Offshore OIL operator firms
Talisman, shell and nexen to ban e-cigarettes after overheating incident
An offshore operator is to ban e-cigarettes from North Sea
platforms after one overheated while it was charging.
Talisman Sinopec Energy UK said the ban would take effect from
Sunday. Talisman said other operators had taken a similar stance, including
Shell.
A spokesperson said: "The decision was taken following an
incident on one of our platforms when an e-cigarette overheated while it was
charging, resulting in minor damage to property.
"We are aware that other operators in the UKCS have taken
a similar stance."
The spokesperson added: "The safety and health risks have
also been highlighted by (industry body) Oil and Gas UK."
In a statement to staff, Talisman said that some e-cigarettes
sold in the UK are in contravention of safety regulations. Electronic
cigarettes have not been officially approved or controlled for use as a
nicotine replacement in the UK.
Talisman have stated that traditional tobacco cigarettes will
still be allowed in designated smoking areas offshore.
Talisman’s policy introduction follows firms such as Shell and
Nexen who have already banned the use of e-cigarettes offshore.
A safety report released in June by Oil and Gas UK raised the
issue of the use of e-cigarettes and their use offshore.
It said: Safety-related constraints stipulate that smoking is
only permitted within designated safe locations on offshore installations.
“Employers
across the industry have requested advice from Oil & Gas UK, which is
expected to lead to guidance on managing nicotine use.”
A Talisman employee contacted by STV News said: “The amount of people I’ve seen
offshore using an e-cigarette is huge. I would even go as far to say there are
just as many people smoking real cigarettes as using e-cigarettes. Banning them
is ridiculous. Now everyone will just end up back on the real ones.”
Kevin Forbes, Managing director of
www.oilandgaspeople.com and an ex Offshore HSE Advisor said:
“Talisman
have banned these as a result of an incident inside the accommodation, there is
also safety consideration around workers carrying e-cigarettes outside the
accommodation as they are not intrinsically safe and could be considered an
explosion hazard even if just in someone’s pocket. This said employers have a
duty of care to protect employees from the effects of passive smoking, that
duty of care also extends to smokers. E-cigarettes could be the solution to
confined smoking shacks where workers are exposed to high amounts of second
hand smoke.”
This
article originally appeared on www.oilandgaspeople.com