The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health has announced the
2016 Step-Up for Safety in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industries. This step-up was designed to
raise awareness among employers and workers about hazards in oil and gas exploration. The
step-up will be taking place in mid-February through the end of March, and will involve
employers and employees around the country taking time out to conduct site inspections, safety
training, and other activities. This Step-Up is a part of the alliance between OSHA; the National
Service, Trasmission, Exploration & Production Safety Network; and the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health. There will be a total of twenty-two regional STEPS Networks.
“Hazardous working conditions are taking the lives of a growing number of workers employed in
oil and gas extraction,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr.
David Michaels. “This safety step-up will help emphasize the tremendous value in dedicating
time during a workday to improve safety and health.”
If you are in the oil and gas exploration industry, it is imperative you ensure your occupational
safety and health policies and procedures are updated, as this has become an extremely important
industry to OSHA. If you have any questions about the efficacy of your occupational safety and
health policies and procedures, you should contact a qualified third party occupational safety and
health auditing firm to assist in bringing you into compliance.
If you have any questions about how this step-up program impacts your business, or about how
to improve workplace safety in the oil and gas exploration field, please contact us. If you have
anything to add about this step-up event, please leave a comment.
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