ASSESSING OPERATIONAL ACCIDENT PATTERNS AND WORKERS' COMPLIANCE WITH SAFETY PRACTICES IN SELECTED ONSHORE OIL FIELD OPERATIONS IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract Despite the advances made in technology and work practices in the oil field industry, there is still a high level of concern with regard to operational accidents that can result from equipment, hazardous materials, and human actions all occurring in the context of a work system, where the loss of a single facet could lead to personal injury, production losses, and environmental damage. This study identified, ranked, and evaluated operational accidents in selected onshore oil fields in Delta State, Nigeria, and examined the extent of workers' adherence to safety practices. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was employed with operational employees selected from two oil-producing companies, and the questionnaire adopted was a structured questionnaire which was validated by Academic and Industry experts in the field. A valid sample of 302 workers responded, and their responses were analysed using frequencies and percentages, a mean score, and Pearson Product-Moment correlation. Equipment failure or malfunction was the most commonly reported accident type, with 70.2%, followed by gas leak or fume exposure with 61.3% and oil spill or leakage with 55.0%. The highest mean for accident frequency was exposure to hazardous conditions, with a mean score of 2.90, followed by minor incidents or near misses (mean score 2.89) and major accidents (mean score 2.36). Personal protective equipment uses (PPE) had a mean score of 4.11, use of approved safety procedures had a mean score of 4.03, SOP and work permit requirements had a mean score of 3.91, and safety meetings and toolbox talks had a mean score of 3.96, while prompt hazard reporting had a mean score of 3.85. A significant negative correlation of accident frequency with compliance (r = -0.410, p < 0.001) was found, and the result indicates that the higher the compliance, the lower the number of operational accidents reported. Results have shown that behavioural compliance is critical and must be complemented by reliable equipment, effective hazard reporting, and effective operational control. Keywords: Accident frequency, Oil field operations, Operational accidents, Safety compliance, Safety practices