This article was originally published in the September/October 2023 issue of BIC Magazine. It was written by RedGuard's Sales Support Specialist, Lorna Geist. In the O&G industry, knowledge is abundant, with reports and guidelines from esteemed organizations at our fingertips. However, knowledge alone does not guarantee safety — it’s the application of that knowledge that truly makes a difference.

This article was created for and originally published for the May/June 2023 issue of BIC Magazine. It is republished here in its entirety.

At RedGuard, we take safety seriously. It’s present and top-of-mind in everything we do. This includes the obvious things, like wearing PPE to protect ourselves while on the job, and the less apparent practices, like inviting team members to share stories about when they had (or observed) a safety-related near-miss that we can all learn from. It also includes safety practices that foster communication and thinking about your habits. Those are among the things we do every day to ensure safety. Safety is also of obvious importance in our products and services.

A tragedy occurred in the early spring of 2005 at a refinery in Texas City, Texas. Today marks the 17th year since a series of explosions killed 15 workers and injured nearly 200 more.

The best way for companies to ensure worker safety and prevent accidents is to identify and control hazards on worksites. However, not all accidents can be predicted and prevented. In those cases, the best employers put in place protective mechanisms to keep people safe when the worst occurs. For example, to prevent injuries from worksite explosions, some hazardous sites have their team working in blast resistant buildings to avoid injuries and flying debris if a blast were to occur.

Performing a real-world blast test on a blast resistant building is one of the best ways to alleviate concerns about how a structure will react to a real disaster. No computer model can compare to seeing a building survive a blast with your own eyes.

Protecting employees from workplace hazards requires formal control mechanisms and detailed planning. The most effective way to accomplish this is to use a "hierarchy of controls," a step-by-step process that allows safety managers to choose all the relevant tools needed to eliminate hazards or protect employees from dangers.

The Great Resignation is the term that has been applied to the economic trend of members of the workforce voluntarily resigning from their jobs in large numbers. It started during the pandemic in early 2021 and continued into 2022.

One of the most devastating petrochemical plant explosions in U.S. history occurred in 1989 when a petrochemical complex experienced a polyethylene leak, resulting in a flammable vapor cloud. Sometime after lunch, the cloud was ignited, causing a series of explosions and fires that killed 23 workers and injured over 130 more.

Protecting workers from on-site hazards is a complex task. However, soliciting hazard protection analyses and addressing as many risks as possible can protect workers, prevent fines, and improve a company’s reputation.

Having a safety culture isn't about just "talking the talk." You've got to "walk the walk" too. If you spend any amount of time at RedGuard, you'll quickly learn that our safety culture comes with practice. We support our belief in the importance of safe practices not just by what we say, but also in what we do.

Blast-resistant modular buildings are designed to help prevent devastating damage to people and property in the wake of an explosion. Ideally, these buildings are strong enough to withstand ground motion, surface bursts, and compression from shock waves without collapsing or creating any flying debris that could harm bystanders.

Blast proof doors are designed to resist explosive blasts and protect people and property from the damage from blast waves, including flying fragments, fire, and toxic fumes. Since we can’t entirely eliminate the threat of explosions on worksites, it’s crucial to ensure buildings and their windows, roofs, and doors can withstand blasts.

When it comes to blast resistance, there are a few options, depending on the situation. At RedGuard, we design blast-resistant buildings to protect building occupants and equipment in high-hazard areas from the damaging effects of explosions.

Being environmentally conscious or eco-conscious is defined as being environmentally aware and sensitive to potential environmental impact. If your day-to-day operations include storing, accumulating, or dispensing chemicals that could negatively impact the environment, it’s your responsibility to make sure that you are properly controlling those elements. Beyond just being a good steward of the environment, environmental compliance is a heavily regulated and monitored part of responsible chemical handling. Government entities like OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and most state and local governments all have specific standards that must be followed to avoid violations that could result in penalties and workflow interruptions.