diff --git a/system/database/drivers/oci8/oci8_driver.php b/system/database/drivers/oci8/oci8_driver.php
index 58d9b9b..9fce186 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/oci8/oci8_driver.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/oci8/oci8_driver.php
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@
 	 * @param	string
 	 * @return	string
 	 */
-	protected function _escape_identifiers($item)
+	public function _escape_identifiers($item)
 	{
 		if ($this->_escape_char == '')
 		{
diff --git a/system/database/drivers/oci8/oci8_forge.php b/system/database/drivers/oci8/oci8_forge.php
index 35587a9..661ec3a 100644
--- a/system/database/drivers/oci8/oci8_forge.php
+++ b/system/database/drivers/oci8/oci8_forge.php
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
 			{
 				$attributes = array_change_key_case($attributes, CASE_UPPER);
 
-				$sql .= "\n\t".$this->db->_protect_identifiers($field).' '.$attributes['TYPE']
+				$sql .= "\n\t".$this->db->protect_identifiers($field).' '.$attributes['TYPE']
 					.(array_key_exists('CONSTRAINT', $attributes) ? '('.$attributes['CONSTRAINT'].')' : '')
 					.((array_key_exists('UNSIGNED', $attributes) && $attributes['UNSIGNED'] === TRUE) ? ' UNSIGNED' : '')
 					.(array_key_exists('DEFAULT', $attributes) ? ' DEFAULT \''.$attributes['DEFAULT'].'\'' : '')
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
 
 		if (count($primary_keys) > 0)
 		{
-			$primary_keys = $this->db->_protect_identifiers($primary_keys);
+			$primary_keys = $this->db->protect_identifiers($primary_keys);
 			$sql .= ",\n\tPRIMARY KEY (".implode(', ', $primary_keys).')';
 		}
 
@@ -123,11 +123,11 @@
 			{
 				if (is_array($key))
 				{
-					$key = $this->db->_protect_identifiers($key);
+					$key = $this->db->protect_identifiers($key);
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					$key = array($this->db->_protect_identifiers($key));
+					$key = array($this->db->protect_identifiers($key));
 				}
 
 				$sql .= ",\n\tUNIQUE COLUMNS (".implode(', ', $key).')';
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@
 	 */
 	public function _drop_table($table)
 	{
-		return 'DROP TABLE '.$this->db->_protect_identifiers($table);
+		return 'DROP TABLE '.$this->db->protect_identifiers($table);
 	}
 
 	// --------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@
 	 */
 	public function _alter_table($alter_type, $table, $column_name, $column_definition = '', $default_value = '', $null = '', $after_field = '')
 	{
-		$sql = 'ALTER TABLE '.$this->db->_protect_identifiers($table).' '.$alter_type.' '.$this->db->_protect_identifiers($column_name);
+		$sql = 'ALTER TABLE '.$this->db->protect_identifiers($table).' '.$alter_type.' '.$this->db->protect_identifiers($column_name);
 
 		// DROP has everything it needs now.
 		if ($alter_type === 'DROP')
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@
 		return $sql.' '.$column_definition
 			.($default_value != '' ? ' DEFAULT "'.$default_value.'"' : '')
 			.($null === NULL ? ' NULL' : ' NOT NULL')
-			.($after_field != '' ? ' AFTER '.$this->db->_protect_identifiers($after_field) : '');
+			.($after_field != '' ? ' AFTER '.$this->db->protect_identifiers($after_field) : '');
 
 	}
 
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@
 	 */
 	public function _rename_table($table_name, $new_table_name)
 	{
-		return 'ALTER TABLE '.$this->db->_protect_identifiers($table_name).' RENAME TO '.$this->db->_protect_identifiers($new_table_name);
+		return 'ALTER TABLE '.$this->db->protect_identifiers($table_name).' RENAME TO '.$this->db->protect_identifiers($new_table_name);
 	}
 
 }