WorldWide Drilling Resource®

27 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® AUGUST 2020 Celebrating 50 Years of Protecting America’s Workers Adapted from Information by the U.S. Department of Labor The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) which was created "to assure safe and healthful working condi- tions for working men and women." This led to the creation of OSHA the following spring. In its first half century, OSHA transformed the country's businesses by reducing workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. 1970s - OSHA opened its doors on April 28, 1971, and soon issued the first standards for asbestos, lead, carcinogens, and cotton dust. The OSHA Training Institute, safety and health training grants, the On-Site Consultation Program, State Plans, and whistle- blower protections for workplace safety were also established. 1980s - Standards giving workers the right to know the chemicals they may be ex- posed to, and the right to refuse unsafe tasks were instituted. This decade also wit- nessed the creation of the Voluntary Protection Programs, new standards on safety testing and certification of workplace equipment, and important worker protections for combustible grain dust, trenching, noise, and hazardous energy. 1990s - The Process Safety Management standard provided new and stronger pro- tections for workers from falls, blood-borne pathogens, toxic substances, and working in confined spaces, longshoring and marine terminals, and laboratories. Workers began to receive safety and health training through the first OSHA Education Centers, and the agency expanded collaboration with employers through its Strategic Partnership Program. 2000s - OSHA staff worked with federal, state, and local partners to protect the safety and health of recovery workers after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. Workplace safety continued to improve through new standards to protect construction workers in steel erection and prevent exposure to hexavalent chromium.. 2010s - The agency issued. standards for silica dust, cranes, confined spaces, and the classification and labeling of work- related chemicals. To address the number one cause of worker fatalities in the construction industry, OSHA launched the fall prevention campaign. OSHA’s accomplishments over the last 50 years, have produced dramatic results with significant decreases in workplace fatality and injury rates. The agency plans to remain focused on its mission to safeguard the health and safety of America’s workers. President Richard M. Nixon signed the OSH Act into law by on December 29, 1970. DIR Australian State to Resume Onshore Gas and Oil Activities Adapted from Information by the Government of Victoria’s Earth Resources Victoria, Australia, imposed a moratorium on gas exploration and production in onshore resources in 2017. The Victorian Gas Program was created to determine the potential for new onshore conventional gas discoveries and what the risks, benefits, and impacts of allowing exploration and development would be. For three years, the program has been conducting geoscientific, technical, and environmental research into Victoria’s potential gas resources. The work fo- cused on two primary areas, the Otway and Gippsland geological basins. Scien- tists conducted rock characterization studies to better understand its properties (e.g. porosity, permeability, organic content). Core samples were drilled and ex- amined while mapping is offering an assessment of resource estimates. Three-dimensional models were created using geological data, rock charac- terization analysis, and additional data to define the stratigraphic (rock layers) and structural framework (e.g. geological faults) of the basins. In addition to pro- viding key insight into where gas may be present, these models also show the lo- cation of groundwater in the area. The studies have indicated the likely potential of onshore conventional gas resources in southwest Victoria and Gippsland, and concluded an onshore conventional gas industry would have no significant impact on farming due to the low risks to the environment or groundwater. A bill has been presented to parliament to allow for an orderly restart of the onshore conventional gas industry in Victoria. It will also introduce measures aimed at ensuring newly sourced gas within Victoria, will be prioritized for domestic use. Following passage of the bill, the department will start working with industry and other stakeholders to amend the Petroleum Industry Regulations 2011. The restart of onshore activities will begin immediately with some specific milestones in place as the industry moves into gear from a standstill. Conventional gas development is expected to start in 2023-24. Natural gas will play a vital role in supporting and accelerating the state’s transition to net zero emissions and potentially bring hundreds of jobs to Victoria over the coming decades. G&O Groundwater sampling was conducted through the Victorian Gas Program.