Avoid Direct Contact with Oil - Petrochemical Industry

If you work for a company in the petrochemical industry, you should not be directly exposed unless there is some kind of accidental release or spill from:

• a storage container (drum, vessel, or tank)
• the transfer process (loading or unloading a tank truck, railway tank, or similar vehicle)
• the processing system (such as piping, valves, or equipment)

If you are an oil spill response worker, then the likelihood of direct contact is greater, since the crude oil is not contained and controlled.

To avoid direct contact, you must take care during cleanup operations, entering or exiting the work site, and taking breaks (lunch, water, rest).

Oily waste in storage containers can degrade over time, especially in high temperatures, and give off foul smelling and possibly hazardous vapors and gases.

To learn more about Crude Oil Hazards visit our Crude Oil Hazards Online Training web page.