Whether you’re building a pipeline or working at one, the fact remains that oil and gas pipelines are dangerous places to work. The oil and gas industry as a whole is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States.

In an industry like this, where the hazards are everywhere and the risks are high, safety training isn’t a good idea. It’s a necessity. If you’re still trying to convince management that it’s time to beef up your safety training, here are a few reasons why safety training for oil and gas pipelines is critical.

Understanding Safety Incidents

Safety training is about more than understanding hazards. High-quality safety training includes all elements of safety so that your workers can understand the complexity of safety – and contribute meaningfully to your workplace safety program.

For example, safety training gives workers the tools to understand different oil and gas safety incidents. More than just noticing how badly an incident went wrong, they can understand how an incident happened. They can understand what went wrong, why it happened, what should have happened instead, and what needs to happen to fix the issue.

That way, workers can become active participants in your workplace safety program.

Developing Skilled Workers

Whether your company provides petroleum inspection services, pipeline testing or engineering services, you must have a safety training program the follows industry standards and practices. Because good safety training provides your workers with the tools they need to understand their role in safety, this also means that safety training has another added benefit: the opportunity to develop highly skilled workers.

In general, educated workers are an asset to your organization. Rather than knowing how to do their jobs on the most basic level, they have the tools to understand how their job fits into the bigger picture and what they can contribute to the workplace.

These are precisely the kinds of employees you want to cultivate because they are employees who are able to move up in your organization, providing meaningful contributions over the course of their careers.

Boosting Your Bottom Line

Last but not least, safety training for oil and gas pipelines actually helps boost your bottom line.

In many ways, employees are like customers. If you treat them well, they’ll reward you for your efforts. They’ll show up to work energized and ready to contribute, and they’re more likely to stick around in the future.

Plus, when you take care of employee safety by educating employees, they have the tools they need to avoid safety incidents. This directly translates to their healthcare costs over their career with your organization. In addition, safer workplaces are better for morale, encouraging employees to stay engaged, invested, and productive.