Pipeline Fall 2013

C A N A D A’ S O I L A N D G A S S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E

PIPELINE

FALL 2013

OUT OF BOUNDS

Putting the brakes on random alcohol testing

FRESH AIR

Navigating the respiratory protection maze

BALANCING ACT

Blocking out hazardous noise

APPLY

WITHIN ADDRESSING OIL AND GAS LABOUR SHORTAGES

| CONTENTS

PIPELINE Vol. 1, No. 2 FALL 2013

DEPARTMENTS

4 Opportunity Knocks EDITORIAL

6

IN THE NEWS

FEATURES

10 Help Wanted

WORKFORCE CHALLENGES Oil and gas projects are popping up all over the country, but experts are warning that the industry is facing major skills shortages.

RANDOM ALCOHOL TESTING

16 Struck Down

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled against a random alcohol testing policy at the J.D. Irving paper mill, finding that it was not reasonably justified.

PRODUCTS

18 Breath of Life

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

10 10 18

In the oil and gas industry, where hydrogen sulphide may be present with other hazards, selecting the right respirator can be a lifesaver.

24 A Safety Heads-Up

24

HEAD PROTECTION

For many industry workers, hard hats are often only one of several pieces of protective gear that needs to be worn. What are the options?

28 Striking a Balance HEARING PROTECTION

On noisy worksites, workers must often perform a delicate balancing act by ensuring they are protected from noise, but also able to hear their surroundings.

24

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PIPELINE FALL 2013 | 3

EDITORIAL |

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

W

elcome to the second issue of Pipeline Magazine, a publication dedicated to occupational health and safety in Canada’s oil and gas industry. This issue will discuss the workforce challenges in the industry; provide an update on the Supreme Court of Canada’s recent random alcohol testing decision; and take a look at respiratory, head and hearing protection.

PIPELINE Vol. 1, No. 2 FALL 2013 EDITOR

EDITOR (OHS CANADA) ASSISTANT EDITOR

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Hazardous substances

JASON CONTANT jcontant@ohscanada.com JEAN LIAN jlian@ohscanada.com CARMELLE WOLFSON cwolfson@ohscanada.com JEFF COTTRILL jcottrill@ohscanada.com WILLIAM M. GLENN MARK RYAN

ART DIRECTOR

It’s no secret that there is a massive skills shortage in the oil and gas industry. The issue is what to do about it.

In May, the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada (PHRC) released a report that found that the total hiring activity needed for the industry’s direct workforce will range from 125,100 to 149,800 workers over the next decade, taking industry activity, age-related attrition and a standard three per cent non-retirement turnover rate into consideration.

And that’s not even considering some sector-specific turnover rates. Consider that the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors indicates that in the first year of anyone working on a drilling rig, there’s a 400 per cent turnover rate — meaning employers have to hire four people to keep one to stay. Even the pipeline field — considered the smallest and most stable sector — could be impacted as Baby Boomers continue to retire.

By 2022, the PHRC estimates that the oil and gas industry will sustain between 900,000 and one million jobs across Canada. Although I would argue that the employment opportunities are great for the economy, the problem is the sheer lack of workers with the needed experience and qualifications. In particular, there is a lack of local, experienced people for specific jobs and senior workers are retiring, taking their experience and expertise with them.

So what can be done? The PHRC offers several options: accessing labour in provinces with high unemployment; looking at underemployed groups such as aboriginals, new grads, youth and new

Jason Contant Editor jcontant@ohscanada.com 4 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

Canadians; and building more effective and efficient education, training and apprenticeship programs, to name a few.

The last option is already in place at some post-secondary institutions across the country. Last year, a college in rural Alberta launched the first pipeline training centre in the province with the twin goals of providing entry-level workers in the oil and gas industry with practical skills, as well as helping move more experienced workers into managerial roles.

The functioning mock camp also killed two birds with one stone by addressing a non-labour related concern in the industry: living in remote work camps.

One positive aspect of the labour shortage is that, despite Canada’s generally soft economic growth, the oil and gas sector is set to see the highest average salary increase next year of 4.1 per cent, compared to the national 2.9 per cent average pay increase for non-unionized workers in the country, according to the Conference Board of Canada.

Wages in the industry are relatively high anyway, so that’s a bit of good news.

Of course, there are other positives of the sector, including the varied and everchanging research and development possibilities, travel opportunities and the creation of indirect jobs.

Despite the perks, though, the shortage will likely only get worse and industry, government and educators need to act now, before it is too late. Easier said than done, but creating more practical, handson programs specifically targeted to the sector and individual jobs, and attracting people to them, is one of the best bets.

PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER MARKETING SPECIALIST CIRCULATION MANAGER

PHYLLIS WRIGHT GARY WHITE DIMITRY EPELBAUM BARBARA ADELT

badelt@bizinfogroup.ca ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER (OHS CANADA MAGAZINE) PUBLISHER

PRESIDENT, BUSINESS INFORMATION GROUP

SHEILA HEMSLEY shemsley@ohscanada.com PETER BOXER pboxer@ohscanada.com BRUCE CREIGHTON

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

DAVID IRETON, Safety Professional, Brampton, Ont. ALLAN JOHNSON, Director of Construction, Hospitality, Oil and Gas, Workers’ Compensation Board of B.C., Vancouver, B.C. JANE LEMKE, Program Manager, OHN Certification Program, Mohawk College, Hamilton, Ont. DON MITCHELL, Safety Consultant, Mississauga, Ont. MICHELE PARENT, National Manager, Risk Management and Health and Wellness, Standard Life, Montreal, Que. TERRY RYAN, Workers’ Compensation and Safety Consultant, TRC Group Inc., Mississauga, Ont. DON SAYERS, Principal Consultant, Don Sayers & Associates, Hanwell, N.B. DAVID SHANE, National Director, Health and Safety, Canada Post Corporation, Ottawa, Ont. HENRY SKJERVEN, President, The Skjerven Cattle Company Ltd., Wynyard, Sask.

PETER STRAHLENDORF, Assistant Professor, School of Environmental Health, Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto, Ont. JONATHAN TYSON, Association of Canadian Ergonomists/Association canadienne d’ergonomie, North Bay, Ont.

PIPELINE is the magazine for people who make decisions about health and safety in

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Date of issue: FALL 2013.

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IN THE NEWS |

>> PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST PIPELINE SAFETY CALGARY, Alta. — A major energy company in Alberta has partnered with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) in the United States in an effort to improve pipeline safety awareness for firefighters and other emergency responders in the two countries.

TransCanada Corporation in Calgary, which is constructing a major 4,400-kilometre pipeline from Alberta to New Brunswick, provided an $825,000 donation to the IAFC on Aug. 13 to fund the four-year partnership.

The funding will: improve the availability of online training programs encompassing incident prevention and response; support the development of toolkits to be used by first responders (toolkits that will include fact sheets, talking points, safety guides and information on prevention efforts); and allow for IAFC involvement in TransCanada’s regional emergency response field exercises for fire departments located near company assets.

Davis Sheremata, a TransCanada

6 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

spokesperson, says that the two organizations are fleshing out the terms of the agreement. The plan is to develop training materials during the first year of the partnership, make them available and then, over the last two years, “really work to get it used by firehalls, first responders, and see what they think and what they need and make adjustments.” The training exercises could cover anything from a small leak right up to a major incident.

“First responders need to know the nature of the pipeline, how deep it is, what it’s carrying at the time of any incident, what the risks are and what the behaviour of those materials will be in the event of an incident,” Sheremata says. “We want these people involved at the ground level, and we want to deal with the people who will actually be coming out on the call if there’s an incident,” he said.

Hank Clemmensen, IAFC president and a fire chief in Inverness, Illinois, says in a statement that he is pleased that the IAFC could offer its expertise.

PIPELINE REVERSAL UP FOR TALKS OTTAWA, Ont. — The National Energy Board, which regulates Canada’s oil, gas and electric industries, held public forums in Montreal and Toronto to discuss whether energy corporation Enbridge should be permitted to expand the capacity and reverse the flow of its pipeline between Quebec and Ontario.

Enbridge plans to run diluted bitumen (dilbit) through Line 9B and increase its capacity from 240,000 to 300,000 barrels per day; the company also plans to change the flow from westbound to eastbound.

NEB gave its approval for Enbridge to reverse the flow of Line 9A, between Sarnia, Ontario and North Westover, Ontario in July 2012.

“This is the final portion of the public hearing,” explained NEB communications officer Carole Léger-Kubeczek. “The initial portion was a written process, and now this is the oral portion, which consists of interveners providing their final oral arguments.” NEB convened the first half of the oral argument portion from Oct. 8 to 11 at

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IN THE NEWS | the Palais des Congrès de Montréal, and the second at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from Oct. 16 to 19.

The debate follows a negative safety report from Accufacts Inc., a research firm based in Olympia, Washington. The Aug. 5 report highlighted numerous risks in Enbridge’s plan, including the following: • Line 9B has stress corrosion cracks that are likely to rupture; • The corrosion cracks will increase if the type of transported crude is changed to bitumen; • Enbridge ignored recommendations from American regulators after a previous spill; • “Something appears very wrong” with the company’s risk assessment of Line 9B; • Enbridge’s leak detection won’t detect a rupture in time; and • The company’s emergency response plans “are not adequate for a high consequence area.”

Enbridge spokesperson Graham White denies that the project will pose any dangers. “The vast majority of prod-

STUDY TO EXAMINE FRACKING IN NOVA SCOTIA SYDNEY, N.S. — The province of Nova Scotia is commissioning an independent review of the effects of hydraulic fracturing, the process of pumping fluid or gas down a well to fracture rock below ground and allow natural gas to escape.

Energy Minister Charlie Parker announced the review on Aug. 28, to be headed by Cape Breton University president Dr. David Wheeler. The review will include consultations with technical experts, interested parties and the public on the health, social, economic and environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking.”

A statement from the Department of Energy says that Dr. Wheeler will select members for a hydraulic fracturing advisory panel, which could include experts in fields ranging from oil and gas engineering to water quality and health to environmental planning. The panel may also seek input from other external experts and is expected to begin its work by early fall.

The review comes more than two years after provincial staff began an internal fracking review in spring 2011, gathering industry best practices and identifying potential environmental issues and how they are managed elsewhere. This work will be given to Dr. Wheeler, the statement adds.

uct to be transported on a reversed line 9 will still be light product, as it currently transports,” he says. “The destination refineries are both light refineries, so their capacity for refining heavies, like dilbit, is limited.”

In addition, he says that Suncor has

said that without the reversal, they would be forced to close their Montreal refinery, which would directly affect more than 2,500 jobs. “We believe this reversal is important for the country, the industry and the regions of Ontario and Quebec for those reasons,” White said. PL

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“” WORKFORCE CHALLENGES | FEATURE

which sees little industry activity, and an expansion scenario, which sees Canadian suppliers gaining access to a range of international markets.

“There’s not a crystal ball, and there’s so many factors that could come into play when trying to forecast out the number of workers that are required,” Calgarybased Campbell-Ott reveals, adding that both scenarios outlined shortfalls in the workforce.

In 2012, roughly 195,200 people were directly employed in the upstream and midstream petroleum sector. Taking industry activity, age-related attrition and a standard three per cent non-retirement turnover rate into consideration, the report shows that the total hiring activity needed for the industry’s direct workforce will range between 125,100 and 149,800 over the next decade.

In the low-growth scenario, the industry would see an additional 18,300 jobs, while in the expansion scenario, an extra 38,700 jobs would need to be filled.

Throwing a wrench in the plans is the fact that an estimated 44,200 to 45,300 vacancies will be due to age-related attrition alone.

“In either scenario that we looked at, that’s actually the biggest issue for hiring right now, the sheer number of people retiring in the industry,” Campbell-Ott says.

“It well surpasses industry growth activity in both scenarios and that creates knowledge transfer issues, productivity issues, etc. as we lose knowledge of those who are more experienced leaving the industry.”

FIFTY-FIFTY Another key challenge is turnover, Campbell-Ott says.

While those in the professional occupations in the sector generally have a low turnover rate, the rate is much higher in the petroleum services and drilling fields. “[It’s] 50 per cent in many, many petroleum service occupations,” she says, adding that the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors indicates that “in the first year of anyone working on a drilling rig, there’s a 400 per cent turnover. That means they have to hire four people to keep one to stay.”

Although all industry sectors are affected, CampbellOtt describes the pipeline field as the smallest and most stable sector because, aside from construction positions, most of the jobs are operational and people tend to stay in those roles for longer periods of time. As a smaller sector, however, it could be more heavily affected as Baby Boomers continue to retire, she adds.

The report says that the net hiring requirements by 2022 in the petroleum sector include 3,000–3,250 required jobs in the pipeline sector (petroleum, gas,

I n the first year of anyone working on a drilling rig, there’s a 400 per cent turnover. That means they have to hire four people to keep one to stay.

chemical process operators); 6,850–10,700 positions in conventional exploration and production (petroleum engineers, geologists and geophysicists); 14,900–22,200 oil sands roles (power engineers, heavy equipment operators); and, at the top of the chart, the oil and gas services sector (oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers, supervisors) at 37,700–47,900 positions.

The servicing sector also generally has the youngest demographic, Campbell-Ott points out. “It’s more of the entry-level positions for field workers or trades,” she says.

With the up to 400 per cent turnover rates in drilling occupations and 50 per cent in the petroleum services industry, Campbell-Ott says turnover is a significant concern that needs to be addressed. It also affects productivity and safety, and increases re-hiring and re-staffing costs.

“With every replacement hire, recruiters are tasked with time to search, interview and select individuals,” Campbell-Ott explains. “Employers have an obligation to provide new hires with proper orientation and training to ensure workers are skilled and safely performing the job. All of these factors create significant costs to an organization and, as a result, lower overall productivity.”

For Ken Nickel-Lane, an associate director for Canada with Air Energi, a global workforce services provider in the international oil and gas industry, these workforce challenges are nothing new. Nickel-Lane says he’s been aware of the issue dating back to the early 2000s.

He believes a large portion of the shortage is a result of the sheer volume of activity within the marketplace.

For example, he says, if companies were looking to fill several difficult key positions in Newfoundland and Labrador, currently only a handful of people in the area would have the capabilities of doing the role with the required seniority. And most of them are already on jobs when a new project comes along.

“Here’s this project that has a workforce plan that requires these guys at certain time frames,” NickelLane says by way of example. “If they don’t get them, the whole project basically gets hamstrung. So we’re now in a situation where if you don’t have those people locally, you have to find them from somewhere.”

Even as liquefied natural gas projects increase in

PIPELINE FALL 2013 | 11

FEATURE | WORKFORCE CHALLENGES

Western Canada, particularly on British Columbia’s coastline, there’s a lack of experienced employees in that line of work as it’s fairly new to the industry in the country, especially on the downstream side.

“You’ve either got to find people that have got transferable skills or you’ve got to bring people in from outside because projects are going to need to move forward in the next two years,” he says. “You’re not going to have time to bring in somebody out of a university setting.

They have to be well-experienced, ready to go.”

MADE IN CANADA? For example, a civil engineer with five years’ experience can’t do the job of a weight control engineer who 12 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

is required to have 20 years’ experience in a very specific niche role.

“There [is] such a wide array of specific differences around the roles that are required for particular projects to move forward that you need simply to get that specific experience to be able to get the job done,” Nickel-Lane says. “The approach there is to utilize the immigration system and bring in somebody into Canada on a temporary basis to fill that role and basically remove that bottleneck so that the broader project can move forward.”

Another arising issue is the fact that the industry has a group of senior individuals who are retiring and continuing to retire, as well as junior to intermediate talent, but not necessarily a large volume of intermediate people who can come in and fill these senior roles.

“You have this experience gap level that’s moving through the system, so that’s also another significant challenge because now you’ve got to try and find ways of filling those particular gaps,” he says. “That means you’ve got to try and do a lot more to try and skill up the younger workforce to be able to fill up those senior roles.”

Although temporary foreign workers are often a short-term solution, Nickel-Lane says it’s key to have them mentoring and training Canadians at more junior levels so they are able to take on the senior roles going forward.

For Nickel-Lane, the health and safety challenge that can arise from bringing in foreign workers isn’t that they are unaware of the hazards in the industry, it’s their less-than-ideal English communication skills.

“All the training in the world doesn’t necessarily help if you’ve got someone that is acknowledging they understand, but perhaps don’t fully understand,” Nickel-Lane argues. “Or if there is literally an emergency on a site and they don’t follow the instructions or understand the instructions that are being communicated to them.”

Although he points out that the industry is generally aware of this concern, individuals also need to be aware of it, especially those in a smaller operation that may not have experienced the challenges it can create.

NOT A QUICK FIX In order to fulfill the needs of the oil and gas industry over the years to come, different strategies need to be implemented, such as tapping into various labour supply groups, says Campbell-Ott. Extra focus should be placed on the underemployed in all provinces and on attracting women and the aboriginal community. The youth and new grad market is also critical to the industry, she stresses.

David Urquhart, team lead of human resources advisory, staffing and development for Encana’s Canadian division, adds that there is a big push inter-

“” WORKFORCE CHALLENGES | FEATURE

nally within the company — a Calgary-based North American energy producer of natural gas, oil and natural gas liquids — to replenish the workforce as people move to other companies and retire.

“A big source for us is making sure that we have an active summer student and new grad program especially for our critical and core talent,” he says. “Every year we take a really good look and forecast what our future workforce needs are and consciously bring in a fair number of new grads into our workforce.”

Nickel-Lane agrees that reaching out to young people in order to get them thinking about other opportunities and providing energy literacy and career awareness is critical.

Since there is a high dropout level in apprenticeship programs, Campbell-Ott believes work also has to be done to capture and maintain the people who start but don’t finish the programs. Another way to fill some of these positions is to bring over workers from other industries with transferable skills, such as pulp and

You’re not going to have time to bring in somebody out of a university setting. They have to be well-experienced, ready to go.

paper plant operators, which she says may meet the requirements for oil operator positions.

Part of the problem, adds Nickel-Lane, is that as projects continue to expand in Newfoundland, those east coast workers currently employed in Alberta are attracted back home, resulting in a shortfall in Alberta.

To help deal with labour shortages, Cameron MacGillivray, president and CEO of Calgary-based Enform, the safety association for Canada’s upstream oil and gas industry, says the organization works closely with other agencies and non-governmental bodies like the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society to bring courses and training to recent immigrants on health and safety.

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FEATURE | WORKFORCE CHALLENGES TAILOR-MADE Undoubtedly, workforce shortages and new recruits impact productivity, says Urquhart. In a service environment, he notes, an experienced drilling crew is not only more efficient with faster turnaround times, but they also better understand safety procedures.

“When you have new workers entering our worksite, there is that risk as well that procedures may not be followed and they’re more at risk of having injuries,” he argues.

In terms of the company’s contractors and service providers, Urquhart says Encana has comprehensive

FATIGUE MANAGEMENT As a result of understaffed workforces, fatigue comes into play when workers put in extra hours in order to get the job done.

“Most projects have a very specific timeline through which they’ve got to move through various stages and a lot of it comes down to money,” Nickel-Lane contends.

That means there’s a lot more stress on those individuals that remain within that group and work significant hours, often to the point where fatigue is an issue, he says. MacGillivray agrees, saying that “if you don’t have enough workers, you tend to make their shifts a little longer.”

“It’s just a struggle right now because no matter how you look at it, you need to try and get these projects done and if you’re short of a worker population, you’re always struggling to add more folks into your team,” Nickel-Lane explains. “And if it continues to persist on being a challenge, then you’ve got folks who are unfortunately picking up the slack on some level.

As much as management can try to contain that,

14 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

checkpoints to ensure people are correctly certified before entering a worksite. They also undergo detailed onsite training and learn safety measures to alleviate this concern, including off-highway defensive driving and ground disturbance practices. Full-time employees receive constant training tailored to the specific type of work they do.

“It’s not unusual for a new hire from day one to be assigned up to 70 odd training requirements,” Urquhart notes. “Some of it is just read and check off that you’ve acknowledged, read and understand it; other ones are attending courses.” folks naturally want to try and get the job done,” Nickel-Lane says.

Although it’s been an ongoing concern for years, Enform recently focused on the importance of managing workplace fatigue with the launch of a set of fatigue risk management guiding principles in September. Six industry associations, including the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, approved.

MacGillivray notes that Enform has guidelines for employers and employees as well as reference cards to help workers identify when they may be affected by fatigue. The cards work by assessing how much sleep an individual has received over the last 24 and 48 hours and how many hours have gone by since they last slept.

Depending on a worker’s score, the fatigue likelihood assessment card may suggest a worker be monitored by a supervisor or not commence a shift until they are fit for work.

Although there’s always been a balance between employee efficiencies and working safely, Urquhart stresses it’s of upmost importance to maintain health and safety standards even during workforce shortages.

“The hardships are sometimes [that] you live and learn by understanding that someone just pulled a 24-hour shift to maintain production,” he says. Not only is this against the law, it’s unsafe.

“We need to maintain the health and safety of every employee and every person working around that employee.”

Another factor that’s easy to overlook is commuting time, which can be significant, especially on top of a 12-hour shift.

“It’s important that the worker show up in what we call ‘fit for duty,’” MacGillivray says.

“That they’re well rested and free of substances that will affect their performances. It’s a very important topic and it extends through all sectors of the industry.”

WORKFORCE CHALLENGES | FEATURE PLAY IT SAFE Even though MacGillivray admits that research has shown new workers are more at risk than experienced workers on the job site, “there are significantly more injuries in the first year of employment.”

Enform, however, is equipped with tools to address this issue. One such newly launched initiative is the electronic general safety orientation, or eGSO. Developed specifically for the new, young workforce entering the upstream oil and gas industry, the tool is a free online general safety orientation video that supports employers’ existing new worker orientation programs. In September, all six Canadian petroleum industry associations announced that effective June 1, 2014, an eGSO record of completion from Enform would be required as evidence of a worker’s completion of a general safety orientation.

“When you have people working with complex heavy equipment in sometimes unusual working situations and remote locations, keeping workers safe and keeping the processes safe is very important,” MacGillivray emphasizes. “In some cases if there’s a failure in the system, it could lead to the impact on not only the immediate surroundings, but perhaps the immediate communities involved. So we are emphasizing the systems they’re working on and the engineering controls like valves and checkpoints that come into play.”

In addition to safety courses, guidelines and industry recommended practices, Enform also issues a certificate of recognition when companies have a bona fide safety management system. “We know from statistics that their accidents and injuries and fatality rates are much better than those who don’t have a core certificate,” MacGillivray adds.

SAFETY CULTURE Safety compliance and consulting specialist Robin Weatherill of Safety Canada Limited in Calgary says that the culture of health and safety is not solely determined by industry itself, but that employers are key to the equation.

“The message is really quite simple: the culture of health and safety is everyone’s responsibility and everyone in every organization must be accountable at all times,” he says. “There must be a system in place for all safety orientations, safety training and competency tests to all workers prior to starting work to ensure that all preventable occurrences do not happen.”

Weatherill firmly believes the majority of incidents that occur are preventable and senior management must promote professional safety training and safety experience as part of their safety culture.

“If all companies have new hire orientations, promote the culture of health and safety and provide safety training and competency tests before allowing any and all workers to start assigned work, there will

ON THE RISE Forecasted investment and activity levels in Canada’s oil and gas industry are projected to sustain an annual average of 894,100 to 1,036,100 direct, indirect and induced jobs. This is due to the continued development of the nation’s oil sands, an increase in light and heavy oil production and offshore oil projects and the potential of liquefied natural gas projects.

The industry will experience a tight labour market for a number of occupations including: • Engineers: project, mining electrical/ instrumentation, chemical, mechanical, petroleum and civil; • Mechanical and instrumentation engineering technologists, drafting technologists and technicians; • Environmental and non-destructive testers and inspection technicians; • Power engineers (steam-ticket operators); • Drilling coordinators/production managers; • Oil and gas field workers, labourers and operators; and • Trades: instrumentation technicians, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, welders, insulators, crane operators, millwrights and machinists, steamfitters and pipefitters Source: Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada (PHRC) report, The Decade Ahead: Labour Market Outlook to 2022 for Canada’s Oil and Gas Industry.

not be an issue with workers who aren’t as versed in health and safety,” he argues.

For MacGillivray, safety culture is a hot topic and the organization works with CEOs and boards of directors to integrate safety standards into the workplace from the top down. As an example, an executive summit on safety this year in Calgary attracted 93 senior executives from all sectors in the oil and gas industry. The executives discussed topics like process safety and human factors involved with safety.

Whether it’s a trip and fall, a sprain or a lifting incident, Urquhart believes it’s important to analyze and share information when accidents occur to prevent them from happening again. He points to things like ‘safety stand downs’ in the event of a critical situation, “so that we’re going to take a pause and make sure everyone recalibrates and understands the importance of safety and proper work procedures in the workplace.”

Ultimately if a company in the oil and gas industry has a worker joining the organization who hasn’t been properly trained in safety procedures and protocols, they’re putting other people at risk as well as themselves, says Nickel-Lane.

“I think the industry as a whole understands that it is a hazardous business and you can’t take shortcuts, not when it comes to workplace health and safety,” Urquhart adds. “That always needs to be top of mind, especially in the field environment, but even so we carry that through into the office environment as well.” PL Ann Ruppenstein is a writer in Toronto.

PIPELINE FALL 2013 | 15

XXXXXXX| RANDOM FEATURE | YYYYYYYYALCOHOL YYYYYYY TESTING

STRUCK

DOWN I

By Jason Contant and Sabrina Nanji

“

There were only eight alcohol-related incidents over a 15-year period at the mill.

16 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

n a long-awaited decision, Canada’s highest court has ruled that an employer looking to impose a random alcohol testing policy on its workers must first show the move is reasonable.

In a 6-3 decision on June 14, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the random alcohol testing policy imposed unilaterally at the Irving Pulp & Paper mill in Saint John, New Brunswick was unfounded and that the employer could not demonstrate a reasonable justification for the policy, especially in terms of how it might improve health and safety.

“In this case, the expected safety gains to the employer were found by [an arbitration] board to range from uncertain to minimal, while the impact on employee privacy was severe,” the decision notes.

“Consequently, the employer had not demonstrated the requisite safety concerns that would justify universal random testing. As a result, the employer exceeded the scope of its rights under the collective

agreement,” the decision says, adding that eight alcohol-related incidents at the kraft paper mill over a 15-year period did not reflect the requisite problem.

Furthermore, by the time the arbitration was heard in December 2008, the testing policy had been in effect for nearly a year, during which time not a single employee had tested positive on either a random or reasonable cause test.

The policy was adopted at the J.D. Irving paper mill back in February 2006 and included unannounced breathalyzer testing over the course of a year for 10 per cent of employees in “safety sensitive” positions. A month-and-a-half after the policy was implemented, a maintenance worker was selected by random lottery to be tested, and although his alcohol level proved to be zero, Local 30 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) filed a grievance on his behalf.

The union had argued that the policy was an affront to a worker’s privacy and

RANDOM ALCOHOL TESTING | FEATURE

dignity and that it ignored the overall issue of substance abuse.

“It’s a victory for common sense. Drug and alcohol abuse is [rampant] in society and you can’t fix it by putting armed guards at the gate,” Dave Coles, national president of the CEP, said of the Supreme Court ruling. “Let’s stop blaming the victim and try to deal with the societal health issue.”

Coles suggests that introducing a voluntary employee assistance program is a viable solution available to employees looking to receive counselling. Removing the stigma surrounding drug and alcohol abuse, he adds, is the first step to creating a dialogue around such an issue.

While the union views random testing as invasive, the Irving mill argued in court that the policies improve the health and safety of their employees.

In a statement released on June 14, J.D. Irving says that they “respect the decision issued today by the Supreme Court of Canada. We will be reviewing the decision and have no further comment at this time.

Our focus has and continues to be the safety of our co-workers and communities where we have operations.”

The case has potentially major implications for random drug and alcohol testing policies across the country, and could set a precedent. One high-profile case currently being watched with bated breath comes from Canada’s oil patch, where Suncor Energy in Alberta is battling in the courts with the CEP regarding random drug and alcohol testing policies.

Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, argues that the Supreme Court ruling has implications on the Suncor Energy case as well. “Employers can’t arbitrarily introduce a random drug or alcohol testing regime by declaring a workplace ‘dangerous’ without proving that there’s a problem,” McGowan says.

“There’s a direct parallel between this case and what’s happening at Suncor: there’s no evidence that there’s a problem and the employer can’t simply impose their will on the worker and strip them of their privacy,” he contends.

The Supreme Court went on to say that

it agreed with the arbitration board, which concluded that Irving Pulp & Paper had exceeded the scope of its management rights under a collective agreement.

“A unilaterally imposed policy of mandatory, random and unannounced testing for all employees in a dangerous workplace has been overwhelmingly rejected by arbitrators as an unjustified affront to the dignity and privacy of employees unless there is reasonable cause, such as a general problem of substance abuse in the workplace,” the decision says.

“This is not to say that an employer can never impose random testing in a dangerous workplace. If it represents a proportionate response in light of both legitimate safety concerns and privacy interests, it may well be justified.” PL

“

The employer had not demonstrated the requisite safety concerns that would justify universal random testing.

”

Jason Contant is the editor of Pipeline Magazine; Sabrina Nanji is a former editorial assistant of OHS Canada Magazine.

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PIPELINE FALL 2013 | 17

PRODUCTS | RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

By Jason Contant

“

erhaps no other type of personal protective equipment (PPE) has as extensive an amount of offerings as respirators, making the search for the right equipment daunting. “People get confused by all the different respirators out there,” says Manish Gupta, market manager at Draeger Safety Canada Ltd. in Mississauga, Ont. In order to select the appropriate respirator for the workplace, an assessment by a qualified person needs to be performed to determine potential respiratory hazards. Most major manufacturers can aid in this process and some have online tools specifically for this purpose, adds Kerin Sparks, strategic business manager for the Canadian first responder market with MSA in Toronto.

“It’s almost a bit of a backwards process. You first have to look at the contaminants you have in your workplace,” Gupta says. “You try to get rid of them through engineering controls and if that doesn’t work, then you will try and look at different respirator options that are out there,” he adds.

There are two types of respirators: air-purifying respirators (APRs) and supplied-air respirators (SARs). The first type removes contaminants in the

On oil and gas worksites or those where hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a concern, workers now have the option to use an APR.” 18 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

air by filtering out particulates, such as dusts, metal fumes and mists or by adsorbing gases or vapours in a cartridge or canister, notes information from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety in Hamilton, Ontario.

An SAR supplies clean air from a compressed air tank or through an airline, with a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) being one example.

Selection of respiratory protective gear not only depends on the type and concentration of a contaminant in the workplace, but also on other factors, including temperature.

For example, a worker in a hot area may choose to use a powered APR “because it provides the user with a positive flow of air, which can give the perspective of cooler air,” suggests Stacy Richardson, technical service representative for negative-pressure respiratory protection with 3M Canada in London, Ontario. In situations

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION | PRODUCTS

where protection of the eye, face and respiratory system is required, a worker may go with a powered air purifying respirator or a supplied-air respiratory system.

On oil and gas worksites or those where hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a concern, workers now have the option of using an APR. Prior to approval of the latest respiratory protection standard from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Washington, D.C., workers were required to don only the heavier SAR. Marty Lorkowski, global marketing manager responsible for industrial safety with Scott Safety in Monroe, North Carolina, says this change offers two main benefits: a reduction in costs and bulkiness of the equipment. However, “the negative that comes with it [is] ensuring your environment is a known environment,” Lorkowski says of the APR option.

With an SCBA, “you are covered right up to and

”

“Facial hair is still one of the most contentious issues surrounding respiratory protection. past the ‘immediately dangerous to life or health’ level, so if there is any variance in your exposure level, the SCBA or [SAR] will ensure that you are protected the whole time,” he adds.

If the hazards are unknown, users should default to an SCBA, which offers the highest level of protection.

WHILE IT LASTS Although APRs can be used in environments with H2S, Lorkowski warns of fluctuations of the gas in workplaces such as oil production facilities or refineries.

PIPELINE FALL 2013 | 19

PRODUCTS | RESPIRATORY PROTECTION Richardson says while workers often understand the need for a chemical cartridge-type respirator, they may not know that the level of respiratory protection depends on the concentration of the hazard, citing the need for air sampling tests.

“That is the only way you are going to be able to determine how long that cartridge will last and therefore, make a change-out schedule,” she says.

But calculating the service life of a cartridge in a workplace with multiple hazards can be challenging.

While most major manufacturers provide online service life calculation tools for different cartridges, each cartridge is unique and built using the technology specific to that manufacturer. As such, Richardson recommends using the software from the same manufacturer that produces the cartridge.

FIT FOR FIT TESTING Stacy Richardson, technical service representative for negativepressure respiratory protection with 3M Canada in London, Ontario, reports that respirator fit testing sections of the Canadian Standards Association’s newest CSA Z94.4 standard have been beefed up considerably.

For example, a 30-second exercise has been added to the standard’s mandatory qualitative respirator fit test annex. It requires the user to bend at the waist (if space permits) while keeping the head and back parallel to the floor, repeating the movement at a comfortable pace and pausing long enough to inhale twice at each extreme position. Users are also required to sanitize fit testing hoods between tests, “a small, subtle change” that may be overlooked, Richardson adds.

“In the actual language of the standard, they have increased a lot of language around competency,” she says, pointing out that fit testers must ensure the people they are fit testing are competent.

“It was always kind of known that when you fit test somebody, you have got to make sure they know how to put it on and take it off and do their user seal checks, but now you have to document it.”

Manish Gupta, market manager at Draeger Safety Canada Ltd. in Mississauga, Ontario, adds the standard now provides prerequisites for setting up a fit testing station. “Before, you could throw together a fit testing type station in your garage,” he contends.

Now, information is provided on what is required for cleaning and disinfecting the respirators, he says.

“When you get those fluctuations, you could get to a hazard level or exposure level that is higher than what your cartridge should be used for,” he cautions.

Potentially compounding the problem is an environment like the oil fields in Alberta, where H2S may be present with other compounds, such as benzene, xylene, toluene or other organic vapours.

EMERGING TRENDS Another consideration is the correlation between temperature, humidity and work rate and how that influences the life of a cartridge. “The higher the temperature, the quicker it may run out,” Richardson explains, adding that a higher work rate may have a similar wear-down effect.

There are also end-of-service-life indicators, but as of last year, they were available only for mercury and chlorine. “Until end-of-service-life indicator technology is commonplace in the industry, it is imperative that we understand our concentrations and do a proper change-out schedule,” Richardson advises.

One significant change in the latest edition of the Canadian Standards Association’s Z94.4 standard, Selection, Use and Care of Respirators, last published in August of 2011, is that, unlike its earlier version, it pro-

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

1

3M Canada in London, Ontario officially launched its 6500 Series Rugged Comfort Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator in Canada on Oct. 7.

Designed with tough and dirty worksites in mind, the product features a quick latch mechanism that allows the worker to easily drop down the respirator as he or she moves out of contaminated areas, says a product information sheet. “For oil and gas workers and many other industries where PPE compatibility is important, the ability to leverage the quick latch feature while in a safe zone, but being able to maintain head/hearing/eye protection, is important,” says Laura J. Brown, Canadian marketing supervisor – disposable & reusable respirators, with 3M Canada. “Many sites require the mainte-

20 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

nance of hearing/head protection when, from a respiratory perspective, they may be out of harm’s way.”

The 6500 Series also features a silicone faceseal, which molds easily to the structures of the face when heat is applied, Brown explains. “In our experience, silicone fits the widest variety of facial structures and sizes due to its ability to mold to the face easily,” she says. “This is textured silicone, which provides the properties of silicone to mold to the face, but also provides enough robustness to allow the user to feel secure in its fit and withstand harsh environments.”

The product sheet notes the 6500 Series also features a cool flow valve, which provides enhanced comfort by reducing heat and moisture and a low-profile design for compatibility with PPE such as welding or grinding shields.

Š 2011, 3M. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada. 3M is a trademark of 3M. Used under license in Canada. 1302-00560-E

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“

PRODUCTS | RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

People get confused by all the different respirators out there.” hibits a contaminant’s warning properties to be relied upon as a means of indication for a cartridge change-out.

“Should workers detect odour or experience any irritation symptoms of the contaminant before the end of the change-out schedule, the respirator program administrator shall be informed and shall reevaluate this respirator use, i.e., the change-out schedule, the workplace concentrations or other conditions of use [relative humidity (RH), work rate, etc.],” the standard notes.

Another major addition is an annex featuring facial hair illustrations to provide guidance for program administrators, supervisors, fit testers and users.

“We decided to add some of these pictures to help clarify what is acceptable and unacceptable in terms of facial hair, because that has always been an issue,” says Ron Meyers, project manager with CSA Group, adding the standard also addresses concerns over respirator interference related to jewellery — even creams.

The actual standard “is still as it always was, which was to make sure that people have no facial hair where the tight-fitting respirator seals to the skin or face or neck,” Richardson advises.

Gupta agrees that facial hair is still one of the most contentious issues surrounding respiratory protection.

“We ran into that with prison guards who had beards their whole lives and were suddenly told to shave and complained that their own wives wouldn’t recognize them if they had to shave,” Gupta relates.

“People made it sound like a very simple, trivial thing, but forgot about the emotional part — this is a very, very big deal for somebody,” he argues.

ON THE HORIZON As with other forms of PPE, the technology of respirators has improved considerably.

Take, for example, heads-up displays for SCBAs that meet the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 1981: Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services.

The standard is directed at SCBAs used in the fire service to assist first responders with the notification of their low-pressure warning alarms. It allows for indications to the end-user at incremental points before pressure decays to 25 per cent and goes into full alarm.

SCBAs rely on 30-, 45-, and 60-minute cylinders.

The 45-minute cylinder, operating at a pressure of 4,500 pound-force per square inch gauge (PSIG), is the typical operating system being deployed in the field, Sparks reports. “This allows for better reserve air options for the first responder and is increasing the safety factor for both themselves and their team members,” he adds.

Scott Safety’s Marty Lorkowski says his company recently released a 5,500 PSIG cylinder that offers 75 minutes of air time. “It’s getting you closer to a true hour,” considering such factors as work rate, he says.

In other developments, a long-life composite type cylinder, lasting between 15 and 30 years, is now available. The standard carbon steel and aluminum cylinders used to last only approximately 15 years.

With improved technology comes the risk of overreliance, Gupta cautions. Take the example of a firefighter responding to a toxic leak on an oil rig, who will now require maintenance plans to replace batteries for the SCBAs. “The technology has improved so much we have forgotten about things like batteries and keeping things powered up,” Gupta suggests.

Unfortunately, such oversights can prove catastrophic — even fatal — for those in hazardous workplaces. PL

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

2

Designed for easy integration with other personal protective equipment, MSA’s Advantage 400 series half-mask respirator is ideal for use on oil and gas worksites.

An information sheet from the company says that the product’s low-profile design allows the respirator to be used with hard hats, eyewear, goggles and faceshields, while the unique, one-piece ComforTop headband and harness assembly eliminates pressure points when head protection is worn.

The latex-free 400 series also features the AnthroCurve sealing surface, which adapts perfectly to multi-ethnic head sizes and facial contours, form-fitting neck buckles and wide straps that eliminate discomfort

22 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

around the neck and a patent-pending one-piece UniBond over-mold facepiece, which offers stability, comfort and superior fit.

“The intelligent design eliminates multiple leak paths, and with only three major components, the Advantage 400 respirator significantly reduces the cost of ownership,” the product sheet says.

Another feature is a patent-pending yoke and harness design for a quick switch between lock-down and dropdown modes. (Drop-down mode allows users to remove the facepiece and rest it safely against the chest while maintaining use of head protection; lock-down mode allows the user to lock in a personal fit, meaning that the respirator can be donned without further adjustments.)

PRODUCTS | HEAD PROTECTION

a Safety

Heads-up S

By Jason Contant

afety professionals are used to contemplating worst-case scenarios, but it was a worker who had a front row seat to the real thing at a construction site in northern British Columbia in November of 2010.

Fortunately, worst turned into best. The young worker was working at an oil and gas pipeline construction site about 20 feet below another worker, who was working from a ladder on a tank. A pipe wrench fell off the tank, hitting the young worker’s hard hat, neck and face. He was injured when his hard hat cracked.

Normally, a hard hat’s suspension and shell work together to absorb an impact and dissipate the associated energy so that very little is transferred to the wearer, says Katie Twist-Rowlinson, product manager for welding helmets and hard hats at Honeywell Safety Products in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Honeywell’s product line includes hard hats that feature a smooth crown design and a suspension system with eight load-bearing points to stabilize and balance the gear during everyday wear, notes a product information sheet.

24 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

“The more suspension points a hard hat has, the greater opportunity for the impact to spread over the widest area, resulting in the smallest amount of energy transferred to the wearer’s head,” Twist-Rowlinson explains. “Higher number of suspension points equals greater balance, stability and overall weight distribution and comfort level.”

CHANGEABLE COMFORT As always, comfort is critically important to prevent workers from removing gear that can only protect as intended when worn. But maximizing comfort — and safety — sometimes requires some adjustment.

To secure and adjust a hard hat, Twist-Rowlinson says a wearer uses a suspension adjustment mechanism — the two most common being pin lock and ratchet systems. The former employs a “snap and lock” system that fits more loosely, but requires removal of the hard hat to make any adjustments; the latter does not, with adjustments made by simply turning a knob.

John Greer, president of Dynamic Safety International in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, estimates

HEAD PROTECTION | PRODUCTS that two decades ago, 80 per cent of hard hats on the market used pin lock systems and 20 per cent ratchet systems. Today, Greer says he expects that has reversed, with ratchet suspension systems accounting for 95 per cent and pin lock for five per cent.

At his company, Greer says the geometry of the hard hat shell and the ratchet suspension system were both designed to come lower on the head, thereby enhancing user comfort.

The choice of suspension system, among many other considerations, will be dictated by the results of a risk assessment, which is recommended as part of the Canadian Standard Association’s (CSA) Z94.1 Industrial Protective Headwear standard, last reaffirmed this year. Numerous factors must be taken into account, including the following: • If a user requires impact and penetration protection to only the crown of the head or to the sides as well; • Whether or not a cap style or full-brim hard hat is needed; • Which hard hat material is best suited for the particular work and environment; • Which accessories the hat will need to accommodate; • If availability of various colour choices (including high-visibility) is preferred; and • Whether or not job demands require the use of a reverse-orientation hard hat.

TYPE CAST There are two types of CSA-approved hard hats: Type 1 offers impact and penetration protection to the crown only; Type 2 provides crown and lateral (side) impact and penetration protection.

“Type 1 helmets should only be used in situations where it can be determined that no lateral hazards exist, or the local authority allows its usage,” says Sean Donovan, senior product line manager for industrial products at MSA in Toronto. Type 1 may suffice for a mechanic or forklift operator, for example, but “typically, highly dynamic workplaces such as construction, demolition and those where there are moving objects, such as medium to large manufacturing operations, are more likely to be considered Type 2 workplaces,” Donovan advises.

As per CSA Z94.1, each of the main types of hard hats are broken down into three separate classes related to dielectric protection: E, G and C. Class E provides the highest protection (against as much as 20,000 volts of electric current), while Class G has a 2,200-volt current rating and Class C offers no dielectric protection.

If working in an environment where “any contact with an electrical current may occur, [workers] will need to be aware of their hat’s class rating and make sure it’s at the appropriate level for that hazard,” Twist-Rowlinson says.

Claudio Dente, president of Dentec Safety Specialists Inc. in Newmarket, Ontario, reports that “most people in all applications use an E,” and the majority of hard hats on the market are certified as such. Absent a hazard assessment being done, Donovan notes that “the worker should default to the highest protection level possible, which is a Type 2, Class E protective helmet.”

SUNNY DAYS Of course, electricity is not the only on-the job hazard to be considered; those working outdoors will certainly need protection from the sun.

While they are traditionally used in the oil and gas and mining sectors, more utilities and construction companies are warming to full-brim hard hats that offer workers some protection against ultraviolet rays around the ears, neck and face, Greer reports.

Consider a paving crew toiling away for hours on end in the dead of summer. There will be heat stress when working on “thousand degree [Fahrenheit] asphalt in 100 F sun,” Greer says. Full-brim hats will offer some relief, he adds.

Dente notes that a hard hat can become softer in hot environments, while it can grow brittle in cold temperatures. “That’s part of your hazard analysis — whether temperature is a concern,” he says.

Twist-Rowlinson suggests, however, that hard hats are fairly durable, reporting that CSA testing requires protective headgear to be pre-conditioned prior to impact and penetration testing at 50 degrees Celsius +/- 2 C and -30 C +/- 2 C. Dave Shanahan, oh&s standards project manager at the CSA, says that members of the protective headwear technical committee even reviewed the possibility of adding arc flash protection to the Z94.1 standard, but decided against it. “Given the nature of the hazard, any properly designed flash protector would have to cover the entire head and neck area, including the face,” Shanahan says. It was felt that “arc flash protection for the head would be better addressed in our Z94.3 eye and face protection standard,” he adds.

That said, greater heat protection is sometimes needed, especially for those who work in steel plants, forges, foundries, fabrication shops and chemical plants, as well as workers at some construction sites or in heavy industry settings.

Twist-Rowlinson reports that one of her company product lines offers two hard hats designed for extreme high-heat environments, featuring materials that can withstand radiant temperatures of approximately 190 to 260 C. A new fibreglass hard hat “takes advantage of new material formulations to provide high-heat resistance up to [190 C], lighter weight protection and added durability,” she says.

Made of a proprietary injection-moulded fibreglass compound, the hard hat “handles hard knocks in the toughest places without developing nicks and cracks PIPELINE FALL 2013 | 25

PRODUCTS | HEAD PROTECTION commonly seen in other fibreglass caps,” notes a prod- the hard hat,” she suggests. “For long-term secure situauct sheet from Honeywell. tions, look for attachment components that are preinstalled and permanently fixed onto the hard hat for MATERIAL MATTERS ease of use.”

Temperature is among the factors that will steer workRemember that the attachment system must be noners toward the best choice of hard hat material. conductive to maintain a hard hat’s dielectric rating and Donovan reports the most common material used for to prevent a shock hazard, Twist-Rowlinson adds. the safety gear is high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a Staying put is also important when it comes to good fit in light of its cost-effectiveness and versatility. worker safety. The possibility of hard hats falling off of But HDPE is not without competitors. “Other ther- a worker’s head was enough of a concern to Highlands, moplastics, such as polycarbonate, or synthetic poly- Texas-based Glove Guard, LP that the company came mers, such as glass-reinforced nylon, offer higher heat or up with its own product solution last fall. “The design cold resistance, but generally cost more,” says Donovan. was created to solve a problem, namely how to keep Dente agrees, pointing out that a typical Type 2 hat your hard hat where it needs to be — on your head,” made of HDPE costs approximately $35, while a fibre- says Bryan Vermillion, vice-president of product develglass version may carry a price tag of upwards of $80 to opment for Glove Guard. $100 or more. It all comes down to job demands: welders The product’s rubber buckle, which features unique are an example of an occupation that needs to consider texturing, can grip a worker’s head but is soft enough both heat protection and a reverse orientation. that the material will not hurt the user, Vermillion “Look for the official reverse donning logo to deter- reports. The unit buckles around the existing suspenmine if your helmet may be worn backwards without sion system and allows a hard hat to be adjusted more voiding approvals,” Donovan advises, pointing out that loosely for greater comfort, helping to reduce neck the CSA Z94.1 standard outlines a voluntary test. “Be strain, headaches and discomfort. sure that the suspension has been reversed so that the “We believe that by making devices that keep PPE nape strap is in the rear,” he advises. close at hand and easy to use, we will help reduce workOf course, there are other tasks where safety is place injuries,” Vermillion says. advanced by going backwards. Dente points to ladder Feeling comfortable? Not too warm? Able to see? climbing, confined spaces or jobs that require looking Great, but a worker may need protection from noise. up or into tunnels.

Earmuffs are another common addition to hard hats, Workers often need to wear several pieces of personal many of which incorporate slots on the sides where capprotective equipment (PPE) together. Twist-Rowlinson mounted muffs can be attached, says Twist-Rowlinson. notes that face shields and welding helmets are common Donovan notes that using headwear, such as banaccessories to hard hats and may be attached with hinges, dannas or skull caps, should not affect the impact propsnaps or other types of attachment systems. When select- erties of a hard hat as long as the accessories are worn ing a mounting system, she recommends considering smoothly on top of the head. Nevertheless, he adds, frequency of use, ease of use, durability, flexibility and “caution should be taken to avoid bunching of the matecompatibility with different products. rial, which can cause pressure points and affect the “For high-frequency situations, look for attachment helmet’s ability to protect.” systems that are fully adjustable to fit any style of hard Items like gloves, cigarettes and earplugs should hat and have a brim tab design that fits securely onto never be stored between the hat’s suspension and shell since space is needed between the two to help absorb energy from an impact, Donovan says. “Such objects in this space can transmit significant forces to the head and neck, which can result in serious injury or death,” HEAD PROTECTION he points out.

Many equipment manufacturers recommend a hard For workplaces like the utility industry or others where elevated hat’s suspension be replaced every 12 months and the temperatures or dielectric protection is needed, MSA has the Topshell every five years. Wear or damage noticed during a gard protective hard hat. Constructed of lightweight, yet durable regular inspection may necessitate an earlier replacepolycarbonate, the hard hat is capable of withstanding radiant ment, and a hat that has had an impact or penetration heat loads up to 275 degrees Fahrenheit (135 degrees Celshould always be replaced, Donovan says. sius) and retains limited resistance to top impact or Although hard hat materials have not changed much penetration over a wide range of temperatures, over the past three decades, he says that in recent years, says information from MSA’s website. The Topvents and the ability to accommodate or incorporate gard protective hat is available in slotted (for PPE have been added to hat designs — a welcome addiuse with accessories) and non-slotted option for industries like the oil and gas sector, where tions and a variety of colours. multiple pieces of PPE are normally worn. PL

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

26 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

PRODUCTS | HEARING PROTECTION

STRIKING A

BALANCE

By Sabrina Nanji

L

ending an ear takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to hearing protection. Whether a worker finds himself working on a loud oil rig or toiling away on a noisy runway at an airport, safeguarding one’s ears can help prevent hearing loss.

To ensure that workers are not only protected from noise, but able to hear their surroundings, choosing the appropriate hearing protective device is key to striking a balance between the two.

The industries that are traditionally considered noisy are the heavy industry and manufacturing sectors, says Bev Borst, 3M Canada’s technical service specialist in London, Ontario. She cites transportation, manufacturing, forestry, mining and construction as among the industries where hearing protection is required.

Of course, the oil and gas industry can’t be ignored.

But before looking at options like earplugs and earmuffs, employers should try to reduce noise levels at the source rather than going straight to the protective gear, advises Emma Nicolson, an occupational health and safety specialist with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety in Hamilton, Ontario.

“Hearing protection is typically the last line of defence that we look for, so we encourage employers to look at your workplace and identify your noisy areas, so you can do sound mapping,” Nicolson says.

She advises employers to go through their hierarchy of controls and try to eliminate the noise or isolate it, citing the example of putting in a sound barrier. This is followed by reviewing administrative controls, such as putting in a preventative maintenance schedule. “Maybe it’s just loose bolts on a machine that is causing it to vibrate and rattle. So we could tighten those up, then that eliminates the noise source,” she says.

If employers determine that workers do require hearing protective gear after conducting an extensive survey to put in engineering and administrative controls, the next step is to assess the environment and conduct a hearing conservation program. Nicolson says that will include noise assessment, employee training and education, audiometric testing, maintenance, inspections and hearing protector selection.

28 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

HEARING PROTECTION | PRODUCTS But the process of choosing a hearing protector can be daunting. The gear must comply with regulatory standards, be comfortable to wear and offer an effective barrier against noise exposure. Without this, workers are at risk.

“A good measure of whether a noise is potentially hazardous is whether you must raise your voice over the noise to talk to a person about an arm’s length away from you,” says Theresa Schulz, hearing conservation manager for Honeywell Safety Products in College Station, Texas.

Prolonged exposure to high noise over time can damage a worker’s hearing, which, in some cases, can lead to hearing loss. Schulz adds that a loud bang or an explosion can be major enough to cause a concussion, inhibit balance or even cause a traumatic brain injury.

TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT The most common health hazard associated with noise exposure is hearing loss. But the side-effects also include stress, fatigue, tinnitus (a ringing in the ears) and interference with communication and speech.

Nicolson reports that some studies have even established a link between cardiovascular health and noise exposure, while other studies have cited psychological impact to be one of the effects resulting from constant exposure to noise. “If you’re working and not expecting a loud noise, you can jump, so it can have a trickledown effect,” Nicolson says. “It can impact your productivity and your performance.”

It should therefore come as no surprise that once an employer has determined that hearing protection is required, they must choose the right equipment — a task that is trickier than it looks. “You can’t make one recommendation,” Borst says. “You should offer a selection that fits the worker, that is comfortable for the worker and that works with their other personal protective equipment.”

For example, if the job site is hot, an earplug is preferable compared to an earmuff, which tends to get warm after being worn for an extended period of time.

Most hearing protective devices can be grouped into two modes: passive and active. While a passive device does not have any electronics ingrained (like foam earplugs), an active device comes with electronic connections and can be used for communication or entertainment, such as listening to music.

For those who want to connect to gadgets like a radio or a cellphone, active devices are the way to go. “No matter what noise there is or if they need to communicate, there are options there for workers,” Borst says.

Claudio Dente, president of Dentec Safety Specialists in Newmarket, Ontario, says choosing the right equipment for the job plays a vital role in that equipment’s performance. Once employers understand the amount of noise they are dealing with and have done metric testing to determine the average threshold limit value

“The problem with an earplug is [that] 80 per cent of the people don’t take the time — even after they’re trained — to insert it properly.” exposure level, Dente advises that “they should sit down with their supplier and safety committee to identify the most appropriate hearing protection.”

FOR AND AGAINST As with most safety gear, every type of hearing protection comes with pros and cons that must be considered before making a selection — whether that choice is an earplug, earmuff or semi-insert earplug, the latter of which consists of two plugs held over the ends of the ear canal by a head band.

Some employers may opt for an earmuff and earplug, Dente adds, citing a worker who is required to wear a hard hat.

Nicolson says the advantages and drawbacks of hearing protection not only have a direct impact on worker safety, but also on performance and productivity. The inability to hear one’s surroundings and interact with co-workers makes communication in noisy workplaces a challenge, she says.

For their part, earplugs are convenient as they are portable, small and usually disposable, allowing them to be worn for longer periods of time. “The thing with earplugs is that they have to be worn consistently in order to be useful,” Nicolson stresses. “You have to make sure there are good hygiene practices,” she notes, citing reusable earplugs that need to be cleaned, maintained and stored properly due to risk of infection.

The downside to an earplug is that they are often used improperly. “The problem with an earplug is [that] 80 per cent of the people don’t take the time — even after they’re trained — to insert it properly,” Dente contends. Some workers find earplugs uncomfortable as they have to be inserted into the ear canal, creating pressure and discomfort, he adds.

Compared to earplugs, earmuffs are much larger and more visible. One advantage of this size is that an employer, supervisor or inspector doing a walkthrough of a workplace can see almost immediately if employees are wearing the appropriate equipment.

However, this also means that earmuffs tend to be heavier. As they raise the wearer’s body temperature after being worn for a period of time, they are not ideal in work environments that can become hot.

In addition, earmuffs are less compatible with personal protective gear — such as helmets, eye goggles, hard hats and respiratory equipment — than earplugs.

Dente cautions that end users should ensure they do not overprotect themselves as this will curtail their PIPELINE FALL 2013 | 29

PRODUCTS | HEARING PROTECTION LOOKING AHEAD This is an exciting time for hearing protection as the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is overhauling its literature on hearing protective devices, reports Dave Shanahan, a project manager with CSA Group in Toronto.

“We have configured our whole noise control and hearing protection area,” he says, adding that the association has now grouped together noise control, noise and exposure measurement, audiometry, hearing assessment and hearing protection under one umbrella. “We’re updating our old tried-and-true standards, bringing them up to date with modern technology and products,” Shanahan reports, noting that the CSA will be updating the Z94.2 standard, with changes slated to be finalized in early 2014.

Under the new standard, information on selection, care and use and programs to eliminate noise exposure will be made available to employers. “That tells the employer how to assess the exposure, how to reduce exposure to noise and then on that basis, select [a device] given the nature of the noise, as well as the severity of the exposure,” Shanahan says.

ability to hear sounds and create secondary dangers, such as not being able to detect warning signals or oncoming vehicles. “If you can’t hear a piece of equipment break, it could cause an injury to the person or someone else,” Dente points out.

One way to avoid such a scenario is to assess the equipment’s noise reduction rating (NRR) — an international standard rating system derived from laboratory data independent of the manufacturer. The NRR is expressed in A-weighted decibels (dBA) and lets a user know the level of protection that the equipment provides from the noise in their environment. As an example, the noise exposure limit in Ontario is 85 dBA, meaning that a piece of hearing equipment must protect the worker for at least that level of sound.

THE RIGHT FIT Custom-fit hearing protection is another option, but it tends to be expensive, Dente notes.

One emerging area is Field Attenuation Estimation Systems (FAES). Dave Shanahan, project manager with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Group in Toronto, says FAES use real-life scenarios to determine the most efficient form of hearing protection. FAES allows for the assessment of individual hearing protection performance, developed in accordance with the amount of conservation a person is getting from the device. The attenuation ratings are tested and taken to a laboratory, which emulates real work conditions.

“Of course, it can’t emulate everything and so they have come up with this system for estimating the actual level of protection in a given work environment by certain people that do certain jobs,” Shanahan says.

“FAES is a means by which experts who do this sort of work can make an estimation of the actual level of protection that’s being realized by the wearer.”

Along the same lines is the 3M EARfit Validation System, a quantitative method of fit-testing earplugs.

This system involves the use of proprietary algorithms to analyze ear data to provide a personal attenuation rating and fit variability for individuals.

“It demonstrates that the person has the right level of protection for their noise levels,” she explains. “You don’t know how much protection your worker is getting unless you fit test them.” If results of the test reveal that the protection they are getting is not adequate, “then you train, re-fit or switch to another style of earplug.”

Whether working in the oil and gas industry or another noisy environment, adopting a comprehensive approach to protecting one’s auditory faculty will help ensure that the ability to hear the music of life does not get drowned out by the cacophony of work. PL

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT HEARING PROTECTION 3M Canada’s Peltor Lite-Com Pro II radio headset makes it easy for workers to communicate effectively in highnoise environments, while offering protection from hazardous sounds. The intrinsically safe UHF radio headset is frequency programmable, making it ideal for oil and gas environments, manufacturing and assembly line work, says Gwen MacDonald, Peltor sales specialist with 3M’s personal safety division.

Other highlights of the product include:

• A wide, softly padded headband and deep earcup design that provides a comfortable fit for extended wear; • A fully programmable UHF radio headset that allows workers to communicate with their team with up to 30 channels in the 403-470 megahertz band; 30 | FALL 2013 PIPELINE

• A two-point suspension and wire headband with individual spring action to help facilitate constant, even pressure distribution on the earmuff cushions; • Push-to-Talk or Hands-Free Voice-Activated (VOX) transmit functions, making it easy for employees to communicate in either mode; • Situational awareness – two external earcup microphones allow the user to hear ambient noise warning signals and have face-to-face conversations; • A noise-cancelling microphone for clear communication in noisy environments; • Ghost voice menu for easy mode selection; • Three band style options: over-the-head, neckband and hard hat mountable; and • Selectable transmitting power ranges (high, medium and low).

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