The oil industry is a prominent part of the Kindersley area and the scope of work these men and women do is nothing to be taken lightly as one slip could have potentially fatal consequences.

Safety therefore tends to be, or should be, of utmost importance to those on working in any level of the oil industry and this is especially true as we see the summer temperatures well into the 30’s.

Heat exhaustion can play a pivotal role when simply doing routine chores outside let alone operating heavy machinery, machinery that also creates heat, making 30 plus degrees feel much hotter.

Dave Stone, safety manager for an oil drilling company, said that it comes down the proper safety training and making sure everyone has each other’s backs in the field.

Training in such areas as fatigue management extend past the weather conditions and include being well rested, eating properly and always staying hydrated.

In situations where the heat is extreme, Stone’s specific company will often increase the amount of workers on a crew to alleviate fatigue and more-or-less to have extra people keeping an eye on, not only on the equipment, but on each other as well.

Stone said that he reminds his employees to check their ego at the door and when feeling any sort of fatigue to go cool off in the rig manager’s shack with the a/c and get enough water. This should hold true for anyone in a similar situation where the neglect of taking needed breaks could result in a potentially fatal accident.

“When in doubt, listen to your safety manager,” said Stone in a jovial, yet quite literal tone.

Every process in the oil industry has it’s own specific complexities and the comfort of the everyday routine should never replace the awareness and mindfulness of the potential dangers that are possible on any job-site.