A few months back, I alluded to the fact of how long I’ve been writing the safety column for PBOG magazine. I thought I started writing the column 2020, yet it turns out to be since July of 2019. I have realized that it is a difficult task to stay fresh, even for someone like […]

This month, we are going to take a different approach. As Henry David Thoreau said in 1854, sometimes it is necessary to simplify, simplify, simplify. It can be our outlet to reduce life’s unnecessary details, material possessions, and complexities to focus on essential meaningful living.   Throughout my career, I have been trained in numerous […]

This month we examine the top five enemies of safety and training—aside from lack of follow up, which deserves a category of its own. Complacency How do you measure complacency? Or can you even measure it? You can sometimes recognize it. Is that reliable? Consistent practices in hiring can be one of the most critical aspects of […]

Safety has a tendency to find all kinds of acronyms to serve as catchy bywords. Take for instance the “Three C’s” of safety. This trio—compliance, competence, and commitment—furnish a catch-all category that encompasses the root causes of all injuries and accidents. Each C is equally necessary. It’s like a 3-legged stool. One weak leg can […]

Welcome to this month’s edition of Safety. Each year, regardless of anyone’s job description, whether white collar or blue collar, back injuries rank among the most prevalent suffered in the workplace. Each year there are more than two million back injuries. Eighty percent of adults suffer a back injury sometime in their lifetime, whether at […]

As parents are prone to say: Don’t give me any static. A much-overlooked safety hazard in the oilfield, static electricity accumulation can be dangerous. The oil and gas industry is renowned for its complex operations, hazardous environments, and rigorous safety protocols. While there are many commonly known risks like hydrocarbon releases, blowouts, and mechanical failures […]

Step into any bustling workplace—be it a construction site, manufacturing plant, oilfield, or office tower—and you’ll find a safety professional engaged in a daily dance with risk. It’s a role that demands more than just adherence to rules or checking boxes. In fact, being a safety person is strikingly similar to playing a round of […]

Experience can be as hazardous as inexperience in the oilfield The oilfield is a notoriously dangerous environment, requiring constant vigilance, strict adherence to safety protocols, and a deep understanding of the risks involved. While much attention is given to the hazards faced by inexperienced workers, it is equally important to recognize that experienced workers can […]

When I first was asked if I wanted to be in the safety profession, I politely said heck no. I had numerous reasons for not wanting the role, so I gracefully declined. Safety records—ours, and those of other companies like ours—were becoming an issue with customers in operations. We did not meet the standards or […]