Unique safety hazards are linked to the Texas oil and gas industry, and it will likely always be a dangerous occupation. However, the relationship between the oil industry and safety authorities has improved over recent years. Regardless, employees’ safety will always depend on the employer’s compliance with the industry’s safety standards.
- Fire risks: Flammable chemicals like hydrogen sulfide cause fire hazards, along with the dangers of outbreaks of electrical and thermal fires.
- Explosion risks: Oil production companies store compressed gas in large amounts on-site, and the high pressure increases the chances of explosions.
- Vehicle accidents: Studies show that road accidents cause more casualties among oilfield workers than any other industry and approximately 40% of industry fatalities.
- Fatigue: Drill sites are often in isolated locations, and drivers have to travel long distances, often exhausted after working a long shift on-site.
- Heavy machinery-related hazards: Oilfield workers face caught-between, caught-in and struck-by risks during each shift through exposure to moving parts of drilling equipment, heavy machinery and high-pressure lines.
- Mental Health: The demands of their jobs, the work environment’s intense pressure and long periods away from family and friends are known to increase the risks of mental health problems.
Compliance with safety standards is crucial because amputation injuries can happen in the blink of an eye. When such accidents happen, workers must report it to employers as soon as possible and get the wheel rolling with filing claims for workers’ compensation benefits. While medical expenses and lost wages for temporary disability are typically covered, permanent disabilities typically make victims eligible for additional benefits through the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance provider.