Kenya Petroleum Oil Workers Union has raised concerns over persistent occupational safety and health risks in the petroleum and petrochemical sector.
The union highlights exposure to toxic gases, fire hazards, and weak emergency systems, alongside regulatory gaps and mental health strain. It is calling for stronger enforcement and accountability from oversight bodies, including EPRA and NEMA.
Taking to its X account, the union highlighted that workers continue to operate in high-risk environments that expose them to dangerous conditions on a daily basis.
It noted that “workers continue to be exposed to high-risk environments including hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) gas exposure, volatile petrochemical handling zones, pipeline integrity failures, refinery fire hazards, and poorly managed emergency response systems in some operational sites. These are not abstract risks; they are daily realities for frontline energy workers.”
The union warned that these hazards are not isolated incidents but form part of broader systemic safety concerns within the sector.
It argued that weaknesses in safety enforcement, incident reporting, and regulatory oversight are increasing the vulnerability of workers engaged in critical energy operations.
According to the statement, “we are also increasingly concerned about gaps in safety enforcement, incident reporting transparency, and regulatory compliance oversight within parts of the sector. Institutions mandated to safeguard worker and environmental safety, including EPRA and NEMA, must strengthen real-time monitoring, enforcement action, and public accountability when safety breaches occur.”
The concerns place Kenya’s energy sector under scrutiny at a time when petroleum exploration, transport, and refining activities remain central to the country’s industrial and economic development.
The union’s warning highlights the balance between expanding energy operations and ensuring safe working conditions for employees on the frontline.
Beyond physical hazards, the union also drew attention to psychological and mental health challenges affecting workers in the sector.
It highlighted that long working hours, rotational shift systems, and high-pressure environments are contributing to fatigue and stress.
It stated that “beyond physical hazards, the psychological toll of shift work, long rotations, and high-pressure operational environments continues to be underestimated. Fatigue, stress, and mental health strain are occupational safety issues and must be treated with the seriousness they deserve.”
The union’s statement reaffirms a growing global concern within extractive and energy industries, where mental health is increasingly being recognised as a core component of workplace safety.
It argues that operational risks extend beyond visible accidents and include long-term impacts on workers’ wellbeing.
The call places responsibility on regulatory institutions such as the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to enhance oversight.
The union is pushing for stronger real-time monitoring systems, improved transparency in reporting incidents, and stricter enforcement of safety standards across all operational sites.
As Kenya continues to expand its energy infrastructure and exploration activities, the concerns raised point to a wider debate on how to ensure that industrial growth does not come at the expense of worker safety.
The union’s message suggests that without stronger safeguards, frontline workers will continue to face significant risks in one of the country’s most critical economic sectors.