Participatory risk diagnosis: A preliminary approach to confined space work in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.

Abstract

Background: Confined space work poses a significant threat to worker safety and health, especially in industrial environments like petrochemical plants and refineries. These environments present additional hazards beyond those inherent to confined spaces, such as high pressures, temperatures, and exposure to toxic, flammable, and combustible substances.

Objective: This study aimed to apply the Deparis method (Participatory Risk Diagnosis) to confined space work in the oil and gas industry. The goal was to identify the key risk factors involved from the perspective of the workers themselves, propose risk reduction measures where feasible within the Deparis framework, and highlight factors that require more sophisticated methodologies for risk mitigation.

Methods: The study employed the Deparis method to assess 20 different working conditions. The survey yielded a range of results, encompassing issues with readily achievable on-site solutions to more intricate challenges requiring specialized expertise and resources.

Results: The Deparis method successfully identified risk factors present in the tasks from the workers' perspective. The application of risk reduction measures proposed by the method allowed for the criticality of most factors to be reduced to acceptable levels. However, certain critical areas, such as physical space constraints, task organization, communication with confined space workers, and exposure to chemical and biological hazards, were found to require alternative approaches to achieve the desired safety levels.

Conclusions: The study underscores the effectiveness of the Deparis method as a valuable tool for evaluating risks in confined space operations and advocates for its broader adoption due to its demonstrated efficacy. Additionally, the study highlights the need for further research and development of more sophisticated risk mitigation strategies for specific critical areas in confined space work within the oil and gas industry.