Oil Field Deaths Prompt Inquiry Into Causes

Oil field workers in North Dakota are prepared to meet the physical challenges and daily demands of the job. But when oil and gas extraction companies disregard workplace safety, even seasoned oil field workers are at risk of serious and fatal injuries on the job. A string of oil field deaths in North Dakota is prompting a federal agency to delve into the causes of these workplace accidents.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which researches the causes of workplace deaths, plans to analyze the factors that contribute to accidents and injuries in the Bakken oil fields.

According to a 2015 death-on-the-job report by the AFL-CIO, North Dakota has the highest job fatality rate in the nation. North Dakota’s workplace fatality rate of 14.9 per 100,000 is more than four times the national average. The report said that the oil and gas industry has been a major source of worker fatalities. The fatality rate in North Dakota’s oil and gas extraction industry is seven times the national rate for that sector. Deaths have more than doubled since 2007, the report said.

The researchers will survey oil field workers and oil field truck drivers in North Dakota and Texas about their work conditions, whether they wear protective gear, and whether employers typically provide safety policies in writing and make workers aware of their right to halt a job if they see a potential safety hazard. The researchers expect to share the findings with OSHA regulators and make specific recommendations about safety improvements.

What is Believed to Be the Problem?

In the last decade, no fewer than 74 workers in the Bakken oil fields have died while on the job – and some suspect the number is higher. The total equates to one oil worker in the Bakken killed every six weeks. Work safety researchers are concerned that the manner in which some companies conduct their businesses contributes to the already-dangerous nature of the work.

Practices that researchers are particularly concerned about include:

• Truckers paid by the load instead of by the hour. The practice can encourage truckers carrying oil from the oil fields to attempt as many trips as possible as quickly as possible. In doing so, truckers are indirectly encouraged to ignore federal and state safety regulations regarding the number of hours that they are permitted to drive in a 24-hour period. Truckers who are paid by the load also may be encouraged to ignore mechanical issues with their rigs and attempt to complete delivery of a load so that they will receive more pay.
• Workers who are not properly instructed on proper oil field safety procedures. Oil fields are especially dangerous to new workers who do not have experience working in the industry and these workers need to be informed how to remain safe on the job. Unfortunately, providing safety training to an employee takes time and resources, which means that the company may experience a drop in productivity during the training period.
• Workers who are not provided proper safety equipment or who are not required to wear protective equipment. Protective equipment costs money, and training workers to use protective equipment takes time and money. Some employers may be inclined to provide insufficient equipment on the assumption that something is better than nothing. Other employers may take the position that time is money and that the workers are adults who can learn how to use the safety equipment on their own. Such attitudes put oil workers at greater risk of injury or death.
• Workers who are not encouraged to report safety concerns or violations. Workers who spot a safety violation and bring it to the attention of their supervisors can sometimes be retaliated against or disciplined. Some employers get upset that the whistleblower would want the company to spend money fixing a hazard or purchasing protective equipment as doing so would eat into the company’s bottom line.

Researchers are concerned that there are no effective procedures and mechanisms in place to  record all oil field injuries and deaths.

How Are Oil Field Employers Responding?

Although some oil field companies are not directly challenging the proposed survey, some have expressed the view that such a survey would be pointless. One company’s spokesperson went so far as to say that the conclusion of the survey would be the same as what the industry presently states: that oil field employers are committed to safety and take appropriate measures to safeguard their employees.

Will I Be Asked to Participate in the Survey?

If you are an oil field worker or trucker working in the Bakken oil field in North Dakota, you may receive a survey from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health asking you to describe your employer’s practices.

While it is your choice whether to participate in the anonymous survey, remember the reason for the questions is to improve workplace safety in the oil fields. Your honest responses will help researchers studying oil field worksites to learn whether safety problems and unsafe business cultures exist and what steps are needed to correct the dangers.

Should I Report a Workplace Injury?

If you notice a situation that appears to be unsafe, do not be afraid to speak out. Federal and state laws protect you against retaliation by an employer for reporting an unsafe working condition or a workplace accident. Failing to report hazardous situations to your employer only allows a dangerous condition to continue to exist. It can also result in you waiving important rights that enable you to seek compensation for your work-related injuries.

If you have been injured in an oil field accident, you need an aggressive attorney to help you obtain the benefits and full compensation that you deserve. Contact an oil field accident attorney at Larson Law at 701-484-4878. We have years of experience helping clients who have been injured on the job in the oil fields and will use our knowledge to help you.