A dramatic increase in oil and natural gas production in the U.S. has been accompanied by a rise in the fatality rate among industry workers, according to NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard, who says a new NIOSH study finds a direct relationship between the number of drilling rigs and the industry’s fatality rate.
“Since 2003, the number of rigs actively drilling in the U.S. (a measure of industry activity) has increased by 92%. This increase in drilling activity has provided employment for many, but it is also correlated with more than 800 worker fatalities and an elevated fatality rate (27.1 per 100,000 workers during 2003-2010),” said Howard.
NIOSH has developed a research program for the upstream oil and gas industry that addresses the major causes of injury and illness among this population of workers.