they are the industry in charge of

extracting natural gas and petroleum from beneath the Earth's surface. They are

also involved in the distribution and marketing of petroleum byproducts.

● Process incidents - Inhalation of any released materials, as well as fires or

explosions, and high pressure shocks, are all examples of this.

 39

● Process safety management (PSM) - A type of comprehensive management tool

used to prevent and reduce the number and severity of incidents involving

hazardous chemicals. This is a set of guidelines promulgated by the OSHA

department.

● Risk Management - an important aspect in terms of safety and health compliance.

This enables us to identify and assess risk in the workplace in order to control

many threats that could cause injuries or health and safety concerns.

● Safety management system (SMS) - is a systematic approach to safety

management that is designed to address both process and personnel safety hazards

and provide guidelines to prevent employees from being exposed to the hazards.

● Upstream - refers to the exploration and prudence stage of the petroleum industry.

This is the first stage in the production of petroleum products. The pandemic had

a significant impact on this due to the reduction in activities that affected service

companies. It was also because of the steep decline in revenues, which in some

cases makes future extraction of reserves difficult.

3.4 Research Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis

It is being hypothesize that OSHA’s COVID-19 control and prevention guidelines

has no positive impact and is not effective to the general productivity.

There is no significant difficulty encountered by the workers who adheres

OSHA’s new health and safety guidelines which affects their work productivity.
 40

Alternative Hypothesis

It is being hypothesize that OSHA’s new control and prevention guidelines has a

positive impact and is effective to the general productivity as perceived by the Oil and

Gas workers.

There is a significant difficulty encountered by the workers who adheres OSHA’s

new health and safety guideline which affects their work productivity.

Chapter 4
MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, AND METHOD

This research study aimed to know the Efficacy of OSHA’s COVID-19 Control

and Prevention Guidelines in the Petroleum Industry. This chapter included research

designs and procedures that are used in this study in order to gather information that

answers the research problems. The target population of this study was Oilfield workers

working national and international. The respondents will be graduates of petroleum

engineering from Palawan State University who are currently working in the oil and gas

industry. The sample size will be calculated using the Slovin’s Formula.

4.1 Materials, Equipment, and Instruments

The instrument that the researchers will use to conduct the data gathering is in a survey

research type wherein we will provide a (a free-answer/open ended questions and guided

response type questions where they can select across various options) that the

respondents will use throughout the time. In order to obtain the data, the researchers use

the online platform by providing (google forms that will be distributed through email,
 41

Facebook or etc. For them to access the survey questionnaire the researchers’ will send a

link to each of them.

4.2 Research Design and Method

A quantitative – qualitative approach was employed among the Oil and Gas

workers who adheres the OSHA’s new health and safety guidelines in order to determine

if the said guidelines has positive impact and is effective to the overall productivity of the

workers as perceived by them. In this study, the independent variable is the OSHA’s new

guidelines and the dependent variable is the workers’ productivity. Hence, the

researchers will be able to determine the effects of the new guidelines to the productivity

of the Oil and Gas members.

The sampling method that is utilized is the stratified random sampling method

wherein the population is partitioned into two (2) groups; the national and international

Oil and Gas workers’ who perceived that the guidelines is effective, and the other one are

the workers who perceived it is not effective.

In addition to the above said, a sample T-test will be used by the researchers in

order to identify if the OSHA’s new guideline has a progressive influence or none.

4.2.1 Research Process Flowchart

The figure below shows the process flow chart of this study:

Measuring the severity of the problem

Identifying the current problem in the Petroleum Industry during the

pandemic

Related Literature and Studies

Important notes: OSHA’s Control and Prevention Guideline,

COVID-19, Hazard and Safety Statistics
Creating a hypothesis
 42

Summarizing of Guidelines given by the OSHA and compiling

into survey questionnaire

Identifying the most important guidelines to be assessed and placed

in Google Forms
Creating Google Forms in qualitative and quantitative data using
Likert’s Scale

Creating a conclusion for the current situation

Assessing the hypothesis and creating a conclusion

Adding recommendation for future studies

Analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data

Interpreting the data collected by the researchers

Analysis of the Likert’s Scale in Quantitative data acquired
Conveying the message of the qualitative data

Creating a conclusion for the current situation

Assessing the hypothesis and creating a conclusion

Adding recommendation for future studies

Preliminary Research ● Identifying the factors affecting

the productivity of the worker's

 43

during the pandemic.

● Distinguish between workers

who follow OSHA guidelines

and those who do not.

● Determining the effect of the

guidelines from the worker's

perspective.

● Summarizing the OSHA

guidelines.

Conducting the Survey ● Create a survey questionare

based on the preliminary

research.

● Finalizing the questionnaire and

transmutation to google form.

● Determining the targeted

respondents for the survey.

● Contacting targeted

professionals in the petroleum

industry via various online

messaging platforms (e.g.

 44

Facebook, email etc.).

Data Analysis using the Likert Scale ● Collecting the data from the

respondents.

● Analyzing the Likert scale.

● Determining the efficacy of the

guidelines based on the

responses to the survey

questions collected.

REFERENCES
Bassols A.C., Bassols F.J., (2020). The Oil Industry and Its Relation to the Pandemic
COVID 19. Archive of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology. Available
from: <DOI: 10.29011/2574-7614.100064> [Accessed 8 November 2021]

Chauhan. 2020.Diploma in Oil and Gas Safety. Archive. HSSI.Available from:

<http://web.archive.org/web/20190214010634/http://hss-institute.org/oil-gas
safety-diploma/> [Accessed 8 November 2021]

Geneva. 2017. Occupational safety and health in the oil and gas industry in selected sub
Saharan African countries.International Labour Organization. Available from:
<https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/
sector/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_554798.pdf> [Accessed 8 November
2021]
IPIECA. 2021. Pandemic management in the oil and gas industry. Available at:
<https://www.iadc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IOGP.
Pandemic.management.doc.pdf> [Accessed 8 November 2021].
 45

Ishn. 2021. OSHA releases COVID-19 guidance for oil and gas industry. BPN Media.
Available from: <https://www.ishn.com/articles/112609-osha-releases-guidance
for-oil-and-gas-industry> [Accessed 8 November 2021].

Jackson, R.L. (1991). An Overview of the OSHA-Proposed Standard for Process Safety
Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals with Emphasis on Its
Implementation. Society of Petroleum Engineers. International Conference on
Health, Safety and Environment. Available from:
<https://onepetro.org/SPEHSE/proceedings-abstract/91HSE/All-91HSE/SPE
23267-MS/53184> [Accessed 8 November 2021]

Laskar, S., Mallinson, T., Aldeeb, A., (2011). Offshore Safety Through Design: Practical
Implementation of Best Practices from the OSHA 1910 Framework. SPE
Americas E&P Health, Safety, Security and Environmental Conference. Society of
Petroleum Engineers. Available from: <https://onepetro.org/SPEHSSE/proceedings
abstract/11HSSE/All-11HSSE/SPE-141938-MS/151149> [Accessed 8
November 2021]

Norouzi, N., de Rubens, G.Z., Choubanpishehzafarc, S., & Enevoldsen, P., (2020). When
pandemics impact economies and climate change: Exploring the impacts of
COVID-19 on oil and electricity demand in China. Energy Research & Social
Science. Available from:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629620302292
[Accessed 8 November 2021]

OSHA. 2016. Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs. OSHA
Publications. Available from: <www.osha.gov/safetymanagement> [Accessed 7
November 2021]

OSHA. 2021. COVID19 Control and Prevention. OSHA Publications. Available from:
<https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus/control-prevention> [Accessed 8 November
2021]

OSHA. 2021. Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of
COVID-19 in the Workplace. OSHA Publications. Available from:
<https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus/safework> [Accessed 8 November 2021]

Yu, M., Quddus, N., Peres, S.C., Sachdeva, S., & Mannan, M.S., (2017). Development of
a safety management system (SMS) for drilling and servicing operations within
OSHA jurisdiction area of Texas, Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process
Industries, Available from: https://doi:10.1016/j.jlp.2017.10.005> [Accessed 8
November 2021]
 46

GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS

● Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)- a type of respiratory disease that causes

fear and death in many people and has an impact on workers' overall health and

safety, particularly in the petroleum industry.

● Crude oil - a product extracted from reservoirs by petroleum engineers during the

drilling process. This is the raw material used in the manufacture of many

commercial products such as gasoline and so on.

● Downstream operations - are the processes involved in converting oil and gas into

finished products that have been harmed by the current pandemic (COVID-19).

This is due to the fact that a lack of demand will cause refining margins to

contract, thereby deteriorating refining economics.

 47

● Efficacy- the degree to which OSHA's guidelines are effective in mitigating and

preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

● Environmental impact - refers to the impact of many human activities on the

environment, and how those impacts affect the lives of professionals in the

petroleum industry, making it more difficult and costly to operate.

● NIOSH- the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is a non-profit

organization that promotes occupational safety and health (NIOSH). They help to

categorize safety and injury hazards, particularly in the context of confined

spaces.

● Hazard - anything in the workplace that could endanger the workers and

employers.

● Hazard identification - the process of identifying potential hazards in order for

workers and employers to avoid harm to their health and prevent casualties or

deaths.

● HSE - or health, safety, and environment. Concerned with people's health and

safety, and protecting them from various types of risks and hazards in the

workplace.

● HSE management - responsible for overseeing any specific health and safety

planning and operations that will ensure safety and prevent hazards from causing

harm to people.

● Injury - a damage to body caused by various types of workplace hazards.

● Likert scale - a method used in this study to scale the collected information such

as respondents' views and opinions by allowing them to select answers from a

 48

variety of options in the surveys given to each of them. This is a method that will

allow the researchers to gain more knowledge about the research topic of choice.

● OSHA- is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which provides a

set of guidelines to keep employers and employees safe, particularly in the

petroleum industry where risks and hazards abound.

● Personnel Incidents - includes electrocution, falls, being struck by, caught in, or

between equipment parts, and a few other unusual circumstances such as

drowning

● Petroleum Engineer- are engineers involved in the recovery and production of

petroleum. They will be the study's respondents regarding the efficacy of OSHA's

guidelines during the pandemic.

● Petroleum industry - the field of study in which they are the industry in charge of

extracting natural gas and petroleum from beneath the Earth's surface. They are

also involved in the distribution and marketing of petroleum byproducts.

● Process incidents - Inhalation of any released materials, as well as fires or

explosions, and high pressure shocks, are all examples of this.

● Process safety management (PSM) - A type of comprehensive management tool

used to prevent and reduce the number and severity of incidents involving

hazardous chemicals. This is a set of guidelines promulgated by the OSHA

department.

● Risk Management - an important aspect in terms of safety and health compliance.

This enables us to identify and assess risk in the workplace in order to control

many threats that could cause injuries or health and safety concerns.
 49

● Safety management system (SMS) - is a systematic approach to safety

management that is designed to address both process and personnel safety hazards

and provide guidelines to prevent employees from being exposed to the hazards.

● Upstream - refers to the exploration and prudence stage of the petroleum industry.

This is the first stage in the production of petroleum products. The pandemic had

a significant impact on this due to the reduction in activities that affected service

companies. It was also because of the steep decline in revenues, which in some

cases makes future extraction of reserves difficult.

 50

APPENDICES
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

THE EFFICACY OF OSHA'S COVID-19 CONTROL AND

PREVENTION GUIDELINES IN THE PETROLEUM
INDUSTRY QUESTIONNAIRE
During this pandemic, worker’s health and safety become the main concern of every
company. Maintaining a healthy employees and safe environment for all are the most
essential aspects in every workplace, in order to continue operation amidst pandemic.
This research seeks to assess the efficacy of the current OSHA guidelines followed by the
oilfield workers during this pandemic.

RESPONDENTS DATA:

Name Gender
Company Name Email:
Cell No.
Job Title
(opt.)
Years
Location
Experience

1. How extensive is the implementation of OSHA guidelines in your workplace?

SCALE:

1 Not at all 2 Slightly 3 Moderately 4 Very 5 Extremely

GUIDELINES 1 2 3 4 5

Stagger workers' arrival and departure times to avoid

1 congregations of workers in places such as (parking 1 2 3 4 5

areas, locker and shower rooms, etc.)

2 Encourage single-file movement with six feet between 1 2 3 4 5

 51

each worker through the facility/site, where possible.

Provide visual cues (e.g., floor markings, signs) as a

3 reminder to workers to maintain social distancing (six 1 2 3 4 5

feet).

4 Designate workers to monitor and facilitate distancing. 1 2 3 4 5

Limit the number of personnel allowed in doghouses,

5 1 2 3 4 5
control rooms and other operating areas.

Limit meeting sizes and/or hold meetings virtually or

6 1 2 3 4 5
using social distancing outside, if possible.

Maintain social distancing (6 feet) at all times,

7 1 2 3 4 5
including on breaks (e.g. water breaks, and restrooms).

Increase worker separation by identifying alternative

8 areas (e.g. training and conference rooms, etc.) or 1 2 3 4 5

putting partitions and in tables.

Encourage workers to avoid carpooling to and from

9 1 2 3 4 5
work and job sites.

Consider cohorting workers into shifts and shared

10 1 2 3 4 5
shuttle vehicle assignments.

Provide touch-free handwashing stations with soap,

11 1 2 3 4 5
running water, and other amenities.

12 If soap and water are not immediately available, 1 2 3 4 5

 52

provide alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing at

least 60% alcohol.

Place hand sanitizers in multiple locations. If possible,

13 1 2 3 4 5
choose hand sanitizer stations that are touch-free.

Consider other workplace policies and programs to

14
promote personal hygiene, such as:

Increase hand washing or the use of hand sanitizers

15 (60% alcohol), by building additional short breaks into 1 2 3 4 5

schedules.

Providing tissues and no-touch trash receptacles for

16 1 2 3 4 5
workers to use.

17 Providing information on cough and sneeze etiquette. 1 2 3 4 5

Educating workers that cigarettes and smokeless

tobacco use can lead to increased contact between

18 potentially contaminated hands and their mouth, and 1 2 3 4 5

that avoiding these products may reduce their risk of

infection.

Clean and disinfect shared common equipment such as

19 communications headsets, operating terminals and 1 2 3 4 5

other routinely touched items between shifts.

20 Provide disposable drinking water cups or individual 1 2 3 4 5

 53

bottles of water in hydration stations and disposable

plates, bowls, etc. in break and dining areas along with

discouraging the use of shared condiment bottles.

Workers in this industry should wear cloth face

coverings, though it may not be practical to do so for

21 1 2 3 4 5
the duration of a work shift or when they become wet,

soiled, or visibly contaminated.

Workers should avoid touching their faces, (e.g. eyes,

22 noses and mouths) until they have thoroughly washed 1 2 3 4 5

their hands upon completing work and removing PPE.

Workers should be careful not to touch their eyes,

23 noses and mouths when removing a cloth face 1 2 3 4 5

covering or other facial PPE.

Regarding PPE, OSHA says this:

Conduct a hazard assessment to determine proper PPE

24 1 2 3 4 5
for industrial hazards.

Employers should consider whether their hazard and

25 risk assessments warrant the use of items such as 1 2 3 4 5

gloves or eye and face protection, if not already in use.

26 Consider possible additional hazards (e.g., PPE 1 2 3 4 5

catching in machinery, limiting worker dexterity or

 54

vision) that can be created by new PPE in the work

environment.

The sharing of PPE, including equipment used for

hazards other than SARS-CoV-2, should be avoided, if

27 possible. If the PPE must be shared, it needs to be 1 2 3 4 5

cleaned and disinfected. Follow proper donning and

doffing procedures for PPE.

Workers who perform tasks involving hazardous

28 chemicals may also require PPE and/or other controls 1 2 3 4 5

to protect them from chemical hazards.

2. What were the changes or additional controls implemented to address COVID19

in your workplace?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

3. Describe your perceptions by rating, in terms of the efficacy of the OSHA

guidelines in the oilfield as per the following aspects;

SCALE:

1 2 3 4 5
Very low Low Moderate High Very high

Infection rate among the oilfield 1 2 3 4 5

workers
 55

Disruptions frequency in operation due

to personnel absences caused by 1 2 3 4 5

COVID19

4. What are the difficulties encountered by the workers who observe OSHA’s

guidelines?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

____________

5. How is the sufficiency of OSHA’s guidelines as you perceive?

Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neither Satisfied Very

Satisfied

6. Is OSHA’s practices recommendable to other companies who don’t exercise it?

Yes No

RESEARCH WORK PLAN

56
57