Today's Safety News

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During 2003-2008, 648 oil and gas extraction workers were killed on the job (onshore and offshore, combined), resulting in an annual fatality rate of 29.1 deaths per 100,000 workers, over seven times the rate for all US workers.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatality in the oil and gas extraction industry. They make up 29% of all fatalities in this industry. The majority of fatalities are workers from well servicing companies.

There is a lack of existing information regarding the variety and magnitude of chemical exposure risks to oil and gas extraction workers. To determine if risks are present, NIOSH wants to develop partnerships with the oil and gas extrac¬tion industry to identify, characterize and (if needed) control workplace chemical exposures.

A recent ruling by a Colorado judge could have implications for the nation’s oil and gas industry. The Denver Post reported in late July that Administrative Law Judge Peter Cannici ruled that the death of a Weld County (Colorado) oil and gas worker was caused by exposure to hydrocarbons. The ruling comes as federal health officials take a closer look at “tank gauging,” or measuring oil levels after opening a tank hatch — commonly known as a thief hatch.

A key trend in oil and gas industry safety is employee reporting of occupational health and safety issues. In many workplaces, employees are expected to complete safety checks and security reports regularly, and many feel empowered to do so.

In March of this year, OSHA released a report, Adding Inequality to Injury: The Cost of Failing to Protect Workers on the Job.1

Reality often does not match intent when it comes to performance appraisals.

Most schools in the U.S. are implementing healthy practices to help meet federal school meal standards by offering whole grains, more fruits and vegetables, and reducing sodium content, according to data published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

An Alabama contractor was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and 30 hours of community service after pleading guilty to lying to OSHA about an accident at one of his work sites.

Imagine a house fire. It is the middle of the night and you are awakened by the fire alarm, the smell of smoke and an overwhelming fear.