Tackling Dual Hazards in the Oil & Gas Industry
Understanding how secondary flame-resistant garments enhance protection in layered safety systems is key to minimizing burn injury risks in high-heat work environments.
- By Allie Fletcher, Mark Tartaglia
- Jun 06, 2025
This article explores the critical importance of secondary flame-resistant protective clothing within the oil & gas industry. It delves into the dual hazards present in the industry, common tasks requiring such protection, and guidelines for effective hazard risk assessments and PPE selection.
The Need for Secondary Flame-Resistant Protective Clothing
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2021-2022, chemical burns accounted for 7,480 nonfatal occupational injuries involving days away from work. In the same year, they reported 25,430 nonfatal cases of thermal burns, including 1,650 associated with an explosion or a fire caused by the ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids.1 Additionally, the average hospital stay for a burn patient is nine to ten days2 at an estimated average cost of about $9,000 per day.3 These statistics highlight the critical importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) in safeguarding employees from workplace hazards.
The oil & gas industry specifically is fraught with challenging environments that present both chemical and flammable hazards. The dual nature of these risks demands that protective apparel not only provides flame resistance but also protects against chemical exposure – that’s where secondary flame-resistant protective clothing comes into play.
Understanding Dual Hazards: Chemical and Flammable Risks
In the oil & gas industry, workers are often exposed to hazardous chemicals and flammable substances at the same time. These can include flammable organic solvents, hydrocarbons, and other volatile compounds that pose significant risks of flash fire and chemical exposure.
Historically, when dual-hazard protective apparel wasn’t available, safety managers faced with providing protective apparel to their workers in these environments often wrote a variance when the risk for chemical exposure was greater than the risk of flash fire. In these instances, despite knowing that their outer-most layer should be flame-resistant (FR), their workers donned traditional (non-FR) chemical protective clothing over top of their primary FR clothing. Traditional chemical protective clothing helped protect workers against chemical risks but was not designed to provide any thermal protection in the event of a flash fire, increasing the risk of burn injury to the wearer. However, with the introduction of secondary flame-resistant protective clothing – designed to provide both chemical protection and FR protection when worn over top of primary FR clothing – safety managers no longer have to compromise.
What is Secondary Flame-Resistant Protective Clothing?
FR protective garments for industrial workers typically fall into two categories: primary FR garments and secondary FR garments.
- Primary FR garments are engineered for the primary purpose of providing protection to the wearer from flame and thermal hazards.
- Secondary FR garments are designed to be worn over top of primary FR protective clothing – typically in multi-hazard environments to provide protection from particulates and/or liquid chemicals – without negatively impacting the burn injury protection level of the primary FR protective clothing. Secondary FR garments should not contribute to additional burn injury in the event of a flash fire.
Common Tasks Requiring Secondary Flame-Resistant Protection
Several common tasks within the oil & gas industry often introduce both flash fire and chemical hazards and thus may require secondary FR protective clothing. Some examples of these include:
- Line breaks
- Loading and unloading
- Catching samples
- Bagging and drumming
- Cleaning and equipment maintenance
- Emergency response
Conducting Comprehensive Hazard Risk Assessments
As stated in OSHA 1910.132, employers must conduct hazard risk assessments to identify and evaluate the presence and severity of hazards within the workplace, including both flammable hazards and chemical hazards.4 Key steps in a hazard risk assessment include:
- Identifying hazardous substances and their properties
- Understanding the task being performed and the anticipated environmental conditions
- Evaluating the likelihood and potential impact of exposure
- Reviewing historical data and incident reports
- Consulting with workers and safety experts
- Developing and implementing an exposure control strategy
By carefully analyzing these factors, safety professionals can determine the necessary protective measures to safeguard employees. As required by OSHA, these assessments must be documented and certified.
Hierarchy of Controls in Hazard Management
The hierarchy of controls is an essential framework for managing workplace hazards.5 It prioritizes methods to eliminate or reduce risks, aiming to protect workers effectively. The hierarchy involves five levels of risk reduction:
- Elimination: Remove the hazard entirely if possible.
- Substitution: Replace hazardous materials or processes with safer alternatives.
- Engineering Controls: Implement physical changes to the workplace to reduce exposure.
- Administrative Controls: Adjust work practices and policies to minimize risks.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Utilize PPE as the last line of defense against hazards.
Despite efforts to reduce risk where possible, PPE is often necessary in the oil & gas industry when other controls are insufficient to protect workers from residual risks.
First, one must assess the need for primary flame-resistant clothing. The AIHA Protective Clothing and Equipment Committee developed a publicly available FR Assessment Tool that walks users through the steps of a hazard assessment and helps determine whether primary FR clothing should be considered for a particular task.6
Next, if a need for primary FR clothing has been identified, one must assess for additional hazards – hazardous particulate or chemical contact exposures. In addition to hazardous situations, there are also scenarios where workers may want to protect their more expensive primary FR clothing from dirt, grime and other non-hazardous exposures.
Selection Considerations for PPE
Choosing the right secondary flame-resistant protective clothing involves several considerations:
- Protection: Select a garment ensemble that offers both the needed flash fire and particulate and/or chemical protection. There are different types of secondary FR garments, with varying levels of solid particulate and/or liquid splash protection. It’s important to assess the chemical permeation data and/or particle filtration efficiency of a barrier fabric to ensure it meets the needs identified in the hazard risk assessment. And remember, secondary FR garments must always be worn over top of primary FR garments.
- Durability: Select garments that can withstand the rigors of the oil & gas environment, including exposure to harsh chemicals and physical wear.
- Comfort: Ensure the clothing fits well and allows for ease of movement, promoting worker comfort and productivity.
- Compliance and Standards: Verify that the protective clothing meets the requirements outlined in OSHA 1910.132 as well as relevant industry performance standards, like NFPA 2112 for primary flame-resistant garments.
By considering these factors, safety professionals can select PPE that offers optimal protection while enhancing worker comfort and productivity.
In conclusion, the oil & gas industry presents unique challenges that require specialized protective solutions. When worn as an ensemble with primary FR garments, secondary FR garments can help protect workers against dual hazards.
References:
- Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table R31.
- American Burn Association, National Burn Repository 2019. Version 14.0.
- Journal of Burn Care & Research, Volume 46, Issue Supplement_1, March/April 2025, Page S187, https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/iraf019.242
- OSHA 1910 Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment. 1910.132 – General requirements.
- NIOSH. About Hierarchy of Controls.
- AIHA FR Assessment Tool.
