When an enterprise is built on liberating difficult-to-access natural resources there is no getting around the fact that those precious resources must be taken where they are found. Operations managers in the oil, gas, and mining industries frequently face the unique challenges of remote site locations, extended supply chains, and the constant pressure of efficient productivity in a high-cost, high-risk business environment. Whip Around provides the digital tools to help oil, gas, and mining companies meet these challenges by combining the versatility of the cloud with the convenience of your workforce’s smartphones.
Expensive drilling projects and mining for critical resources in off-the-grid locations can challenge the entire workforce with long physically demanding workdays which increase the chances for human error. Remote logistical support demands the highest level of efficient fleet management to hit those productivity benchmarks which are the difference between profit and loss, and safety compliance is a government mandated priority in these highly regulated industries. Whip Around’s user-friendly app with picture and comment enhanced inspections significantly reduces human error and ensures rigorous regional DOT compliance no matter where you’re operating.
SAFETY ISSUES IN OIL, GAS, AND MINING OPERATIONS
According to recent Bureau of Labor statistics,transportation-related accidents accounted for 40% of fatal work-related injuries in industries across the board. After a brief drop to 89 deaths in 2016, fatal injuries in the oil, gas, and mining extraction sectors climbed to 112 in 2017. Of 120 deaths in oil, gas, and mining in 2015, 74 fatalities occurred in oil and gas support operations. The article “10 Safety Tips for Oil and Gas Industry Workers” at Graphic Products, a safety signage producer for these high-risk industries, points out that important factors which decrease worker safety are “human error including misuse of equipment and inconsistent procedures that can lead to higher chance of accidents.”
The Graphic Products article highlights the importance of tracking driver behavior in these industries, where riding in a motor vehicle accounts for the highest number of fatalities. “Staying on top of machine maintenance” also made the safety specialist company’s Top 10 list for improved safety in oil, mining, and gas operations. Consistent safety procedures and a program which unites workers on a company-wide basis are all cited as important safety factors. Below we’ll look at 5 ways Whip Around can provide enhanced safety in a one-stop digital solution to enhance these important safety requirements.
1. STAYING AHEAD OF FLEET INSPECTIONS WITH DVIRS (DAILY VEHICLE INSPECTION REPORTS)
DOT compliance is just one of many regulatory burdens faced in the oil, gas, and mining industries. Whip Around provides the digital, user-friendly, intuitive inspections required by the DOT as well as the support to ensure that your fleet remains in full compliance no matter where your well, rig, or mine happens to be located. Paper reports and the delays that come with them are a thing of the past. Cloud-based data storage with GPS and time and date stamps ensures that all DVIRs are available on demand without the need for paper files or the storage space and clerks required to administer them. Fleet inspection data is available at company HQ from all operations no matter how remote, whether offshore or off-grid.
Whip Around lets drivers and equipment operators conduct DOT compliant DVIRs anywhere at any time with the convenience of their own smartphones. Comments and pictures can be added when faults are flagged to allow fleet managers to prioritize maintenance with in-house mechanics or external repair departments for leased vehicles. Each driver has an individual login so managers know exactly who is conducting required inspections and when they’ve been completed. GPS and telematics track driver performance and vehicle location, and fuel cards allow you to automatically download fuel transactions and spot invalid odometer readings.
2. MONITOR AND ANALYZE PERFORMANCE AND TRENDS
WA’s cloud-based versatility allows you to scale up seamlessly to track and monitor all extraction operations no matter how numerous or far-flung they may be. Smartphone convenience and availability make it easy for field operations managers to report in and leaderboards and analytics let decision-makers spot trends from all operations which can reduce downtime and keep productivity at optimized profitable levels. Automatic syncing between smartphones and the web-based dashboard lets you manage all operations in real-time.
3. ENSURE COMPANY-WIDE SAFETY COMPLIANCE FROM SITE TO SITE
Whip Around’s custom form builder makes it easy to convert familiar company safety checklists to digital formats which can be accessed with your workforce’s smartphones. When sites, projects, shifts, and crews change important safety priorities can be communicated reliably to ensure that all site-specific information is available and everyone is up to speed on current site hazards and safety conditions in real time. Complete visibility from site-to-site ensures that all operations are in compliance and Whip Around support keeps you abreast of compliance variations for each specific region. Fleet management systems can be synced with WA so that you only have to update a single system when adding or removing vehicles or extraction equipment.
4. FLAG FAULTS AND ASSIGN PRIORITIES IN REAL-TIME TO PREVENT PREMATURE FAILURE
In the extraction industries, premature equipment failure can endanger company personnel, especially in the case of underground mining or offshore drilling where machinery may be the workforce’s lifeline. When faults can be flagged with easy-to-use smartphone convenience minor maintenance issues can be corrected before they evolve into full-blown catastrophic equipment or vehicle failures. Pictures and comments of flagged faults eliminate guesswork so corrective action can be taken quickly to prevent equipment downtime and personnel hazards. In the dynamic environments of mining and oil and gas well drilling, regular maintenance checks are crucial and Whip Around’s custom checklists make it easy to keep up to speed with OSHA maintenance activities as well as company mandated maintenance procedures.
5. USE LEADERBOARDS, ALERTS, AND ANALYTICS TO BOOST SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY
Whip Around can be integrated with existing systems to automate data entry and accumulate the vital big data and apply analytics which decision-makers need to fine tune mining and drilling operations. Customized maintenance alerts “keep you ahead of the machines” and allow managers to allocate equipment and vehicle assets in a way that maximizes availability and productivity with precisely planned maintenance that can eliminate costly unplanned downtime. Productive trends discovered at one operation can be implemented at other sites to improve productivity across the board. Maintenance issues can be communicated on a company-wide basis to keep common assets in top shape and extend operating life cycles. Most importantly, every worker with a smartphone is in the loop and up to speed on the latest safety alerts and compliance requirements.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Many of our customers in a wide range of industries have been able to deploy Whip Around in just a matter of minutes. When you’re ready to enhance safety and boost productivity at your oil, gas, or mining operations with the digital transformation of Whip Around don’t hesitate to contact us.
