OSHA Numbers on Texas Oil Field Worker Fatalities are Going Up
There were 197 fatal oil field deaths in Texas from 2007 through 2011. The Texas work accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC remark that this number has grown as the industry has boomed since 2008. At the same time, other workplace deaths in Texas have declined. Partly this is because the number of other workplace jobs in Texas has declined, though not as much as in most other states.
The data reveals that the oil and gas extraction companies with the largest numbers of workplace fatalities are:
- Nabors Drilling USA LLC
- Nabors Well Services
- Unit Texas Drilling LLC
- Express Energy Services
What U.S. OSHA does after a Fatal Oil Field Accident
Our Texas work accident attorneys note that when there are fatal oil field accidents, OSHA might investigate and assess the employer a fine if the agency finds safety violations. But as two Houston Chronicle reporters mentioned, the fines are relatively small. The OSHA fines provide very little incentive to improve safety and worker training practices in a booming industry where companies are under pressure to put additional workers on the job in order to compete.
Many of the additional industry workers are fairly young and seem to get little training before they’re put on the job in the oil fields. OSHA found safety violations at all five of the Nabors companies’ fatal accident sites. The agency assessed a total of $104,375, which the Houston Chronicle pointed out is a miniscule fraction of the Nabors CEO’s $16 million salary.
The How and Where of Fatal Oil Field Work Accidents
Many of the oil field accidents occur in remote areas such as the Eagle Ford Shale development, the Permian Basin, and the Barnett Shale. Our Texas work accident attorneys point out that worker fatalities have gone up similarly in the big North Dakota shale development that’s the northern U.S. counterpart to Texas’ Eagle Ford area. Roads in these remote oil and gas extraction areas are narrow, two-lane highways and emergency response times from the nearest towns can be long.
Fatal injuries result from truck accidents, flying equipment and debris, workers that get caught in machinery such as rotary drilling equipment, falls, electrocution, and inhaling poisonous gases. (Source: Yang Wang and Lise Olsen, Houston Chronicle, 2/9/13)
Where do We go from Here? What’s being done to reduce the Number of Oil Field Worker Deaths?
OSHA has reacted to the rising number of oil field worker fatalities with a rather unusual move. The agency has asked for a voluntary stand down among oil and gas employers in oil fields across Texas and four other states. The temporary work stoppages are meant to draw attention to worker safety risks. 88 companies wanting to indicate a strong stance on worker safety have signed up. It’s a nice gesture, but whether it will actually mean anything for worker safety in the long run is anyone’s guess.
Contact our Texas Work Accident Attorneys if You have Questions about Your Oil Field Injury or a Loved One’s Death on the Job
Call us direct at 281-369-4363 or fill out our online contact form to get a free, no obligation legal consultation to discuss your accident and potential eligibility for financial compensation for your undeserved losses. The dedicated Texas work accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC have more than 15 years of experience helping needlessly injured clients and their families successfully obtain just financial compensation from those whose negligence has caused their harm. We could help you too.