Buying oil! HELP!

They can replace that truck, trailer and the load of crude oil tomorrow but they can not replace you. I won't do something if I don't feel it's safe to do so. That's a fact. Boss man knows it too. As far as vapors on tanks go, Arky is correct. Flip the lid open and stay back till it settles down. I never get over a hatch. Just flip that plum bob in it and gauge it.

 

Just be safe and follow the simple rule I learned in the Military. It goes a little something like this. Hey! Hey! What are you doing? The General Reply: Oh I started moving back because, what you were doing didn't look safe, and somebody has to live to tell the story.

Nobody will verbally attack 99.9% of the time for that type of response. You were only being safe and protecting yourself. I've seen somethings happen out here that boggles the mind. The Macho people usually don't last long or they wear battle scars. Me? I always go home the way I came; is something I strongly believe in. Just make it your mantra and the rest falls into place.

 

The thing is.... it's YOUR life and your health. Nobody has the right to ask you to do something you feel is unsafe. If I decide to take the chance, its on me. If somebody else tries to force me to take the chance.... we're gonna have a real problem, real fast. It is your responsibility to keep yourself safe. Don't let anyone try to you different.... even if it means you'll be job hunting tomorrow. I would rather be job hunting than laying in a casket.

I have a nephew who works in the natural gas fields. He was telling how dangerous some of his jobs are. What I told him is this: Safety policies might be a bit overboard sometimes.... a lot of times they are. What you have to remember though is this....most safety policies are put in place after somebody gets hurt or killed. In other words, before you choose to bypass that policy...think about it. Think about what prompted management to institute that policy.

An example: We use chock blocks everytime we stop the truck. How many trucks do you think had to roll off after a driver forgot to set his brakes before they instituted that policy? How many of those roll offs happened while a hose was hooked up and the valves open? If you think it through just a little bit, you can see why they want those chock blocks down.

 

only a money hungry fool would stand in the vapor plume to gauge a tank.

Depends on the well, how much vapor is in each tank, how much pressure is in that tank, and what the fumes are, but those fumes are toxic, and flammable. And now the EPA says we can not vent those fumes into the air, but must capture them. Yes buying oil is a dangerous job, that is why the pay is higher for NO education.

Breathing those fumes will cause respiratory problems over repeated long term exposure.

And safety rules are put in place to protect the company from lawsuit losses. They have NOTHING to do with your safety.

 

Don't forget to put your cones out, Arky! I'm always amazed when I pull up to a LACT and see one left behind by the previous driver hauling into that LACT. Makes me think the cone idea REALLY works as it was intended, LOL!

 

You aren't going to find much in the MSDS or ERG for what is in those tanks. You can look online for the info about hazmat 1267 (petroleum crude oil) but the truth is just about anything and everything gets pushed up out of the ground. There was a time when they did require gas masks to gauge tanks but the problem is that even when people would wear them (which wasn't often) they don't filter every type of gas. For things like H2S you need self-contained pressurized air systems that are cumbersome, expensive and unrealistic for day-to-day use. So short answer, you can't be sure that what is coming out of that tank isn't hurting you. End of story.

I look at it like the sun burning me all day. Is it going to give me skin cancer? Sure might, but best I can do is put on some sun screen and go back to work. Same applies to gauging tanks. I pop the cap and let the tank vent for a minute or two. When I bend over the hole I try not to breath that stuff. When I'm loading I stay away from the vents on my truck. I try and stay upwind on the location as much as possible. And I hope when I'm 50 I don't have cancer. LOL You will find a lot of old timers been on those tanks their whole lives and they are still plugging along so watch what they do. Your trainer was an idiot to stand in those fumes though, but I had a trainer hauling production water that would do the same thing, just crack the hatch and go to work.

Its good to be mindful of the dangers in the oilfield as it keeps you alert. But if it is going to keep you scared you need to find another product to haul. Good luck!

 

Cant thank you all enough for your valuable information. I am starting a crude hauling job next week with Gemini Transport out of Windsor, Colorado. I don't know a thing about hauling crude but got an education from this thread. I pulled a Hazmat tanker many years ago and some of the same rules apply, obviously. I never had to pop tank lids and draw samples as is required with crude. I will be watching my trainer very closely and covering my butt. I'm not any good to my family if I'm not around.