Work-Related Deaths in Oil Industry on the Rise, More Regulation Needed

According to ThinkProgress.org, on February 21, a 26-year-old worker was struck by a welding truck and died at a drilling site in Converse County, Texas.

This young worker’s death is evidence of how deadly and dangerous drilling sites are in the Lone Star State. In Texas, the oil industry kills more of its workers than any other, and no changes have been made by companies to make work conditions safer.

The government is not helping the situation either: a year after the oil industry deaths reached their most recent peak of 138 in 2012, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was stripped of tens of millions of dollars in funding by sequestration, cutting the training of new inspectors.

The boom in oil production is likely making conditions for workers even more unpredictable. The industry hired 23 percent more workers between 2009 and 2012, but the death rate climbed over 100 percent in the same period. Ryan Hill, head of the oil and gas extraction program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, attributed it to new, inexperienced workers pulled into the industry by booming production without proper education and training from their employer.

“During times of high demand like now, there are new workers brought into this industry, and these are workers that may not have…training and experience,” stated Hill.

What Options Do I Have If My Husband Died On The Job?

When negligent employers do not properly educate and train their new hires, they create a more deadly environment for their workers. If you have lost a family member in a work-related accident, contact our Austin workers’ compensation attorney today to schedule a free consultation. Our firm has been helping Austin families get justice since 1978.

Did You Know: Between 2007 and 2012, 663 workers were killed nationwide in oil-related accidents and hundreds more were injured, according to OSHA.

The Law Offices of Aaron Allison – Austin Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Source: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/26/3329551/oil-boom-worker-death/#