Fatalities in the Oil and Gas Extraction Industry Data 2015-2016
This page contains FOG data by year for key FOG Variable Descriptions. Data for certain years are combined due to reporting requirements. For more information regarding the request for additional data, please visit our FAQs, Resources, and Contact Information page.
The FOG data in the tables below include all FOG identified fatalities that occurred during 2015–2016. In this time frame, FOG captured 92 fatalities as a result of 79 incidents, including 8 multiple fatality incidents.
***Data for 2015-2016 was coded with an older version of FOG. Please contact the FOG team for more information.***
Table 1: Fatally injured workers as captured in FOG, 2015–2016
Table 2: State where workers were fatally injured as captured in FOG, 2015–2016
Table 3: Age of fatally injured workers as captured in FOG, 2015–2016
Table 4: Years of industry experience of fatally injured workers as captured in FOG, 2015–2016
Table 5: Fatally injured workers working unobserved or alone as captured in FOG, 2015–2016
Table 6: Industry group for fatally injured workers as captured in FOG, 2015–2016
Table 7: Operation being conducted when worker was fatally injured as captured in FOG, 2015–2016
Table 8: Event type causing worker fatality as captured in FOG, 2015–2016
Table 9: Activity being conducted when worker was fatally injured as captured in FOG, 2015–2016
Table 10: Incidents involving multiple fatalities as captured in FOG, 2015–2016
| Year | Fatalities | Average # of Rigs* |
| 2015 | 63 | 977 |
| 2016 | 29 | 510 |
| Total | 92 |
*The active rotary rig count is a recognized metric of industry activity in oil and gas extraction. The data source for the active rotary rig count is the Baker Hughes Rig Count and includes both land-based and offshore rigs. Average number of rigs is the annual U.S. average for the year being reported.
Table Index
*The active rotary rig count is a recognized metric of industry activity in oil and gas extraction. The data source for the active rotary rig count is the Baker Hughes Rig Count and includes both land-based and offshore rigs.
+Fatality count suppressed for fewer than 3 fatalities.
Table Index
| Age | Fatalities |
| Under 21 | 3 |
| 21-30 | 25 |
| 31-40 | 21 |
| 41-50 | 17 |
| 51-60 | 13 |
| 61+ | 10 |
| Unknown | 3 |
| Total | 92 |
| Fatalities | |
| Working unobserved* | 10** |
| Working alone+ | 23++ |
* Refers to workers fatally injured while working independently from other workers on-site.
** Information unknown for 16 of the 92 fatally injured workers.
+ Refers to workers fatally injured without any other worker or person present at the worksite.
++ Information unknown for 8 of the 92 fatally injured workers.
Table Index
| Industry Group (NAICS) | Fatalities | %+ |
| Well Servicing (213112) | 54 | 59% |
| Drilling Operations (213111) | 18 | 20% |
| Specialized Freight (484220) | 6 | 7% |
| Operator (211) | 3 | 3% |
| Other Industry & Unknown* | 11 | 12% |
| Total | 92 | 100% |
*Data combined for reporting purposes.
+Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.
Table Index
| Operation | Fatalities+ | % |
| Unspecified: off-wellsite | 26 | 28% |
| Well Servicing, intervention, or workover | 21 | 23% |
| Production | 15 | 16% |
| Drilling | 10 | 11% |
| Offshore | 5 | 5% |
| Waste fluid treatment and disposal | 4 | 4% |
| Flowback | 3 | 3% |
| Vehicle repair or maintenance activities | 3 | 3% |
| Casing installation | <3 | – |
| Hydraulic fracturing | <3 | – |
| Unspecified: wellsite operations | <3 | – |
| Total | 92 | 100% |
+Fatality count suppressed for fewer than 3 fatalities.
Table Index
| Event type | Fatalities+ | % |
| Vehicle incidents | 26 | 28% |
| Contact injuries | 22 | 24% |
| Caught between or crushed | 8 | 9% |
| Struck by | 8 | 9% |
| Struck by falling object | 6 | 7% |
| Explosion (combustion or fire) | 13 | 14% |
| Exposures | 10 | 11% |
| Harmful substance* | 7 | 8% |
| Environmental | <3 | – |
| Alcohol or drug poisoning | <3 | – |
| Falls | 6 | 7% |
| Cardiac event: possible work exposure | 3 | 4% |
| Electrocutions | 3 | 3% |
| Explosion (pressure) | <3 | – |
| Intentional act | <3 | – |
| Total | 92 | 100% |
+Fatality count suppressed for fewer than 3 fatalities.
*H2S, Hydrocarbons, and Carbon monoxide were the harmful substances identified
Table Index
| Activities | Fatalities+ |
| Motor vehicle travel | 21 |
| Material handling: crane, forklift, winch truck, etc. | 10 |
| Commuting: non-traditional | 10 |
| Production rig activities | 10 |
| Truck transport: produced or waste water hauling | 8 |
| Rig or equipment repair or maintenance | 6 |
| Wellhead or pumping unit activities | 6 |
| Rigging up or down | 5 |
| Equipment install or dismantle | 5 |
| Produced and waste fluids storage | 4 |
| Well control equipment activities | 4 |
| Tank cleaning or maintenance | 4 |
| Pulling or running tubing | 4 |
| Fishing | 4 |
| Tank gauging or sampling | 3 |
| Production monitoring | 3 |
| Tripping pipe in or out | 3 |
| Truck transport: crude oil hauling | 3 |
| Truck transport: equipment or supplies hauling | 3 |
| Truck transport: unspecified cargo | 3 |
| Drilling activities | 3 |
| Separation equipment activities | <3 |
| Break or rest | <3 |
| Separation equipment activities | <3 |
| Hotwork or welding | <3 |
| Non-motor vehicle travel | <3 |
| Well cleanout | <3 |
| Wireline and slickline activities | <3 |
| Lay down or pick up tubulars | <3 |
| Pressure pumping | <3 |
| Wellsite maintenance or construction | <3 |
| Downhole tool and equipment activities | <3 |
| Pulling or running rods | <3 |
| Running casing | <3 |
| Spotting | <3 |
| Drilling fluid mixing and pumping | <3 |
| Plug drill out | <3 |
| Racking back tubulars | <3 |
| Snubbing | <3 |
| Housekeeping | <3 |
| Perforating | <3 |
| Rod repair or maintenance | <3 |
| Truck transport: other types of cargo | <3 |
| Truck transport: proppant hauling | <3 |
+Fatality count suppressed for fewer than 3 fatalities.
Table Index
| Incident # | Event type | Operation | Activities |
| 1 | Explosion (combustion) or fire | Offshore |
|
| 2 | Explosion (combustion) or fire | Well servicing, intervention, or workover |
|
| 3 | Vehicle incident: roadway | Unspecified: off-wellsite |
|
| 4 | Vehicle incident: roadway | Unspecified: off-wellsite |
|
| 5 | Vehicle incident: roadway | Unspecified: off-wellsite |
|
| 6 | Fall: from height | Drilling operations |
|
| 7 | Exposure: harmful substance | Vehicle repair or maintenance operations |
|
| 8 | Vehicle incident: roadway | Unspecified: off-wellsite |
|
* Multiple fatality incidents are considered incidents that result in more than one worker death. Each of the eight multiple fatality incidents listed in Table 10 resulted in two to five fatalities, with a total of 21 fatalities as a result of multiple fatality incidents.
Table Index