Safety practices in the oil and gas industries in Ghana

The study uses plant visits, interviews and questionnaires to investigate safety practices in the oil, gas and related energy industries in Ghana. The study revealed that there are indeed peculiar safety hazards inherent in the operations of the oil, gas and related energy industries that have the potential to cause danger to life, property and the environment if not controlled or properly managed. It was observed that whilst pockets of regulations exist that address aspects of occupational health and safety in industry in Ghana, there is no national policy on occupational health and safety to guide the operations of industry in Ghana. As result, each of the companies investigated adopted its own safety regulations to guide its operations. Lapses were observed in the manner the companies practiced occupational health and safety at their plants. The Factories Inspectorate Department, the regulatory body responsible for promoting and monitoring occupational health and safety in Ghana was found to be under resourced and has not been monitoring the activities of the industries as required. The deficiencies observed in these industries and the non-performance of the regulatory bodies means that danger to life and property in these industries is imminent