Since 2003, more than two-thirds of all worker fatalities in the industry were the result of transportation events (43%) and contact with objects and equipment (25%). Fires and explosions (14%), exposure to harmful substances and environments (9%), and falls (8%) were the next most frequent events during this time period. Previous NIOSH research identified three groups of workers at greatest risk of being killed on the job:
Workers employed by contractors are three to four times more likely to be killed on the job than workers employed by oil and gas operating companies. During 2017, seventy-five percent of fatalities occurred among well servicing contractor employees.1
Workers employed by small companies (<20 employees) are five times as likely to be killed on the job as workers employed by large companies (100 employees). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 19.3% of the workers in the oil and gas exploration and production industry were employed by a small company during the first quarter of 2018.2
Short service employees (those employees with less than one year of experience with their current employer) account for more than half of all fatalities in the industry.3
Need
NIOSH is the only federal entity responsible for conducting research and developing recommendations to prevent work-related injuries in the oil and gas extraction industry. The occupational fatality rate in the oil and gas extraction industry can be reduced through focused research and surveillance efforts by NIOSH and its partners. There is a need for enhanced surveillance to better identify risk factors for fatal and non-fatal injuries research to evaluate intervention strategies to reduce occupational risks in the industry. Available data, previous NIOSH research, and information collected from stakeholders have all identified the need for focused research in this industry. The continued development of a robust oil and gas database at NIOSH can help to identify additional risk factors associated with working in this industry.
NIOSH holds several key advantages for performing this work or undertaking projects in partnership with extramural partners: (1) NIOSH has established effective collaboration with stakeholders via the NORA Oil and Gas Extraction Sector Council and through an OSHA Alliance; and (2) NIOSH has the equipment, experienced researchers, protocols, and scientific integrity to complete this work.
Impact
The potential for NIOSH research to generate new knowledge that will be used by stakeholders to improve safety and health in this industry is high. In addition to strong collaborative relationships with the industry and industry trade associations, NIOSH research is disseminated widely through an OSHA Alliance formed with OSHA and the National STEPS Network (a network of regional oil and gas safety and health professionals). The most recent example is a hazard alert on tank fatalities that was distributed to over 100,000 oil and gas employers, workers and companies in the U.S. and abroad. All of these partnerships increase the potential for NIOSH to have an impact on worker safety and health in the oil and gas extraction industry.
- BLS [2019]. Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm
- BLS [2018]. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/cew/
- Retzer K, Hill R, Conway G. [2011]. Mortality Statistics for the US Upstream Industry: An Analysis of Circumstances, Trends, and Recommendations. Paper presented at 20011 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Americas E&P Environmental & Safety Conferece, 21-23 March, Houston, TX. Paper No. 141602