Energy-Related Hazards

In the oil and gas extraction industry, workers face the dangers of energy-related hazards from various sources, including the following:

• Uncontrolled electrical energy (sometimes referred to as stray voltage)
• Mechanical energy (energy that an object has because it is in motion or because it is in a position in which it has potential energy, such as a sledgehammer held in the air)
• Hydraulic energy (energy generated when water falls to a lower level)
• Pneumatic energy (the power related to pressurized air)
• Chemical energy (energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules). Examples of stored chemical energy include the following:
  • Batteries
  • Petroleum
  • Natural gas
  • Coal
• Thermal energy (energy that come from heat)

When using, servicing, or maintaining machinery and equipment, workers may be exposed to the unexpected start-up of a machine or piece of equipment. Or, stored energy may be accidentally released. Both of these incidents may lead to worker injury or death. The following examples demonstrate the severity of energy-related hazards:

• Workers are burned when a steam valve automatically turns on upstream from where the workers are repairing a connection in the pipeline.
• A worker is crushed while trying to clear a jam when the jammed conveyor system suddenly becomes unjammed.
• A worker receives an electrical shock when the internal wiring shorts within a piece of equipment that the worker is repairing.

To learn more about Oil & Gas Extraction visit our Oil & Gas Extraction Safety Online Training web page.