The American Petroleum Institute has released the fourth edition of Recommended Practice 54 (RP 54), "Occupational Safety and Health for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations," which provides procedures for promoting and maintaining safe and healthy working conditions for personnel in drilling and well servicing operations.
The document applies to rotary drilling rigs, well servicing rigs, and special services as they relate to operations on location. First published in 1981, significant revisions in this edition of Recommended Practice 54 include a new section on flowback operations, which is key for safe well testing; revised requirements for facility and site process hazard assessment and mitigation; and introduction of formal risk assessments as well as expanded provisions for offshore operations.