Pipeline Fall 2014

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 2014

ON

STABLE GROUND

Understanding the ABCs (and Ds) of fall protection

BEYOND TIRED

Guidelines target fatigue in the oil and gas sector

TAKING STOCK

Pipeline assessments crucial in the technological era

THE AFTERMATH

Moving past Lac-Mégantic

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| CONTENTS

PIPELINE Vol. 2, No. 4 FALL 2014

DEPARTMENTS

4 Holier than Thou EDITORIAL

6 9

IN THE NEWS

BY THE NUMBERS

FEATURES

10 Managing Fatigue WORKPLACE FATIGUE

Fatigue in the oil and gas sector was enough of a concern that Enform launched guidelines on addressing it late last year. Why is the issue a concern in the industry, and what can be done to mitigate that risk?

PRODUCTS

16 Heading for a Fall FALL PROTECTION

Employees who work at heights for their jobs need to know the ABCs of fall protection — anchorage connectors, body wear and connecting devices. But they also need to know the Ds — descent and rescue products.

22 Inspect before the PIPELINE ASSESSMENTS

Unexpected

10

24 16

Regular assessment, inspection and rehabilitation of pipelines is crucial for those who want to renew systems and manage assets, but also ensure the health and safety of workers.

SHOWS

24

CANADIAN INDUSTRIAL EMERGENCY CONFERENCE

22 PIPELINE FALL 2014 | 3

EDITORIAL |

HOLIER THAN THOU

W

elcome to the Fall 2014 issue of Pipeline Magazine.

This issue will look at workplace fatigue, as well as how to select fall protection equipment and conduct pipe-

line assessments. We’ll also look at the fallout from the Lac-Mégantic rail derailment and how to prepare for a pipeline emergency.

A lot of feathers were ruffled in late August, when Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio toured Alberta’s oilsands in Fort McMurray to conduct research for an environmental documentary he is working on. For starters, he referred to the oilsands as “tar sands,” a politically incorrect term that immediately stirs up debate and protests from both the pro-oil and anti-oil camps. He then went to Lake Athabasca, met with Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which was all the rage at the time.

When I think about the ALS Challenge, I can’t help but wonder about the huge amount of water that was wasted across Canada and other countries by people pouring buckets of water on their heads and nominating others to do the same.

You’d think that DiCaprio, as a known environmentalist, would realize the importance of saving this precious resource, which is often in short supply (and/or contaminated) in developing countries.

It’s hard to take a message of environmental conservation seriously when the person is sending mixed messages. As author Cody Battershill noted in a Huffington Post article, DiCaprio recently borrowed one of the world’s largest superyachts — equipped with a swimming pool, cinema and helicopter landing pad, among other luxuries — from the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, so that he and his entourage could watch the World Cup in style. Was that part of DiCaprio’s research into human rights among Middle Eastern oil regimes?

Battershill asked.

Jason Contant Editor jcontant@ohscanada.com 4 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

PIPELINE Vol. 2, No. 4 FALL 2014 EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR (OHS CANADA MAGAZINE) CONTRIBUTING ASSISTANT EDITOR (OHS CANADA MAGAZINE) 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

DiCaprio is certainly not the first celebrity to visit the oilsands. Others, including well-known Canadian musician Neil Young, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and film director James Cameron, have toured — and condemned — the sector.

After DiCaprio’s visit, Lee Funke, a spokesperson for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said that “we [the industry] are growing tired of the fad of celebrity environmentalists coming into the region for a few hours or a few days, and offering their ideas and solutions to developing this resource.”

I’m not going to sugar coat it: the environmental concerns in the oilsands are an important issue, particularly as perceived by the public.

But the industry appears to be taking steps to address these concerns. For example, TransCanada Corporation, which is preparing its not-yet-approved Energy East pipeline project, has said that “great care and planning will be taken to minimize and avoid impacts to the environment, including rare or endangered species and habitats, significant water crossings, historical and paleontological resources and native rangelands.”

The corporation has identified where to place a pipeline to prevent downstream migration in the event of a spill, and is planning on building the pipeline using horizontal directional drilling to protect water crossings — drilling underneath the river bed, so that a spill would not affect the water body.

Concrete actions like these are what’s needed to help protect the environment — not finger pointing, blame and hypocrisy.

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 2014.

IN THE NEWS |

>> U NION RAISES $70,000 FOR RAIL WORKERS Local 1976 of the United Steelworkers (USW) union, based in Montreal, has contributed $70,000 to a legal defence fund for workers charged in connection with the Lac-Mégantic train derailment in July 2013.

The Justice for USW Rail Workers Fund has raised nearly $120,000 to date, the union says in a release from mid-July.

In May, three employees of the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway (MMA) — including USW Local 1976 members Thomas Harding and Richard Labrie — were charged with criminal negligence.

“Our colleagues should not be held criminally responsible for negligent management practices of a company like MMA or the government’s lax regulation that so easily allowed an engineer working alone to operate a train carrying explosive materials,” charges USW Local 1976 president Steven Hadden.

Donations to the fund can be made online via PayPal at www.justice4USWRailworkers.org or by cheque.

CONTROL INPUTS CAUSED ACCIDENT, TSB SAYS The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has concluded that inappropriate control inputs by an intoxicated pilot caused the fatal breakup of a Gemini Helicopters Robinson R44 helicopter northwest of Edmonton on Jan. 27, 2013.

The TSB’s report, released on July 4, reveals that the pilot, who was monitoring well sites for an unnamed oil company, was flying under the influence of alcohol and taking unauthorized flights, including one with a passenger.

After stopping at a remote cabin, the plane was observed flying erratically just after takeoff. The pilot made control inputs that caused the main rotor blade to make contact with the cabin and resulted in the chopper breaking up in mid-air over some woods in Fox Creek, killing him.

6 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

>> CP PROTESTS REINSTATEMENT OF WORKER Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP) will be asking the Superior Court of Quebec to stay an arbitration decision that ruled in favour of reinstatement for a locomotive engineer who had cocaine.

The July 14 decision from the Canadian Railway Office of Arbitration & Dispute Resolution ordered CP to reinstate the worker, without loss of seniority and without compensation for any wages or benefits lost. Arbitrator Michel Picher also ordered the employee to be subjected to random drug and alcohol testing for two years following his return to work.

The case dates back to Dec. 27, 2012, when the locomotive engineer tested positive for cocaine while working at the company’s Saint Luc Yard in Montreal. He was fired on Feb. 14, 2013, and his union, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, argued that the firing was excessive and breached the collective agreement in place and the Canadian Human Rights Act, including the duty to accommodate.

On Dec. 27, 2012, the worker’s train “ran through” a main line crossover switch,

derailing one locomotive, the decision notes. The worker was ordered to submit a post-incident test, which showed recent cocaine use.

Picher notes that the worker was involved in rehabilitation through individual and group sessions between October 2013 and March 2014. “On the whole of the material before me, I am satisfied that it is appropriate to give the grievor another chance to demonstrate his ability to be a safe and productive employee in control of his drug dependence,” Picher writes.

The CEO of CP, Hunter Harrison, says in a statement that in addition to requesting a stay of the decision, the company will also appeal the order to the Superior Court of Quebec and ask for it to be overturned.

“The arbitrator’s decision is an outrage, and as a railroader, I am appalled we would be forced to place this employee back in the cab of a locomotive,” Harrison charges.

“The decision sets a dangerous precedent and is grossly unacceptable for the safe operation of a railway.”

>> OFFSHORE HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT RECEIVES ROYAL ASSENT Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, Greg Rickford, has announced that the federal government’s Offshore Health and Safety Act has received royal assent.

The new act, which received royal assent on June 19, will clarify roles and responsibilities in the industry, increase transparency, cover workers in transit to offshore platforms, as well as provide enforcement powers for oh&s officers, Natural Resources Canada says in a statement. The act changes the Canada-Newfoundland Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act. The statement says that the federal government jointly manages offshore oil and gas activity with the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. Both partners were key in developing the new legislation, and the federal government is now in discussions with the provinces to determine when the legislation will come into force.

In particular, the new legislation:

• Places the authority for oh&s within the Accord Acts; • Clarifies the roles and responsibilities of governments, regulators, employers and employees. Notably, the legislation indicates that the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board administer the new legislation and regulations; • Provides clear and specific enforcement powers for oh&s officers, including the powers of inspection and investigation and the ability to order actions in dangerous situations; • Grants the offshore petroleum boards the authority to disclose information to the public related to oh&s; and • Ensures that the new occupational health and safety regime clearly applies to workers in transit to or from offshore oil and gas platforms.

| IN THE NEWS

NEW PIPELINE TRAINING PROGRAM UNVEILED On July 29, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA), in collaboration with TransCanada Corporation (TransCanada), announced a new pipeline training program across the country.

The national program will enable welders, pipefitters and apprentices to continue to obtain the advanced training and upgrading in pipe welding and cutting they require to work in the pipeline construction industry, says a joint press release. The UA is working with TransCanada and the company’s Energy East Pipeline Project to provide sections of large diameter steel pipe for welding training. The pipe will be donated to UA locations in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Thunder Bay, Ont., Sarnia, Ont., Montreal, Miramichi, N.B. and Dartmouth, N.S., the release says.

This collaboration provides a unique chance for skilled welders, journeymen and apprentices to acquire hands-on pipeline experience. Highlyskilled welders will be a key part of important pipeline projects such as Energy East, and the UA has a significant role in preparing future generations for important job opportunities as pipeline professionals with expertise in their field, the release notes.

>> NEW PARTNERSHIP TO SHARE OILSANDS HISTORY Alberta Culture and Fort McMurray Tourism have partnered to operate visitor information services at the Oil Sands Discovery Centre in Fort McMurray, Alta.

The 20-year agreement, signed in the summer of 2013, took effect when Fort McMurray Tourism relocated its staff and business activities to the discovery centre earlier this year, says a joint release from the two partners on July 24.

“The Oil Sands Discovery Centre is an

ideal gateway through which visitors from around the world will discover the wealth of tourism options found throughout the Wood Buffalo region,” says Joel Trudell, board chair of Fort McMurray Tourism, in the release. “This collaboration will help us to make Fort McMurray and northeastern Alberta a destination of choice and generate new economic opportunities for area communities.”

For more information on the discovery centre, visit http://www.history.alberta.ca/ oilsands/default.aspx.

$1 MILLION INVESTED IN OFFSHORE SAFETY The Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDCNL) has announced the investment of $300,000 for offshore supply operations, along with $651,950 from Rolls-Royce Canada Limited and industry partners.

The Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development says in a Sept. 17 media release that the collaborative investment will support the development of a new intelligent winch system that will address the challenges of loading and unloading supplies in Arctic and harsh offshore operating environments.

“Our research and development capacity and skilled labour force are

well known globally and have elevated our position as a world leader in offshore operations,” says Susan Sullivan, the Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development and the minister responsible for the RDCNL. “I am pleased that [this] investment… will support making our offshore industry safer, which is paramount.”

Glenn James, the CEO of RDCNL, says in the media release that an intelligent winch system will have a significant effect on increasing “the number of operational days which cargo can be transferred to and from the supply vessels and the platform while increasing safety of personnel working on those vessels.”

>> UNDERQUALIFIED TFWS ON SITE, LABOUR FEDERATION SAYS The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) is charging that an Italian contractor has been hiring Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) with insufficient training to work on a construction site for oil company Husky Energy Inc., via a fast-track stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

According to a press release that the AFL put out on Sept. 1, this practice is putting workers’ lives at risk because of deficient safety training. Saipem Canada, the federation says, has taken advantage of the Alberta Pilot for Occupation-Specific Work Permits to hire hundreds of TFWs at lower wages instead of fully qualified

Canadians. The Sunrise project, operating about 60 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, came to the AFL’s attention after workers on the site approached the media with stories of poor training, safety violations and near-accidents.

“The only good news in the current situation is that we have not had a major accident and there have been no serious injuries or fatalities,” says AFL president Gil McGowan. “Without the proper training and without proficiency in the languages used on the site, it’s just a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed.”

Saipem denies the accusations in a statement. “We strongly refute any and all claims of any correlation between any alleged safety violations and any group of workers that we have at the project site.”

Saipem also denies that it passed over skilled Canadians for jobs with Husky’s Sunrise construction project and that language barriers at the site are causing additional safety risks. “We have 2,180 employees at the Husky Sunrise project site, and roughly 85 per cent of this number is Canadian,” the company says in the statement. “Our hiring practices are in compliance with the law and regulations.”

PIPELINE FALL 2014 | 7

IN THE NEWS |

>> STRENGTHEN RAIL SAFETY RISK MANAGEMENT, STUDY SAYS One year after the train derailment in LacMégantic, Que., which claimed the lives of 47 people, a study found that just under half of energy companies surveyed identified rail transportation as a possible material risk factor for their companies.

The Rail Safety and Executive Compensation in the TSX60 briefing note, released in July by Vancouver-based Shareholder Association for Research & Education (SHARE), examined 15 companies on the TSX60 — the stock market index of 60 large companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. SHARE reviewed the companies to identify those that explicitly included occupational health and safety issues (OHS) in the performance evaluations of named executive officers.

“Poor management of OHS has impacts not only on the well-being of workers and their families, but for a company’s bottom line as well, including increased workers’ compensation premiums, decreased productivity, absenteeism, higher healthcare costs, potential lawsuits, negative publicity and a loss of investor and consumer trust,” the briefing note says.

While the study found that all of the surveyed companies had active committees responsible for oh&s oversight at the board of directors level, only 46 per cent identified rail transportation as a possible material risk factor.

“One year after the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, we would have expected to see univer-

sal acknowledgement amongst the companies shipping potentially volatile products by rail that there are risks that need to be managed for the health of those communities and the company itself,” says Kevin Thomas, director of shareholder engagement with SHARE. The study also found that while 12 of the 15 (80 per cent) TSX60 companies included some type of safety metric among the factors that their compensation committees used in evaluating their CEOs’ annual performance, only six companies (40 per cent) identified the specific metrics that were used to evaluate safety performance.

“No company identifies the actual targets executives are expected to meet to earn their bonuses,” the study notes. “Some companies, such as CN Rail, have identified safety targets for their general operations — which is positive — but these are not explicitly linked to executive performance evaluations.”

Lastly, only seven of the companies (47 per cent) included some information on how these factors were weighted in the overall evaluation of executive bonuses. “Even among those that do disclose how factors are weighted, safety metrics are often bundled with other performance metrics that are then given a single overall weight,” the briefing note says.

“There is room for much stronger disclosure in this area.”

CABLE MANUFACTURER FINED $60,000 A New Brunswick maker of high technology cables for energy and telecommunications was fined $60,000 on June 12, after an injury to a worker two years ago.

Prysmian Power Cables and Systems Canada Ltd. was fined after pleading guilty to failing to ensure that the internal pressure of a pipe was adjusted to atmospheric pressure before the pipe was removed, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour (MOL) says in a statement.

The incident that spurred the penalty 8 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

occurred on June 8, 2012 at the company’s facility in Prescott, Ont. That day, a worker was cleaning a machine known as a “Jacket Line Extruder.” The worker disconnected the delivery and return hoses to remove a pipe from the cooling unit, but did not open the press relief valve, the MOL reports.

As a result, when the worker removed the pipe from the cooling unit, hot water and steam burst out, causing first- and second-degree burns to the employee.

NFLD. PREMIER LAUNCHES OFFSHORE MEMORIAL Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Paul Davis lit a beacon of remembrance at Quidi Vidi Lake on Sept. 29 as he officially dedicated the Offshore Helicopter Accident Memorial to the victims of the Cougar 491 and the 1985 Universal Helicopter crashes.

On March 13, 1985, six offshore oil industry workers died when a Universal helicopter crashed after leaving the Bow Drill oil rig in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Executive Council says in a press release. On March 12, 2009, Cougar 491 crashed while en route to the SeaRose floating production storage and offloading unit, killing 17 of the 18 passengers onboard.

In partnership with the provincial government, the City of St. John’s donated the land for the memorial site and provided technical assistance, such as facilitation of its construction, electrical inspections and review of site drawings, the release says.

Designed by artist Luben Boykov and landscape architect Frederick Hann, the monument’s design includes a spiraling stainless steel sculpture at its centre, which is representative of the aerial screw prototype of the first rotary-type flying machine envisioned by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century. Along the spiral, the names of the 23 victims of both tragedies have been cut into the stainless steel, the release says. Light is the prominent feature of the memorial, shining skyward through the open cutwork of the names.

“After centuries of making our living from the sea, our province is no stranger to hardship and tragedy,” Davis says. “The Cougar 491 and the 1985 Universal helicopter crashes certainly impacted the province as a whole. It is our sincere hope that this memorial will not only be a lasting reminder of those who lost their lives in these helicopter tragedies, but also a place that speaks to the impact they had on the lives of all who knew them.”

| BY THE NUMBERS

GETTING PHYSICAL

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) recommends that Canadian railways put additional physical defences in place to prevent runaway trains and that Transport Canada conduct more thorough audits of railways’ safety management systems (SMS). The two recommendations follow the Aug. 19 release of the TSB’s 191-page investigation report into the Lac-Mégantic, Que. train derailment, which left 47 people dead last July.

The TSB found that 18 factors contributed to the accident, including: • The train was parked unattended on a descending grade with the securement of the train reliant on a locomotive that was not in proper operating condition; • Despite significant indications of mechanical problems with the lead locomotive, the engineer and rail traffic controller agreed that no immediate remedial action was necessary; • The high speed of the train as it negotiated a curve caused the train to derail; • About one-third of the derailed tank car shells had large breaches, which rapidly released vast quantities of highly volatile petroleum crude oil, which ignited, creating large fireballs; • Despite its awareness of significant operational changes at the train’s operator, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA), Transport Canada did not provide adequate regulatory oversight to ensure that the associated risks were addressed; • The limited number and scope of SMS audits conducted by Transport Canada’s Quebec region and the absence of a follow-up procedure to ensure MMA’s corrective action plans had been implemented contributed to the systemic weaknesses; • MMA did not provide effective training or oversight to ensure that crews understood and complied with rules governing train securement. The company also did not thoroughly identify and manage the risks to ensure safe operations; and • MMA did not have a fully functioning SMS to effectively manage risk.

LAC-MÉGANTIC — THE ACCIDENT 7.7 million litres — The amount of petroleum crude oil that the train was carrying (about six million spilled)

72 — The number of tank cars on the train 65 miles per hour — The train’s top speed before it derailed at about 1:15 a.m. on July 6, 2013

63 — The number of tank cars that derailed

7 — The number of hand brakes applied to secure the train, which was insufficient to hold the train without the additional braking force provided by the locomotive’s independent brakes

$200,000

The amount of money available for people interested in participating in the regulatory process for the proposed NOVA Gas Transmission Limited Merrick Mainline Project.

Source: National Energy Board

167,400

The estimated number of Albertans who work in the oil, gas, coal and utilities industries.

Source: Centre for Energy

3.7%

The forecasted pay increase in Canada’s energy sector for 2015 (following an actual 3.9 per cent increase this year).

Source: The Canadian Press

1.4

Alberta’s pipeline incident rate per 1,000 kilometres (km) in 2013, down from 2.1 incidents per 1,000 km in 2008.

Source: Alberta Energy Regulator

˚ 0 36

Pipeline explosion forces evacuation An explosion in a gas pipeline in the central Mexican state of Puebla forced the evacuation of at least 500 workers, but nobody was injured in the blast, emergency management officials say. A pipeline belonging to state-owned oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos exploded on Aug. 30 in the town of San Miguel Xoxtla, says Puebla state emergency management office director Jesus Morales. He reports that flames shot about 20 metres into the sky following the blast, setting nearby pastures and a tire storage area on fire. Officials are still investigating.

Source: La Prensa de San Antonio

PIPELINE FALL 2014 | 9

FEATURE | WORKPLACE FATIGUE

Manag Fatigue J

By Danny Kucharsky

ust how deadly workplace fatigue can be in the oil and gas industry was on full display on March 23, 2005, when explosions and fires tore through an isomerization unit at the BP Texas City refinery. The subsequent investigation into the accident — which killed 15 workers and injured 180 others — revealed that the isomerization unit operators were likely fatigued from working 12-hour shifts. Some worked as many as 29 consecutive days, which affected their judgement and problem-solving skills.

As a result of the incident, the American Petroleum Institute (API) issued a set of fatigue risk mitigation guidelines under the heading Recommended Practice 755, in response to heightened concerns about the effect of fatigue on employee productivity, morale and safety. Released in 2010, the practice called upon the industry to develop comprehensive systems to manage fatigue risks.

Canada’s energy industry appears to be moving in a similar direction. In September 2013, Enform, the Calgary-based safety association for the country’s upstream sector and six industry associations, released the Fatigue Risk Management Guiding Principles to address workplace fatigue.

10 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

ging

WORKPLACE FATIGUE | FEATURE

PIPELINE FALL 2014 | 11

FEATURE | WORKPLACE FATIGUE The guidelines “extend from a long recognized risk in the industry that workers who typically get engaged in the oilfield may not be used to industry conditions,” says Enform president and CEO Cameron MacGillivray.

These conditions include long hours of work on complex equipment in harsh weather.

Enform is working with a committee to develop a fatigue risk management framework to help the industry address the issue. The timing for its release hasn’t been settled, “but we hope to make significant progress this year,” MacGillivray says. Among other things, the guiding principles call for an integrated risk-based approach to manage fatigue and the development and implementation of fatigue risk management initiatives that combine scientific knowledge with operational experience.

According to MacGillivray, the issue of workplace fatigue has become more important because of changes in employee makeup. The industry used to hire a lot of “farm boys” who were used to working hard outdoors. Today, some newer workers may be “city slickers” or have different backgrounds, “so on the site, it’s more important that we help them address issues like fatigue and the realities of working long shifts in tough conditions,” he says.

MacGillivray notes that a number of tools are already available to industry, including employers’ and workers’ guides for preventing workplace fatigue.

But others say the energy industry is lagging in fighting workplace fatigue. Tackling fatigue, as with every other health and safety program, requires having a plan, says Pat Byrne, founder of the Vancouver-based fatigue risk management firm Fatigue Science. “I think the oil and gas industry in Canada is pretty slow in doing that. The fatigue risk management plans I’ve

“ Industry is just starting to realize the importance of fatigue risk management, but it remains a work in progress.”

12 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

seen in the oil and gas industry are pretty outdated,” he says, and work schedules aren’t based on real science.

Byrne notes that workers at several Rio Tinto mines in Australia sit down with management to create individualized fatigue management plans, using software that takes into account commute distances and work schedules, “which is something they don’t do in Canada.” Commutes in Australia’s mining industry are long, much like the situation in Canada’s oil and gas sector.

Byrne suggests that employers sit down with workers and say: “‘Let’s apply your work hours, commute hours, and stick it into the software and see if we’re doing the right thing by you. Here’s the limits on the kinds of overtime you can work before you’re too fatigued.’ What the industry does now is guess at it.”

HARD TO DEFINE Simply put, fatigue is the state of feeling very tired, resulting from insufficient sleep, prolonged mental or physical work or extended periods of stress or anxiety, says Karen Hamel, a training consultant at Northern College in Timmins, Ont., which offers a one-day course to help employers and employees recognize and manage workplace fatigue. Fatigue is defined by a lack of alertness and a decrease in mental and physical performance.

“Let’s face it: we need to care about what happens in any work environment,” she says. “The stats are real when it comes to personnel feeling drowsy during certain parts of the work day, falling asleep at the wheel and during shift work. The costs are great — not only to the organization, but also to the individual and their families.”

Fatigue levels are hard to measure, making it difficult to isolate the effect of fatigue on accident and injury rates, Hamel says. However, research has shown that when workers have slept for fewer than five hours before work or when workers have been awake for more than 16 hours, their chances of making mistakes due to fatigue significantly increase.

Australian studies have found that a worker who has gone 17 hours without sleep is at the same risk as someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.5 per cent, says psychologist Dr. Don Melnychuk, whose Edmontonbased company, Nadon Consulting Ltd., provides workshops in fatigue management. That’s about the same as three glasses of wine, three bottles of beer or three rum and cokes. “In most provinces, that would be an instant licence suspension,” he adds.

What’s more, shift work and long hours disrupt the circadian rhythm, which times every function of the body (sleep, wakefulness and alertness) according to a day-night cycle, Hamel says. “Although circadian rhythms are influenced by external cues like sunrise and sunset, they are basically controlled by our biological clock,” she says. “Individuals function best

WORKPLACE FATIGUE | FEATURE when they follow their body’s natural pattern of sleep, wakefulness and alertness. So when you factor in shift work and working long hours, an individual’s circadian rhythm can be impacted, thus causing fatigue and sleep deprivation.”

As well, research shows that people who work night shifts get only five to seven hours of sleep on average — an hour to an hour-and-a-half less sleep than people who work the same hours during the day, says Jan Chapell, senior technical specialist at the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety in Hamilton, Ont. Research also shows there should be emphasis not only on the amount of sleep people get, but on the notion of disrupted sleep, says Julian Barling, the Borden Professor of Leadership in the School of Business at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. and an expert on how fatigue affects leadership.

“Even when people get eight hours sleep, if it’s disrupted sleep, we should be concerned,” he says. “In order for sleep to restore, you really need eight uninterrupted hours.”

Angela Angel, program manager of mobile worker wellness with Habitat Health Impact Consulting in Calgary, has interviewed many oil and gas industry workers for research she’s done on mobile work. She

“ People don’t finish a 12-hour shift and say, ‘I have to go to sleep and then go home,’ they go home.” found the issue of working long hours and being physically and mentally exhausted came up frequently. “Many of these mobile working men described being exhausted and sleep-deprived.”

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD Angel also found that shift work (such as four days on, four days off) may cause workers to use substances to

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PIPELINE FALL 2014 | 13

FEATURE | WORKPLACE FATIGUE

“ People are very bad at recognizing when they’re fatigued.” help them keep pace with their “work hard, play hard mentality” or as a way of relaxation. In addition, a four-on, four-off work schedule may limit worker participation in regular home-life activities and increase the likelihood of drinking with fellow shift workers, she says.

Compounding the problem is that symptoms of workplace fatigue — which include lack of alertness or productivity, inability to concentrate and irritability — are often not obvious, Byrne says. “Science shows that people are very bad at recognizing when they’re fatigued.” That’s why the gold standard now is to have employers organize work schedules and commutes in a way that gives workers an opportunity to get the sleep they need.

To do so, there is software like FAST (Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool), developed by the U.S. military and used by the Federal Aviation Administration and transportation departments in the U.S. and Canada, and Schedule Pro. Shell Oil in the U.S. has been using Schedule Pro software for about two years to manage the complexity of scheduling its shift workers and to comply with Recommended Practice 755, says Sachin Agrawal, director of product development with EDP Software, the Vancouver-based maker of the software.

Agrawal says the North American oil and gas industry faces a unique challenge, given its tremendous growth in recent years. “They don’t have enough skilled workers, and every resource needs to be used as effectively as possible.” That makes it doubly important to optimize workforce utilization. While the industry increasingly appears to realize that fatigue is an important factor, “the approach to fatigue management is still probably in its infancy, given current technologies,” Agrawal says.

INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH New technology, such as wearable wrist bands that measure biometrics, can provide individualized realtime readings of the kind of sleep workers are getting.

This is really where the future of fatigue management is heading, Agrawal adds.

That’s where Fatigue Science’s Readiband comes into play. It provides workers feedback on the quality of sleep they’re getting and determines whether they 14 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

comprise the 20 to 30 per cent who have biological sleep disorders, most of which are treatable. It can also highlight which workers have lifestyle issues or commute issues that prevent quality sleep. Workers with the former can get training, and those with commute issues can sit down with management to see what can be done.

Worn 24 hours a day, the Food and Drug Administration-approved sleep and fatigue analysis system provides clinical level sleep analysis — telling wearers when they went to sleep, woke up, how many times they woke up and their quality of sleep. Analyzing these sleep data can help determine how much risk workers are at for accidents.

Erin Kelly, communications specialist with Fatigue Science, has been wearing the Readiband since last October. “It’s provided me with some real insight into my sleep habits and a daily measurement of how the combination of my sleep and the time of day [circadian timing] contribute to cognitive performance.”

By wearing the device, Kelly has discovered that she does not have a sleep disorder and generally gets seven to eight hours of sleep per night. “Humans are really bad at being able to objectively assess or selfjudge their sleep, so while I suspected that I slept okay, I never really knew,” she says.

Before using Readiband, workers are asked how much sleep they think they get, but the number often does not line up with what is gleaned from the Readiband data. “People tend to unintentionally overreport how much sleep they get,” Kelly says. “We have actually seen people self-report eight hours of sleep per night, and then it turns out they are actually getting half that amount because of a sleep disorder they had no idea about.

“It really underlines the importance of collecting objective sleep data, because if a company wants to start to assess fatigue and workplace fatigue risk, they can’t do that with assumptions or bad numbers,” she went on to say.

Dr. Melnychuk from Nadon Consulting says that there is a growing awareness that for workers to report to work, being fit for duty means being not only alcohol- and drug-free, but fatigue-free. And he says major oil and gas companies are increasingly putting safety at the forefront by adding fatigue to the equation.

The same can’t be said for smaller companies. “I think some of the smaller contractors who have very thin margins for profit and competition are the ones that push very hard and sometimes cut corners,” Dr. Melnychuk suggests.

Workers can take some easy steps to get a general idea about their levels of fatigue, based on the amount of sleep they get.

So says Dr. Melnychuk, who has given workshops on fatigue management to oil and gas industry clients.

He takes people through the five-level Fatigue Hazard

WORKPLACE FATIGUE | FEATURE Control Model, which involves assessing the amount of sleep they’ve had in the last 24 and 48 hours, as well as the amount of time spent at work and travelling to and from work. Combining these factors creates fatigue risk points, and the higher the score, the more at risk workers are for hurting themselves.

A low score means there’s no problem, a medium score provides a heads-up and a high score means workers should be looking at control measures for fatigue — from taking extra breaks to power naps to working in less dangerous jobs.

Although it’s subjective, there’s also the SamnPerelli fatigue checklist, which asks people to evaluate themselves on scale of one to seven: being fully alert (1), very lively (2), okay (3), a little tired (4), moderately tired (5), extremely tired (6) and completely exhausted (7).

If a lead foreman has a score of six or seven, “I don’t want this guy on a worksite where he could be very dangerous,” Dr. Melnychuk says, “so I’m going to downgrade his responsibilities.”

NOT CLEAR But for Byrne, trying to recognize symptoms of fatigue is “actually one of the worst things you can do. The symptoms of fatigue are not obvious to an external person or to the people themselves.”

As for how to reduce on-the-job fatigue, allowing workers to take naps during the day is something the industry should seriously consider, says Julian Barling from Queen’s University.

He notes that taking naps has become commonplace for long-range airline pilots. “If you’d have come to me 10, 15 years ago and said to me, ‘Pilots are going to get their naps,’ you probably would have been laughed out of the room.”

Adds Barling: “Is it possible that in some of the most unusual industries, we may see napping encouraged, almost enforced? Yes, it is. When the research starts to be really taken more seriously, people will realize just how positive those steps can be.”

But Byrne says that since fatigue risk management is in its infancy, the oil and gas industry hasn’t figured out yet how to address it. “I think the real challenge on fatigue risk management for the oil and gas industry is having their internal health and safety people up to speed on how to manage the issue. Industry is just starting to realize the importance of fatigue risk management, but it remains a work in progress.”

While the oil and gas industry may believe that fatigue is unique to them, Byrne says, “fatigue is unique to human beings, but it’s the consequences of how they design their scheduling and the resources they provide to workers that make the difference.”

Danny Kucharsky is a writer in Montreal.

Follow us on Twitter @PipelineOHS

HITTING THE HIGHWAY

Highway 63, the main road between Edmonton and Alberta’s oilsands, has been dubbed the Highway of Death because of its many traffic fatalities over the years (46 alone between 2007 and 2012).

The Alberta government is twinning the highway to make it safer, but many say worker fatigue is a major contributing factor to accidents.

“In Alberta’s oil and gas industry, the number of workers falling asleep driving home and crashing their cars is pretty high,” says Pat Byrne, founder of Fatigue Science, a Vancouver company that uses technology to reduce fatigue.

Oilsands workers who work shifts of 10 or 11 days straight “may choose to hit the highway immediately after work to get home faster and maximize their time off,” says Angela Angel, program manager of mobile worker wellness with Habitat Health Impact Consulting in Calgary. Workers returning to Edmonton, Calgary or Fort McMurray “may be tired, less alert and more prone to speeding when on the highways, contributing significantly to highway collisions,” she says.

Julian Barling, an expert on the effect of fatigue on leadership at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., says driving home after tough work schedules should be a real concern. “If I could pass a rule, it would be that after working for two or three weeks, you would not be able to drive home. Because let’s be honest, people don’t finish a 12-hour shift and say, ‘I have to go to sleep and then go home,’ they go home.”

Up to a half of the fatalities in the energy industry are related to vehicular accidents, says Cameron MacGillivray, president and CEO of Enform. “This is a real issue in the industry for us to try to find better tools to try to help the workers when they’re driving, so that they’re well-rested and don’t suffer from highway hypnosis or other fatigue-related things that they can get into with lack of sleep,” he says, referring to the phenomenon of driving in a trance-like state while gazing at a fixed point.

Employers need to incorporate travel time as well as actual shift work “when they think about demands on a person’s system and the effect it may have on getting appropriate rest,” he says. This is something companies currently wrestle with: trying to reduce travel time to work sites.

However, Dr. Don Melnychuk, a psychologist and workplace fatigue expert in Edmonton, says many of the construction crews now twinning the highway have it worse than the oilsands workers who drove on it. Unlike many energy workers who work maximum 12 hour shifts, “they’re being asked to work 17 days straight, four days off and to do a 17-hour work day. That’s pretty brutal.”

PIPELINE FALL 2014 | 15

PRODUCTS | FALL PROTECTION

HEADING FOR A FALL

By Jeff Cottrill

F

or people who have to work at heights, including workers in the oil and gas industry, falls are a common cause of both injuries and fatalities.

According to 2011 statistics from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, more than 42,000 work injuries from fall accidents occur across the country every year. This number accounts for about 17 per cent of time-loss injuries accepted by Canadian workers’ compensation boards; more than a third of those are falls from heights.

Certainly, laws are in place to penalize unsafe practices that could lead to falls, and fall protection equipment is mandatory in most provinces for those who work at heights of three metres or more. As safety companies offer this personal protective equipment (PPE), there is a wide variety of products in the field, according to John Fuke, technical services manager for Canada at Capital Safety’s office in Malton, Ont. “It is quite a breadth,” he says, adding that fall protection products are commonly classified under four basic categories of A, B, C and D — the first three of which together comprise a system designed for maximum protection: A: Anchorage connectors, which anchor workers to surfaces at heights by connecting them to tie-off points, such as scaffold beams; B: Body wear or body-support devices, which consist of PPE that workers wear on or around their bodies, particularly full-body harnesses; C: Connecting devices, such as shock-absorbing lanyards and self-retracting lifelines, which link B to A; and Descent and rescue products, includD: ing automatic and manual descenders, rope access products and industrial grade descenders.

16 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

FALL PROTECTION | PRODUCTS Users can complement these main products with safety netting, and the products can be designed for confined or wide-open spaces, depending on the brand manufacturer.

Rob Sawchuk — sales and marketing manager with Northern Platforms, a firm in Leduc, Alta. that designs, supplies and installs fall protection products for oil and gas workers who climb onto rail cars and trucks — offers an alternative way of categorizing fall protection equipment. “In my opinion, there are two types of fall protection: there is a proactive approach and a reactive approach.”

An example of reactive equipment is a fall-arrest system in which a worker wears a harness anchored at a single point with a self-retracting line. “When you fall, the system reacts. The self-retracting lifeline locks up, the harness holds you in place, and that is how that system works,” Sawchuk explains.

Northern Platforms’ equipment, on the other hand, offers a more proactive approach to fall protection.

“We provide basically an enclosure. We use a gangway and a safety cage to get on top of that railcar truck,” he says. When a worker inside a fall protection safety cage loses his balance, there is no fall distance associated with the plunge. “The worst thing you are going to get is a bruised knee or a bruised ego.”

PRO’S CHOICE Given the array of fall protection products available on the market, Fuke advises a company to narrow down its choices by focusing more on the type of equipment it needs and less on the brand name or manufacturing company. “Some of our competitors also produce products that are of a similar nature,” he notes. As such, what really matters is the type of work that is involved, which “will generally tell you what kind of product you can use, with respect to both anchorage and body support.”

Chuck Roberts, business development supervisor for fall protection in the personal safety division of 3M Canada in London, Ont., says the onus and responsibility for understanding what employees are working with lies with the employer. For example, it’s important to consider what Roberts calls the “danger zone,” or the working room that the employee has from the working surface to the ground.

3M offers one fall protection product specifically designed for people who work alone. Its Personal Rescue Device, which can lower a person about 65 feet within half a minute, is a lightweight harness attached to a nylon backpack; the worker wears the backpack while the harness is attached to a secure surface or beam. What makes it different is the release cord that a fallen worker can pull to lower himself down to the ground or floor, slowly and safely, without assistance.

This way, the worker does not have to be suspended in mid-air, waiting for a rescue team or trying to figure

out how to get down unassisted.

Tom Dillon, market development manager with Miller Fall Protection (a subsidiary of Honeywell Safety Products) in Smithfield, Rhode Island, recommends that prospective buyers measure the value of a system according to what is required. “Every employer needs to work with a fall protection manufacturer, work with the users of the equipment themselves, work with their safety professionals,” he advises.

Criteria to consider include the work itself, how critical it is to finish the task and the length of time it takes to do so. “If you say, ‘Well, we do this job once a year for 15 minutes, and then we put all this stuff away and we never use it again for another year,’ you probably don’t need to buy the most expensive harness for that individual,” Dillion says by way of example.

It’s also important to assess whether the job involves unique, additional hazards apart from height, says Marc Harkins, product group manager of fall protection with MSA Safety in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. “If I am doing something in general industry or basic construction, at that point, I can go with a product that is probably made of nylon or polyester,” Harkins suggests. But for employees who work up in a bucket truck or on utility lines, an ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)-rated product will be required.

In other words, a job that carries the risk of arc flashes requires fall-arrest gear that is also fire retardant. Similarly, a welding job at a height may require fall protection gear made of Kevlar or Nomex material to protect workers — and the gear itself — from weld splatter.

MSA’s fall protection line has separate categories tailored to suit different jobs and hazard levels. Its “workman” or economy line offers basic, no-frills fall protection, while its mid-grade inventory incorporates several features like comfort padding or buckles to the basic functions. The company’s highest-end line includes products designed for workers who need fall protection on a full-time basis. These products blend compliance with comfort, featuring non-binding shoulder pads, squared-off leg straps, varying buckle options and material providing protection from arc flashes or weld splatter.

Harkins cites other factors that employers need to consider when choosing the required type of fall protection products. They include assessing whether the worker is alone or in a group, if the worker is moving vertically or horizontally, how far he or she is from the anchorage point, if the anchorage point is a ceiling far above and whether drilling or welding is involved.

“Those are all the different kind of things that we all enquire about,” he says. “So that’s why there are a lot of different options out there.”

The costs of fall protection equipment can vary widely. Prices can range anywhere from $20 for a PIPELINE FALL 2014 | 17

PRODUCTS | FALL PROTECTION simple harness up to $5,000 for a more elaborate rescue system, Roberts says. But price alone should not be the sole deciding factor.

“When you look at fines and court appeals and lawsuits that happen when employers don’t properly protect their workers, the price for a rescue system, the price for proper fall protection equipment, is non-existent compared to what the lawsuits are,” Roberts cautions, adding that most employers do not haggle over cost if they can get effective, simple solutions in place.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT — FALL PROTECTION Designed for workers on drilling or service rigs, or for everyday application in the oilfields, Miller Fall Protection’s AirCore oil & gas harness is built for daily wear-and-tear. It is designed to last in a variety of harsh environments and keeps workers safe whether they’re positioning pipe, doing routine rig set-up or required maintenance or tear-down, the company (a subsidiary of Honeywell Safety Products) says on its website.

The system offers many unique features for the oil and gas industry, including: • Multiple back D-ring connections — An 18-inch extended back D-ring provides an easy-to-reach attachment point for fall arrest, freeing the back D-ring as an additional connection point for fall arrest or rescue; • Enhanced lumbar padding — Expanded front waist padding for increased comfort and support; • A weight of up to 20 per cent lighter than similar competitive harnesses — Increased productivity and reduced fatigue; • Removable belt with leader guide — Improved design provides increased functionality, comfort and durability; and •S eat sling attachment — Flexible seat for use with a derrick climb-assist system, reducing worker fatigue.

18 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

ERRING ON CAUTION But there are other ways that prospective buyers may choose a product for the wrong reasons. It can happen when an employer does not ask enough questions or the right ones. “It can be overwhelming if you are not really in tune with the latest standards or the latest updates,” Harkins notes. “If I’m buying a nylon harness when I’m welding, there is a good chance that if I’m not inspecting it as regularly as I should, that it could put the worker safety at risk.”

It can also lead to replacing a harness more often than one would with a more expensive type of harness, which could end up costing even more. “And not every worker on that jobsite may need the same product; maybe they are different,” Harkins adds.

Even after the employer gets the product selection part right, attention should also be paid to its use.

Certain environmental factors can affect the strength and reliability of a harness or lifeline, especially if the equipment is exposed to the elements when used outdoors. Dillon notes that water can reduce the effectiveness of some products, particularly saltwater. “Sun can be a factor, wind can be a factor,” he adds. “All those things can come into play.” Work with chemicals, paints or solvents can affect equipment as well. “It just depends on what those chemicals are and what you might need.”

Sawchuk agrees that climate is a common factor in determining the longevity of a fall-arrest system. “For us, definitely, we have got winter up to 10 months of the year in Alberta.” In fact, weather, location and other worksite conditions should not be ignored when considering the type of fall protection equipment to use.

For example, whether a system is to be installed indoors or outdoors is a question that employers should consider, since that can affect how easy it will be to maintain the system and, subsequently, how costly that may be.

TENDER LOVING CARE Fuke recommends reading the instructions that come with protective gear in order to learn how to extend its lifespan. “We put out user manuals for a reason,” he says. “We are trying not just to teach you how to use the gear, but we are also trying to teach you how to store and maintain the gear, because those things are

PRODUCTS | FALL PROTECTION very, very important.” He advises that fall protection equipment should be kept dry and stored in a cool, clean place out of the sun.

Fuke explains that storing the webbing (the body of the belt, harness or lanyard) wet and in the sun allows ultraviolet rays to penetrate the web and weaken it. “If you store them grimy and dirty, the dirt and the grime will start working on the fibres and the web and start breaking it down.” As that happens, the gear becomes fuzzy, making it unusable. He cites some of Capital Safety’s clients who have kept their harnesses in perfect working condition for more than 10 or 15 years due to proper maintenance and storage.

Regular inspections of fall protection equipment are a must, according the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety in Hamilton, Ont.

Against Falls and More Although fall protection equipment tries to protect workers against gravity, some companies are now designing products with the possibilities of worker exhaustion and dehydration in mind.

In any industry in which a worker engages in physical activity, a certain percentage of almost every accident can be attributed to either a combination of fatigue and dehydration or one of those two, says Tom Dillon, market development manager with Miller Fall Protection in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Dillon cites emergency services like police work and firefighting, as well as construction, as examples of sectors in which physical exhaustion can sometimes breed falls. “Because of that, we are trying to develop products that are not just safer, but can help with eliminating the fatigue and dehydration, making them lighter, more breathable, things of that nature.” A variance of just a few ounces in lifting and carrying all day can make a big difference in the fatigue factor, he adds.

Another recent development in fall protection comes from MSA, which has released what it calls a “bypass system” for horizontal lifelines. It is designed for situations in which two workers are on a system, both attached to the lifeline. Traditionally, if the workers have had to switch positions or one had to pass the other, they would disconnect from the system for a few seconds and reconnect after changing positions.

“And that is an opportunity for a fall event,” says Marc Harkins, MSA’s product group manager for fall protection in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. “So what we did was, we took the typical O-ring or the basic attachment point, and we developed new shuttles that actually allow workers to pass by each other without having to disconnect. They slide right through each other.”

Harkins adds that the CSA Group and American National Standards Institute update their standards for fall protection every five years or so. He says one of the reasons why they are updated so frequently is technology, which develops over time. “As more people in the field learn more information, do further testing, new materials are developed; new energy-absorbing webbing and tapes and things become available.”

20 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

Before use, a worker should inspect the entire surface of the webbing for possible damage. The best way to do that is to bend the webbing into an upside down “U,” hold the body side towards one’s sight, hold it with the hands about 15 to 20 centimetres apart and look for frayed edges, broken fibres, pulled stitches, chemical spills or any other damage.

Buckles should also be inspected in case of loose, distorted or broken grommets, including distortion, sharp edges or loose, pitted or cracked rivets, information from the centre’s website notes.

Roberts recommends that employers inspect their equipment on both a per-use and an annual basis.

“Every time you put on your fall protection equipment, you should be doing a visual inspection,” he says. “What the regulations state is that on an annual basis, you should have all your fall protection equipment inspected by a competent and trained person.”

The yearly check would take factors like extreme temperatures, dust, debris and regular wear and tear into account. In addition, employers must be mindful of substances that will likely come into contact with the gear. “Water affects some aspects of fall protection, moisture as well, but you start getting into chemicals and oil and stuff like that, they can have a potentially deadly effect on how the equipment properly works,” Roberts adds.

The Personal Rescue Device from 3M is a product that requires inspection before each use, and in the event of deployment during a fall, the employer must send it back to the Canada Safety Centre in Brockville, Ont., where it will be replaced or recertified.

TAKE NO CHANCES As with any other equipment or tools on a worksite, fall protection equipment can succumb to ordinary wear and tear. “People ask us all the time, ‘How long should my harness last?’” Dillon says. “It all depends on who is using it exactly in what application, what else could have affected it in the process.”

And that is why constant inspection is vital.

Dillon illustrates with a scenario in which a worker inspects a system in the morning before use, but takes it off and tosses it on the floor just before lunch.

Should he re-inspect before putting the equipment back on after lunch? Absolutely, Dillon says.

“Because something could have happened to it in that 30 minutes or whatever, an hour, since you have laid it down there. A truck could have run over it, didn’t see it,” he says. “Somebody could have dropped a welding torch on it and then picked it up and walked away. If you are not looking at it every single time, all those environmental factors could affect what would be the outcome of an accident.”

Sawchuk points out that certain types of equipment, particularly those with self-retracting lifelines, may expire after one fall. “If somebody falls on one of

FALL PROTECTION | PRODUCTS our systems, the first thing that happens is, that system is quarantined,” he explains. An engineer or other type of certified professional has to inspect the system and confirm whether the buckles, cables or lifelines are good for reuse or whether the employer needs to replace the equipment. Other gear, such as Northern Platforms’ gangways and safety cages, has a low cost of ownership and a long lifespan if the company keeps up the maintenance.

Despite some notable technical improvements added to certain brands, Roberts says the types of fall protection products currently available have hardly changed over the last two decades. “The products have been the same. They might be a different colour, they might be a little lighter,” he notes. “But the technology behind that has not changed.”

From harnesses, lanyards, selfretracting lines and anchors to preengineered horizontal lifeline systems, confined space products and rescue equipment, the product range is certainly very broad. “Not everybody is a so-called expert when it comes to how

to properly use the equipment,” Roberts says. “There are multiple applications out there, and it is trying to fit the right product with the right application while keeping everything simple and easy to use.”

Jeff Cottrill is the editorial assistant of OHS Canada.

Follow us on Twitter @PipelineOHS

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visit: www.ohscanada.com/elearning PIPELINE FALL 2014 | 21

PRODUCTS | PIPELINE ASSESSMENTS

INSPECTbefore the

UNEXPECTED

By Alyscia Sutch

W

ith the pipeline industry booming and the technological era amidst us, it’s best to keep up with the latest advances. Design and development engineers are at the forefront of non-destructive testing, CCTV and acoustic technologies that provide pipeline assessment, inspection and non-invasive rehabilitation solutions to renew pipes in place without removing the existing system. Together, regular assessment and rehabilitation helps to ensure pipe systems are functioning efficiently and safely.

Pipeline assessment, inspection and rehabilitation is ideal for those who want to be proactive and find the best way to prioritize for renewing systems and managing assets, while ensuring the health and safety of workers, as well as the general public. Pipelines span for miles and are constantly working to deliver natural

22 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

resources to homes and businesses across the globe.

Mismanaging a system can come with many repercussions, and ignoring the current state of pipelines is not an option.

This is where assessment, inspection and rehabili-

PIPELINE ASSESSMENTS | PRODUCTS tation solutions come into play. On the inspection and assessment side, you can investigate pipe wall conditions, material validation, sediment issues, blockages, contamination and quality issues, and life expectancy of the pipe. With rehabilitation, if something interferes with the performance of the system, the option of renewing the existing system without digging or destruction is available.

An example of an assessment and inspection device is the Investigator Gas by JD7, commercially launched in 2013. The device can be inserted into live gas pipelines and incorporates not only high-resolution CCTV camera sensors, but also a highly sensitive hydrophone and high-powered sonar system. The hydrophone is used for precise leak detection and pinpointing purposes that are sensitive enough to detect the smallest of leaks within low-pressure gas distribution systems. Full leakage acoustic signatures can be displayed graphically, and with HD CCTV live images, the operator can validate the full survey.

Northern Gas Networks in the U.K. has had great success utilizing the JD7 Investigator Gas system, which has found at least one leak in 77 per cent of insertions. This proves that pipeline operations cannot be ignored.

Another system compatible with gas pipelines, as well as with water and industrial applications, is the JD7 Voyager. Capable of passing through small access points and navigating harsh environments, the Voyager has a long-range capability of one kilometre or five kilometres, depending on whether it is tethered or untethered. The Voyager offers fully automated reporting software with 3D imagery and full high-resolution laser profiling technology.

When a system is in need of repair for any number of reasons, including corrosion and pinhole leaks, Nu Line epoxy barrier coating is available to rehabilitate the system in place.

These coatings can be applied through existing access points, like the inspection devices. The process provides a strong barrier coating inside pressurized pipe systems with diameters ranging from 1/2” to 12.” Epoxy lining is a long-term, preventative solution to leaks, breaks, blockages and erosion, and it maintains flow.

By developing a comprehensive plan with pipeline assessment and inspection technologies to ensure optimal performance, pipeline and utilities companies can rest assured that their systems are performing their best.

Alyscia Sutch works in marketing and PR for Aquam and Nu Flow.

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Pipeline Assessment Technology Benefits • Life expectancy through true measurements • Leak detection (water and gas) • Main renewal prioritization • Justification and certification of fire mains • GPS tracking and plotting • Live video feed • Location of services, defects and restrictions • Accurate GIS mapping • Material validation

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SHOWS | CANADIAN INDUSTRIAL EMERGENCY CONFERENCE

By Jason Contant he railway industry in Canada continues to tackle emergency response assistance plans (ERAPs) in the aftermath of the Lac-Mégantic train derailment last year in Quebec.

Andy Ash, director of dangerous goods with the Ottawa-based Railway Association of Canada, says that Transport Canada has issued four protective directions to the industry since the July 6, 2013 derailment, which claimed the lives of 47 people. One of those, Protective Direction no. 33 (PD 33), places new ERAP requirements on certain flammable liquids, such as petroleum crude oil and ethanol.

Approximately six million litres of crude spilled in the Lac-Mégantic derailment.

Ash, who spoke at the Canadian Industrial Emergency Conference & Expo held in Hamilton, Ont. on Sept. 24 and 25, says that PD 33 came into effect on Sept. 20 and requires, among other items, that shippers conduct risk assessments along the routes to ensure that emergency response contractors are capable of dealing with the shipped product.

“Here’s the kicker, the big one that made this one different from all the other ERAPS: that shipper must also indicate in the plan firefighting capabilities,” Ash said during his Lac-Mégantic Railway Disaster Fallout presentation. “Totally new, brand new. Very non-specific, I might add.”

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Ash notes that the railway industry is working with shippers, contractors, municipalities and local fire departments to look at options, such as foam caches and where to get water in extreme temperatures. The industry is also working with Transport Canada, the Canadian Fuels Association, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, the Canadian Emergency Response Contractors’ Alliance, the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs and Environment Canada.

Ash acknowledges that it may be difficult for smaller or remote communities to comply with the requirement for firefighting capabilities, adding that Transport Canada issues interim approvals until they can get out and look at all the plans. “What are you going to do in northern Ontario? What are you going to do up in Capreol or Moonbeam or something like that, where you got the CN running right through there with all the dangerous goods?” he asks. “What is that volunteer fire department… going to do? They only have very limited capability.

“This isn’t like turning the light switch on. This is going to take time to get it all done,” Ash stresses.

“We’ve got working groups and conference calls. It’ll work, but it’s going to take time because there are so many municipalities that we have to deal with.”

During his presentation, Ash, who arrived on the

SHOWS | CANADIAN INDUSTRIAL EMERGENCY CONFERENCE scene on the morning of the derailment, says he was surprised at the destruction, which killed 47 people and destroyed dozens of vehicles and homes. “When I first got on site, the very first thing I said to myself was, ‘That’s crude oil?’ I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “This stuff was burning like angry. I never thought it would behave like that. I was shocked, I really was.”

The first order of business was to identify all the rail cars and their commodities, but because the fire was so bad, reporting marks on the cars were destroyed. To complicate the investigation, the Quebec provincial police initially declared the whole area a crime scene, “which was a first for us,” Ash says, and there were “four or five different police checkpoints, just to get on site.”

And the fallout from the disaster continues to this day. “I understand, talking to the fire chief in LacMégantic a couple of weeks ago, they’re down 25 feet of soil and still digging and they’re still getting oil,” Ash said on Sept. 24. “That was definitely the worst rail disaster in Canada, if not North America, when it comes to damages and fatalities.”

But with the protective directions and changes already in place or occurring, some good will come out of the incident, Ash said. “The bottom line is to make sure good things come out of it, so we don’t have another Lac-Mégantic.”

TRANSCANADA PREPARING FOR PIPELINE EMERGENCY ven though TransCanada Corporation hasn’t applied for approval of its Energy East pipeline project yet, the company is already preparing for how it will respond in the event of an emergency.

Niki Affleck, senior emergency management specialist with TransCanada, outlined the emergency preparedness steps as part of The New Regime in Pipeline Emergency Response Planning session. Among other items, the steps include conducting a risk assessment, control centre monitoring, developing a corporate emergency response plan, creating pipeline marker signs, establishing emergency operations centres, developing a pipeline emergency training system and consulting with first responders.

“The risk assessments all show that the probability of a major accident occurring is so low as to be almost improbable,” Affleck said during her presentation.

“But at TransCanada, we still have to take that tiny percent chance that something might happen very seriously and start planning now.”

Affleck says that the risk assessment includes such considerations as where to place valves on the pipeline system to minimize any disruptions and building the pipeline to protect water crossings through horizontal directional drilling.

“So instead of… cutting a trench in the water and then laying pipe in there, it will actually drill right underneath the bed of the river,” she explains. “If 26 | FALL 2014 PIPELINE

you’ve got a river, you will look at the pipe actually entering from quite some distance back of the river and it will go right underneath the bed. So if there’s an accident, you’re not going to be impacting the water body at all.”

TransCanada has even identified where to place a pipeline to prevent downstream migration in the event of a spill. “This is the kind of level of detail that we are getting into planning and sharing with the communities that we are operating in,” she says, adding that the company has already conducted 23 public consultation meetings in Ontario with hundreds of participants.

Affleck notes that in the event of an emergency — a fire, spill or other release — TransCanada is entirely responsible for paying for, and responding to, the incident. “We’re not expecting first responders to go out and contain a spilled product, to fight a fire that’s on the pipeline system,” she says.

“Pipeline operators are absolutely upholden to be able to conduct those types of activities themselves.

We want to be able to earn first responders’ trust and a social licence to work alongside them in the community,” Affleck says. “If we can build that trust with first responders… then that will also hopefully translate into starting to build trust with the members of the public.”

OTHER STEPS THAT WILL BE TAKEN TO PREVENT, OR IN THE EVENT OF, AN EMERGENCY INCLUDE: • Shutting down the entire system and pump stations and isolating valves to minimize the amount of product that might spill out; • Monitoring the pipeline system on a 24/7 basis, with a control centre receiving thousands of data points every couple of seconds. Controllers can shut down the entire system within minutes, and one person will be employed solely to monitor a leak protection system; • Providing pipeline markers, including the operating company name, the type of product in the pipeline and an emergency phone number; • Establishing emergency operations centres to support a “tactical view from the ground”; and • Entering into a four-year partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs to develop pipeline emergency training.

If completed, the 4,600-kilometre, 42-inch diameter steel pipeline will carry 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day from Hardisty, Alta. to refineries in Eastern Canada. The project will also convert about 3,000 kilometres of underutilized pipeline into oil service.

Jason Contant is the editor of Pipeline Magazine.

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