The West Virginia Commission on Oil and Natural Gas Industry Safety met in late August for its second meeting. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin formed the commission earlier this year to review state and federal regulations regarding safety in the oil and natural gas industry.

An oil field rig exploded in West Texas in March, killing three workers, according to the Associated Press. Investigator Dusty Kilgore of the Upton County Sheriff's Office told AP the accident happened about 40 miles south of Midland.

Oilfields are huge fire hazards with tight quarters and plenty of fuel. Have a plan in place to immediately deal with any fire and to ensure that all workers are accounted for. In areas where exits may be difficult, fire alarms and suppression systems must be in place and tested regularly.

The state of North Dakota, OSHA and MonDaks Safety Network formed an alliance recently to improve oil field safety. The group plans to take on safety standards relating to hydrocarbon inhalation, the Bismarck Tribune reported.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) this week will release its third and final report on the August 6, 2012, crude unit fire that occurred at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond, CA – and incident that endangered 19 workers and sent more than 15,000 residents to the hospital for medical attention.

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