Fall fatalities among oil and gas extraction workers, 2005-2014
By Krystal L. Mason, ScM; Kyla D. Retzer, MPH; Ryan Hill, MPH; and Jennifer M. Lincoln, PhD
Previous research has shown that fatality rates for oil and gas extraction workers were decreasing for all causes of death except for those associated with falls. (1) A new study from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, examined risk factors for fatal fall events in this industry during 2005-2014 using data from case investigations conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The study found that 63 oil and gas extraction workers died from a fall during 2005-2014, resulting in an average of 6.3 fatalities per year. This report found slightly decreasing rates (though not statistically significant) of fatal falls during 2005-2014. While the decreasing rates suggest that safety may be improving, falls are still a leading cause of death in the oil and gas industry and additional interventions could prevent deaths from falls.