Effectiveness of Integrated Occupational Health Protection Programs During Transboundary Haze Events: A Multi-Site Evaluation in the Oil and Gas Sector

Abstract

Occupational health hazards Transboundary haze occurrences represent a major occupational health risk especially in the oil and gas industry where field workers were regularly exposed to high amounts of particulate matter (PM2.5) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This paper assesses the performance of integrated occupational health protection programs in five oil and gas fields, which involves the quantitative exposure assessment and the program implementation analysis. They were also measured in terms of air quality, health surveillance as well as program compliance surveys which were used to determine the correlations between haze exposure and worker health outcomes. Findings showed that sites that had comprehensive, integrated programs, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and exposure measurements, and AI-assisted predictive measures had very low prevalence of respiratory and systemic symptoms in comparison to sites with weak interventions. Predictive modeling also contributed to the reduction of the risks by making it possible to take a proactive step in health interventions. This is an indication of how critical multi-site and integrated approaches to occupational health are and the usefulness of new technologies in the management of occupational hazards in cases of haze events. Such recommendations as the standardization of program structures, scaling AI-assisted monitoring, and improving training and compliance procedures are recommended.