A framework for the critical evaluation of health and safety management in the transportation of oil and gas products in Nigeria

Running head: DISSERTATION
Dissertation
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Abstract
This research project is a detailed evaluation of health and safety management practices in
transportation of oil and gas products. The major purpose of the project is to evaluate health
and management practices followed and implemented by oil and gas organizations when
transporting the petroleum products. The introductory chapter of the dissertation presents a
detail background to the significance of health and safety requirements in transporting oil and
gas products in Nigeria. From the background of the study has been found that health and
safety has become a mandatory requirements in the sector as there is a rapid increase in
number of accidents when transporting the products. The major objective of the study is to
investigate the accidents occur during the transportation of petroleum products and its impact
on stakeholders involved. Likewise, two other significant objectives have been formed. The
study uses a qualitative method in which qualitative data has been analysed. For qualitative
data analysis, secondary data has been collected from books, journal articles and newspaper
articles. The study uses a non-probability sampling method to select the journal articles for
the data analysis. The findings of the study indicates that during the period 2004 to 2014, the
number of accidents in all modes of transportation such as by rail, by pipeline and tankers has
increased by a great number. On the basis of different modes of transportation, it is found that
transportation through pipeline is more convenient than other mode of transportation. Major
responsbility of FRSC should include monitoring, certifying as well as enforicng compliance
regulations governing safety oeprations of articulated vehicles in the nation. Similarly, there
are several safety measures imposed by Nigeria government have been found and they are
presented in the findings.

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Table of Content
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................4
1.1 Background..................................................................................................................................4
1.2 Aim of the Study....................................................................................................................5
1.3 Research Questions.....................................................................................................................5
1.4 Research Objectives....................................................................................................................5
1.5 Rationale of the study..................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW...............................................................................7
2.1 Theory of Accident Causation....................................................................................................7
2.2 Nigeria’s health and safety management plan..........................................................................9
2.3 Probable causes of accidents and transportation of petroleum products by road..............10
2.4 Constraints and inefficiencies in distribution of petroleum products..................................12
2.5 Safety, Fatalities and dependence of petroleum products.....................................................13
2.6 Occurrence of tankers accidents..............................................................................................13
Enforcement of Swiss model, laws and rules................................................................................14
2.7 Summary....................................................................................................................................16
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................17
3.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................................17
3.1.1 Qualitative Method.................................................................................................................17
3.2 Research Onion..........................................................................................................................18
3.3 Research Philosophy.................................................................................................................19
3.4 Research Approach...................................................................................................................19
3.5 Research Strategy......................................................................................................................20
3.6 Sampling Technique..................................................................................................................21
3.7 Data Collection Methods...........................................................................................................21
3.8 Data Analysis.............................................................................................................................21

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3.9 Research limitations..................................................................................................................22
3.10 Ethical Considerations............................................................................................................22
3.11 Summary..................................................................................................................................22
Chapter 4: Data findings and Results..................................................................................23
4.0 Findings and analysis................................................................................................................23
4.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................23
4.2 Findings from peer-reviewed journals....................................................................................23
4.2.1 Capability.............................................................................................................................23
4.2.2 Conduct................................................................................................................................23
4.4 Different modes of tranporting petroleum products...............................................................24
4. 5 A comparison on casualty rates from tanker and pipeline accidents.....................................26
4.5.1 Safety requirements for transportation of petroleum products: federal road safety corps
(frsc)..............................................................................................................................................30
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION..........................................32
5.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................................32
5.2 Conclusions................................................................................................................................32
5.3 Recommendations......................................................................................................................33
5.4 Limitations.................................................................................................................................34
5.5 Further areas of research.........................................................................................................34
5.6 Summary....................................................................................................................................34
References...............................................................................................................................36

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Topic- A framework for the critical evaluation of health and safety management in the
transportation of oil and gas products in Nigeria
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
This study presents a detailed evaluation of health and safety management in
transportation of oil and gas products in Nigeria. It is certain that energy plays a great role in
economic, socio-political as well as environmental spheres of every nation and its
significance can be observed in every facet of life. Particularly, in Nigeria energy generation
is widely dependent on petroleum products; thereby, the used of petroleum products and its
operation in the nation has rapidly increased. Thereby, transportation of petroleum products
has been a significant concern as number of accidents when transporting the products has
increased by a great number. Inadequacy of robust safety management systems is one of the
major reasons behind the increasing of rate of accidents constituting a serious threat to
petroleum products in Nigeria.
Thus, health and safety management has been mandatory requirement for oil and gas
organizations in Nigeria. Safety management systems holistically deal with firm’s safety
activities, policies and responsibilities to prevent accidents to make sure risk is reduced as
low as reasonably practicable. One of the significant challenges in Nigeria petroleum sector is
the lack of proper information regarding the incidents. This means that incidents do happen
but concerned companies withhold information about the occurrence and this makes it more
difficult to analyse (Li et al. 2013). Perrons and Jensen (2015) performed a competitive study
of oil and gas industry as well as US counterpart maintained that oil companies in Nigeria
require more hazard analysis and risk assessment as most areas of Nigeria satisfy the criteria
defined in US as High Consequence Areas for oil spills. Thus, this study particularly

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investigates the accidents in transportation of petroleum products and analyse the health and
safety policies and procedures managed by organizations in response to the accidents.
1.2 Aim of the Study
The aim of the study is to evaluate health and safety management in transportation of oil and
gas products in Nigeria. This study also investigates accidents that occur when transporting
the petroleum products. The following are the key objectives to meet the stated aims.
1.3 Research Questions
 What is the impact of accidents in transportation of oil and gas on stakeholders?
 What are the existing health and safety management practices in oil and gas sector?
 What is the current regulatory framework for health and safety practices in oil and gas
sector?
1.4 Research Objectives
 To investigate the accidents occur during the transportation of petroleum products and
its impact on stakeholders involved
 To evaluate health and safety management practices developed by organizations in oil
and gas sector in Nigeria
 To analyse the regulatory frameworks for health and safety management practices in
oil and gas industry in Nigeria
1.5 Rationale of the study
This research paper is particularly intended to serve as the basis for discussion of
transportation of oil and gas products in Nigeria in meeting health and safety frameworks.
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate health and safety management practices applied in
transporting the petroleum products in Nigeria. It is certain that use of oil and gas products

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are rapidly increasing in Nigeria due to increasing number of manufacturing plant in the
nation.
Transportation of petroleum products is a serious concern, as it causes the maximum
number of accidents compared to the number of accidents occurred due to manufacturing and
spills from pipeline. Schneider et al. (2013) mentioned that types of accidents occur in
transportation are because of human factors such as reckless driving, wrongful overtaking,
speed violation, armed attacks, improper supervisions of tanks before transporting, etc. So,
due to such factors, number of accidents in transportation is increasing; thereby, health and
safety has become a major concern. It is highly necessary to investigate and evaluate the
health and safety procedures followed by oil and gas organizations.
This study helps to identify how and what health and safety framework is applied to
mitigate the risks and harm caused by accidents. The analysis presented in the study uncover,
how and to what extent stakeholders are safe from the occurrence or what actions in terms of
health and safety are businesses are taking to protect their internal and external stakeholders.
Significance of this study also lies in the analysis of regulatory framework for health and
safety measures in oil and gas organizations. Furthermore, this study also helps the ongoing
research project being undertaken in health and safety in oil and gas sector with respect to
current regulatory framework and health and safety management practices in the industry.

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Chapter 2: Literature review
2.1 Introduction
The causation of accidents involving the tankers that transport oil and gas products
are included in this literature section along with the various theories related to the health and
safety management plan. There are various theories including the Swiss Cheese model and
constraints associated with the delivery of oil and gas products by tankers from one place to
another in Nigeria. The Swiss cheese model will be used as a theoretical framework, to
analyse the literature reviewed, in relation to the evaluation of health and safety management
in the transportation of oil and gas products in Nigeria (Badiru and Osisanya 2016). Nigeria
holds an abundant supply of natural resources and petrol is one of the major resources that
has contributed largely to the growth in the economy of the place. The various downstream
activities managed within the oil and gas sector include treatment of gas, converting crude oil
and gas into refined petrochemical products and managing the transportation of these
products to distribute those in different market segments. Ehinomen and Adeleke (2012) also
argued the fact that there are various issues or problems associated with the oil and gas
industry including the scarcity of petroleum products, low capacity refining activities,
destruction of pipelines, increased smuggling activities, etc. (Ehinomen and Adeleke 2012).
The investment opportunities are quite lower compared to other countries within the oil and
gas industry, which has also created complexities in distributing oil and gas products properly
in the marketplace.
2.1.1 Theoretical Framework
The causation of accidents involving the tankers that transport oil and gas products
are included in this literature section along with the various theories related to the health and
safety management plan. There are various theories including the Swiss Cheese model and