Expert Says HSE Critical to Excellence, Maintenance in Oil and Gas Industry
Liquefied Natural Gas Plants Operations and Competency Assurance Specialist Olawe Tula, discloses the importance of HSE practice in the oil and gas sector in this chat with Legit.ng. Excerpts
Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) concerns are becoming increasingly relevant in several industrial operations, particularly in oil and gas facilities, like the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and petroleum refinery industry, where handling emergencies requires technical expertise and situational awareness.
The oil and gas industry has made strides in implementing HSE practices but still needs to fill gaps that present opportunities for improvement and innovation.
Source: Original
Expert advocates safety standards
There is a need for the oil and gas industry to continuously evaluate and align its practices with evolving standards to ensure environmental sustainability, worker safety, and plant safety.
Liquefied Natural Gas Plant Operations and Competency Assurance Specialist Olawe Tula, believes that the oil and gas Industry’s long-term energy efficiency underscores the importance of leveraging HSE Practices to improve operational excellence and maintenance execution efficiency and contribute to a safer and more sustainable future.
He stated that human behaviour, stress factors, and decision-making processes can help identify potential risks and implement effective safety measures to avoid unforeseen situations.
He said:
“There is a need to integrate human performance tools, such as the Human Error Assessment & Reduction Technique (HEART), Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), and Last minute Risk Assessment (LMRA) and the use of a hierarchy of control to eliminate hazards, into the risk assessment processes. This integration is vital for the oil and gas industry, where human error or omission before the actual execution of jobs can have significant consequences.
“The oil and gas industry requires high technical skill and knowledge. Training programmes, therefore, must focus on technical aspects and developing soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and decision-making. These skills are essential for ensuring safety and efficiency in complex operational environments,” he said.
Need to involve employees in HSE practice
Olawe added that while integrating technology in the training of operations and maintenance staff can enhance the understanding and management of human factors, it was important to get employees onboard with HSE practices to safely and efficiently realise value from the asset, as they remain the key to radically improving safety indexes in the industry.
“Tools like Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence can simulate real-life scenarios, providing a safe environment for training and testing human responses to various situations. Employee engagement is critical in developing a safety culture within the oil and gas industry. Encouraging participation in safety programmes and decision-making processes ensures that safety is owned by all personnel and is everyone's responsibility, which enhances overall HSE performance. Human factors are integral to the HSE practices of the oil and gas industry,” he stated.
Stakeholders to strive to uphold HSE standards
He revealed that several opportunities for full implementation of HSE procedures in oil and gas operations currently abound. He further encouraged stakeholders to rise above any difficulties and view the long-term benefits of HSE practices, which include environmental sustainability, worker safety, and plant safety, as worth fighting for:
“Many companies face challenges in implementing effective HSE practices due to factors like lack of resources and management commitment," Tula said.
Tula added that the oil and Gas industry could benefit from more rigorous benchmarking practices to identify best practices and drive continuous improvement in HSE performance. The industry should continuously evaluate and align its practices with evolving standards to ensure environmental sustainability, workers’ safety, and plant safety.
He urged vital industry practitioners to prioritize investment in continuous learning and development programmes that focus not only on technical skills but also on soft skills like safety, decision-making, communication, and environmental awareness, leading to a reduction in emissions to achieve a reduced carbon footprint Net Zero Emission (NZE).
Petrol price to crash as FG meets refinery owners over pricing
Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian government has declared that dirty fuel was not imported into the country, as the Dangote Refinery alleged.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), during a meeting with refinery owners in Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday, discussed issues about refined petroleum products’ pricing, competition, and product imports.
Oil marketers disclosed at the meeting that despite local refineries producing some refined products, it does not stop them from buying from other sources.
Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng
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