For the heavily regulated oil and gas industry, meeting a wide range of standards and regulations (from safety to environmental protection) is essential. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in significant fines, penalties, and legal action. An effective plant maintenance program is the most important way to meet regulatory standards. A well-maintained plant is safe as well as more efficient. Regular maintenance helps prevent equipment failures, which can lead to accidents, environmental damage, and production downtime.
Need For Effective Oil and Gas Plant Maintenance
Three out of every five on-site fatalities in the oil and gas industry are the result of struck-by/caught-in/caught-between hazards, according to the federal OSHA IMIS Database. The PHMSA reports a five-year average of 658 pipeline safety between 2015 and 2019. Over that time, there has been an average of 60 injuries per year and 14 fatalities. The average yearly total cost of these incidents equals $661.8 million.
For example, environmental and safety incidents have a big impact on a company’s bottom line, siphoning off revenues and negatively impacting employee morale. The good news is that getting into compliance today is far cheaper than being forced to do it later. Various studies have shown that every dollar invested in injury prevention returns between $2 and $6. Similar results have been reported for environmental mitigation efforts.
An effective plant maintenance strategy is a must for oil and gas companies to boost safety, reduce environmental incidents and respond to regulatory compliance needs. PHMSA, OSHA, NERC, etc. continuously update their regulatory compliance and inspection requirements. A digital, highly agile, dynamic, and code-free inspection platform is necessary to meet evolving obligations. A robust digital plant maintenance solution is required to satisfy changing laws, codes, and regulations. It allows oil and gas companies to capture and report potential environmental and safety issues before they become serious problems.
How Mobile Maintenance Helps Oil and Gas Companies Meet Regulatory Standards
By increasing communication and visibility between field technicians and supervisors, mobile plant maintenance solutions allow for better regulatory compliance in addition to improved workforce management. Using the system, managers can create and issue digital work orders and follow their progress in real-time. Supervisors receive instant work order updates and can send push notifications to their team on mobile devices to notify them immediately of tasks and related information.
Digital plant maintenance provides a way to identify potential safety hazards during daily inspection, assess risk, and take timely action before any harm occurs. This reduces the number of incidents, boosts compliance, and increases uptime. The mobile maintenance solution replaces error-prone paper processes with mobile and wearable technology. Ensure that data is collected on non-instrumented plant assets, critical environmental, health, and safety inspections are performed on schedule and mobile operators have the information at their fingertips to operate plant assets in the most effective manner possible.
Here are some specific ways that mobile maintenance can help oil and gas companies meet regulatory standards:
- Preventive maintenance: Mobile maintenance teams can be used to perform preventive maintenance on equipment that is located in remote or difficult-to-access areas. This can help to prevent equipment failures, which can lead to accidents, environmental damage, and production downtime.
- Emergency response: Mobile maintenance teams can be used to respond to emergency maintenance situations in remote or difficult-to-access areas. This can help to ensure that equipment is repaired or replaced quickly and safely, minimizing the impact on production.
- Recordkeeping: Mobile maintenance teams can use electronic recordkeeping systems to track the performance of equipment and maintenance activities. This can help to ensure that maintenance records are accurate and complete, which can be important for meeting regulatory requirements.
By using mobile maintenance effectively, oil and gas companies can help to ensure that they are meeting regulatory standards and protecting the safety of their employees, the environment, and their bottom line.
Get a Demo of a Game-Changing Mobile Oil and Gas Maintenance Solution
Innovapptive, a leading connected worker solution provider, offers a wide range of mobile applications that let oil and gas industry managers and frontline workers gain greater visibility into operations. These apps improve maintenance productivity, asset reliability, and safety compliance. Click here to schedule a free demonstration or call us at 844-464 6668. Our experts are standing by to help.
