Preventing COVID-19 – Zero Infections in 2020

Risk Management in Conditions of Uncertainty

The coronavirus pandemic became an unprecedented challenge for industrial enterprises, especially in the oil and gas sector, where production continuity critically depends on shift personnel. In conditions of information deficit and limited resources, companies had to urgently restructure logistics, living conditions, and work processes. During the webinar, Elena Kompasenko, Head of the HSE Department at Zarubezhneft, details the comprehensive set of preventive measures that allowed the enterprise to prevent mass infections at production facilities in 2020.

The "Lego" Principle: Segmentation of Shift Personnel

The foundation of the safe shift change concept was an approach the speaker calls the "Lego principle." Its essence lies in the competent distribution of employees even at the preparation stage before arrival.

People are segmented in such a way that specialists of the same profile (for example, only production operators) are not placed in the same observation block. One representative from different areas is included in each isolated group. This is done so that if an infection is detected during the quarantine stage, a specific segment can be isolated while maintaining the operability of the entire function using healthy employees from other blocks. This approach guarantees the continuity of production processes even in an adverse scenario.

Multi-Level Filter and Color Coding

The presentation details the admission system to the fields. The company implemented strict barrier control, starting long before arrival at the facility:

• Mandatory testing: shift tickets are purchased only after receiving negative PCR and ELISA test results.
• Adaptation observation: even employees with antibodies (IgG) undergo short-term observation (1-2 days). This is due to acclimatization risks when moving from different regions of the country, where a common cold can be mistaken for virus symptoms.
• Color identification: a visual control system for the duration of stay was introduced at the facilities. For the first 14 days, workers wear red armbands or vests, from the 15th day — orange, and from the 22nd — green. Employees with confirmed immunity are distinguished by white vests marked with IgG, forming the safest teams.

Integrating Contractors into a Single Security Perimeter

The speaker emphasizes that safety cannot be fragmentary. All contracting organizations were divided into three categories depending on the degree of contact with the main personnel. The same strict requirements apply to first-category contractors working in close cooperation with company employees. Moreover, the enterprise took responsibility for providing contractors with personal protective equipment and disinfectants, as well as organizing their accommodation in observation centers, fully integrating them into the internal prevention system.

Practical Aspects of Control in Harsh Conditions

Special attention at the webinar is given to solving non-standard domestic and climatic problems. For example, using the winter conditions of the North, the speaker shows how to properly organize thermometry: at sub-zero temperatures, scanning exposed skin areas gives distorted results (34-35°C), so measurements are taken on areas protected by clothing — on the wrist or behind the ear. The approach to PPE was also rationalized: the requirement to wear a mask is canceled if a specialist (e.g., a welder) performs work outdoors completely alone.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How does the principle of cross-functional segmentation protect production from stopping when an infected person is detected?
• Why is the presence of antibodies not a reason for the complete cancellation of starting observation before a shift?
• How to organize reliable temperature control of personnel in extreme frost conditions?
• What technical and organizational methods help control compliance with the regime in self-isolation zones?
• How to build interaction with contracting organizations so that they do not become a weak link in the epidemiological protection of the facility?