Offshore

Advice for managers

This sheet describes how to use the Offshore COSHH essentials (OCE) guidance sheet series as part of your COSHH assessments.

Preparing surfaces for painting

This sheet describes good practice for surface preparation by wet and dry blasting and the use of power tools such as needle guns, wire brushes etc. It covers the key points you need to control exposure to an acceptable level as part of your COSHH assessment.

Painting by brush/roller

This sheet describes good practice for mixing and applying solventbased paints by brush or roller. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Painting by spraying

This sheet describes good practice for mixing and spraying solventbased paint but does not apply to water-based paint. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Soldering

This sheet describes good practice for soldering with rosin-based solders, and for desoldering. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Insulation - removal

This sheet describes good practice for removing insulating materials. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Hydrogen sulphide

This sheet describes good practice for work in areas where hydrogen sulphide may arise. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Pigging operations

This sheet describes good practice for control of exposure in pigging operations. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Mixing of drilling muds (sack room)

This sheet describes good practice for control of exposure to chemicals when mixing drilling mud. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Use of drilling muds(shale shaker and mud pit areas)

This sheet describes good practice for control of exposure to drilling muds (liquids, mists and vapours) in shale shaker and mud pit areas. It includes mud handling, sampling and cleaning activities. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Chemical injection

This sheet describes good practice for chemical injection systems. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Breaking containment – non-hydrocarbon lines

This sheet describes good practice for opening non-hydrocarbon lines. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Breaking containment – hydrocarbon lines

This sheet describes good practice for opening hydrocarbon lines. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Breaking containment – process cleaning operations

This sheet describes good practice for internal cleaning of process plant and vessels, eg separators, hydrocyclones, pipework etc. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Breaking containment – mercury

This sheet describes good practice where mercury (metal, inorganic or organic) occurs naturally in crude, condensate or gas streams during production operations. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Potable water and legionella control

This sheet describes good practice for storage, maintenance and distribution of potable water. The water may be bunkered or made on board the offshore installation.

Bulk sampling

This sheet describes good practice for taking samples – process fluids, well fluids, aviation fuel etc. It covers the key points you need to follow for good control practice to control exposure as part of your COSHH assessment.

Laboratory practice

This sheet describes good practice for laboratory work offshore involving the analysis of chemicals and process fluids, eg measuring oil in water using perchloroethylene (TTCE).

Pressure cleaning – external structures

This sheet describes good practice for pressure washing external areas, eg to remove drilling residues, guano etc. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Sewage system maintenance

This sheet describes good practice for emergency maintenance and repair of foul water systems. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Laundry

This sheet describes good practice for laundering contaminated work clothing. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Cleaning accommodation and facilities

This sheet covers the use of cleaning chemicals in accommodation and facilities. It describes good practice for handling cleaning products and covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Cleaning up body fluids

This sheet describes good practice for clearing up body fluids – vomit, faeces, blood etc. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Cementing

This sheet describes good practice for well cementing operations – pumping of cement mixtures and other fluid systems, such as spacers. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Well servicing – chemical injection

This sheet describes good practice for well servicing operations – injection of substances such as antifreeze, scale inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors and hydrate dispersants into the well. The task involves connection and disconnection of flexible metal pipes between tote tanks, a pump, and the well injection point.

Drilling waste treatment

This sheet describes good practice for control of exposure to drill cuttings and associated waste handling and treatment systems. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Confined spaces

This sheet describes issues to cover in method statements for safe work in confined spaces.

Local exhaust ventilation (LEV)

This sheet describes good practice for checking, maintaining and testing local exhaust ventilation (LEV) equipment to control gas, vapour, fume or dust.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

This sheet describes good practice for selecting protective gloves, clothing and other equipment

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE)

This sheet describes good practice for selecting respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

Emergency planning

This sheet describes good practice in planning for emergencies and helps identify tasks where an emergency could arise. Emergency planning for confined spaces can be found in OCM1.

Exposure monitoring

This sheet describes good practice for monitoring worker exposure. It includes advice to test fixed alarms.

Health surveillance

This sheet describes why health surveillance is an integral part of health risk management.

Storing chemicals

This sheet describes good practice for storing chemicals. It covers the key points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an adequate level, as part of your COSHH assessment.

Food safety and hygiene

This sheet describes good practice to ensure the management, control and monitoring of all aspects of food safety and hygiene.

Breaking containment – naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM)

This sheet describes key principles for removal of NORM in vessels and pipework.