What Are the Operations and Hazards During Shoreline and Vessel Operations?

If you are involved in response and cleanup of weathered oil, you might be:

• Placing or recovering booms • Pressure washing boats

• Skimming and pumping oil (inshore) • Picking up oil-covered debris

• Loading and unloading booms, supplies • Conducting other shoreline cleanup operations

and people • Launching and/or landing boats

Hazards from these operations can include:

• Heat stress – can range from heat exhaustion • Being hit by earthmoving or other equipment

(headaches, dizziness, weakness, fainting) to • Traffic hazards and car accidents

heat stroke (hot, dry skin; no longer sweating; • Bites from snakes, fire ants and mosquitoes,

confusion). Heat stroke is an emergency and rodents and alligators

requires immediate medical care. • Lightning and severe weather

• Sunburn and sun poisoning • Back injury from lifting and carrying

• Skin and eye irritation or rashes (dermatitis) • Noise

from contact with “weathered” oil • Exhaustion and fatigue from long hours and

• Cuts, sprains and other injuries demanding work

• Drowning

Exposure to any of these hazards depends on what you are actually doing and where you

are working. For example, heat stress is a real concern for all outdoor activities because

the weather is hot and humid. If you are pulling in oil-covered booms, then contact with

weathered oil, drowning, and back injuries are also concerns.

What Is Your Employer Required to Do?

1. Train you on the hazards of your job in a language that you understand. You must be

trained before you begin oil spill response and cleanup work. Your employer must

determine the type and length of training you will need. Training is based on your job

duties and the job’s hazards.

OSHA is monitoring BP to make sure that their site training meets OSHA requirements. To work on the

spill cleanup, you must receive training from an instructor approved to provide training for this event.

The training is provided for free. After you successfully complete the class, you will receive an

identification card as proof of your training.

FactSheet

Deepwater Horizon/Mississippi Canyon 252 Oil Spill

OSHA’s top priority is to ensure that oil spill response and cleanup operations are done as safely,

effectively and efficiently as possible. This fact sheet provides basic information about common operations,

hazards, training and worker protection. If you are unsure or think your work is unsafe, STOP and ASK

your supervisor. You can call OSHA at one of its gulf coast Area Offices during normal working hours or

at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) orTTY 1-877-889-5627 for further information.

OSHA - Florida OSHA - Louisiana OSHA -Texas BP Hotlines

Ft. Lauderdale 954-424-0242 Baton Rouge 225-298-5458 Corpus Christi 361-888-3420 Volunteers: 866-448-5816

Jacksonville 904-232-2895 OSHA - Mississippi Houston North 281-591-2438 Vessels of Opportunity

Tampa 813-626-1177 Jackson 601-965-4606 Houston South 281-286-0583 Program (skimming

OSHA - Alabama operations): 281-366-5511

Mobile 251-441-6131

Volunteers

should be

protected as

well. For

information,

call the BP

Hotline at

866-448-5816.

If you are: You must receive:

Doing work that does NOT involve materials 11⁄2 hour training [Module 2 – Contractor Expectations

contaminated by the spill (includes Basic Health & Safety Orientation)]

Doing work cleaning up oil-contaminated 4 hours of training [Module 3 – Post-Emergency Spilled

shoreline or vessel operations involving Oil Cleanup (includes Basic Health & Safety Orientation

“weathered” oil recovery and Contractor Expectations)]

NOTE: These workers will be supervised by people

with at least 40 hours of hazardous operations training.
DTSEM 5/2010

This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or standards.

It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. The voice phone is (202)

693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.

2. Establish safe work practices and give you the personal protective equipment (PPE) you need to do

the job safely. Work practices and PPE requirements depend on the hazards of each job.

Examples of safe work practices that your employer should use to protect you include:

• Providing rest breaks throughout a work shift to help control heat stress. Providing break and rest

areas in the shade. Providing you with water to drink throughout the shift. Providing sunscreen to

protect you from sunburn and sun poisoning.

• Training you how to lift loads safely and ensuring that you have the right equipment or enough

people to lift heavier loads.

• Having buckets, brushes, water and soap available and providing you with instructions about how

to clean oily PPE before removing it.

Most jobs will require some type of PPE. In general, your employer needs to provide PPE and must

train you on how to use it. Examples of jobs and PPE include:

• For jobs that do not involve contact with oil, like picking up clean debris along the shoreline,

employers need to give you work gloves.

• For jobs involving oil-contaminated debris and those involving contact with oil or other chemicals,

employers need to provide additional PPE such as oil- or chemical-resistant gloves, boots and

coveralls.

• For jobs involving work on vessels, docks or other areas with potential drowning hazards, employers

need to provide life jackets (personal floatation devices).

Your employer must determine the safe work practices and PPE that are appropriate for each job.

This information must be provided to you during training. More information is available in the

OSHA/National Institute for Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) Safety and Health Awareness for

Oil Spill Cleanup Workers (https://www.osha.gov/Publications/Oil_Spill_Booklet_05.11_v4.pdf) and on

OSHA’s Oil Spill webpage at https://www.osha.gov/oilspills/index.html.

3. Develop a health and safety site plan and share it with you. The plan must contain information

about the job and work site hazards, and spell out the requirements for safe work practices, personal

protective equipment (PPE), training and emergencies.

What Other Worker Safety Requirements Apply to Oil Spill Response and Cleanup?

Your employer must follow the other requirements in OSHA’s Hazardous Waste Operations and

Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standard and the OSHA standards for other hazards, equipment,

or operations that might be present at your work site (for example noise, PPE and powered industrial

trucks). You can find more information about these requirements in other OSHA fact sheets and on

OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov.

Worker Rights

You have the right to a safe workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) was

passed to prevent workers from being killed or seriously harmed at work. The law requires that employers

provide their employees with working conditions that are free of known dangers. OSHA sets and enforces

protective workplace safety and health standards. OSHA also provides information, training and assistance

to workers and employers. Workers may file a complaint to have OSHA inspect their workplace if they

believe that their employer is not following OSHA standards or there are serious hazards. Contact OSHA at

1-800-321-OSHA (6742) if you have questions or want to file a complaint. We will keep your information

confidential. We are here to help you.

For more complete information:

Occupational Safety www.osha.gov

and Health Administration (800) 321-OSHA

U.S. Department of Labor