5 Common Hazards in Oil and Gas Extraction and How to Address Them

Introduction

Oil and gas extraction is one of the highest-paid sectors in the United States — and, until recently, was one of the fastest growing. It brings thousands of jobs and millions of dollars to areas where oil and gas are found. And, in good times, it can earn hefty profits for investors. 

Oil and gas extraction also can be very hazardous. 

The oil and gas industry employs slightly over 400,000 Americans. While direct employment is lower than pre-pandemic levels, employment growth continues to accelerate as the industry experiences a sustained rebound in demand and production that started in 2021. Globally, the oil and gas sector is massive employer; one estimate indicates about 4 million people are directly employed. Many are working in jobs that are potentially dangerous. 

We’ve all read about the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion off the Louisiana coast. It killed 11 workers and injured 16 others while causing a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico — the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data indicates the number of annual worker fatalities in the oil and gas industry dropped to 78 in 2020 and 58 in 2021 as operations were curtailed during the COVID pandemic. While the drop in the number of fatalities is welcome news, the 2021 fatal injury rate of 9.8 per 100,000 FTEs is still 2.5 times than for private industry in general. 

Oil and Gas Industry Fatalities: 28.8 per 100,000 workers 7X Higher than the U.S. Average Highest in all industries. 

It’s worth noting that the oil and gas safety record has been improving for many years. But that doesn’t mean the operators and safety officers of oil and gas facilities can become complacent. 

First off, no company wants to run an unsafe operation — after all, no one should have to die or get hurt for his or her paycheck. 

As stated on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s website: “Oil and gas well drilling and servicing activities involve many different types of equipment and materials. Recognizing and controlling hazards is critical to preventing injuries and deaths.” 

Moreover, the oil and gas industry remains a magnet for budget-draining lawsuits, stringent federal regulations, antagonistic media coverage, and multibillion-dollar fines. 

It’s a hostile environment out there. 

Advanced technologies like digital processes and automation are making it easier and more cost-effective than ever to make your oil and gas workplace safer.

In this ebook, we provide a rundown of five common hazards in oil and gas extraction and show you the steps you can take by harnessing the power of advanced technologies to improve safety and reduce risk, helping avoid steep fines, sidestep costly litigation, and safeguard your employees, job sites, and assets.

Chapter 1: Vehicle Collisions

While explosions make the headlines, being on the road is the leading danger for oil and gas workers. According to the Centers for Disease Control, motor vehicle crashes account for 40% of oil and gas worker fatalities, some of which are caused by driver fatigue. That’s because so much of the process takes place on the road. Workers and equipment often must be transported long distances to remote well sites — and so must water, gravel, and chemicals for fracking operations, which puts more vehicles on the road than traditional drilling. 

“The growth of this industry is a big concern because it’s adding so many more trucks on the roads and its drivers don’t have to follow the same rules as others,” – Henry Jasny, a lawyer for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, in the New York Times.

While most commercial truckers must stop driving no later than 14 hours after their workday begins, oil and gas drivers aren’t required to count the time they spend waiting at a well while other crew members complete their tasks, which can stretch to many hours. 

The result? Exhausted drivers, who work very long days and then face a four-plus-hour drive home. In addition, lax standards can lead to vehicles in bad repair. And well sites are often in remote locations, meaning difficult drives on treacherous roads that are narrow and in need of repair themselves. These conditions create a dangerous working environment where driver fatigue interacts with the realities of work travel, leading to life-threatening accidents. 

And well sites are often in remote locations, meaning difficult drives on treacherous roads that are narrow and in need of repair themselves. 

NIOSH’s advice includes setting up safety programs to avoid driver fatigue, appointing a member of management to train drivers and maintenance crews, and creating a series of policies and checklists to enforce driver safety. 

Steps You Can Take 

Reducing roadway crashes might be the toughest part of your safety-related job. That’s because you have no control over roads and highways. However, you can still improve safety in this area. 

To get started, check out the guide to Work-Related Roadway Crashes: Prevention Strategies for Employers by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH’s advice includes setting up safety programs to avoid driver fatigue, appointing a member of management to train drivers and maintenance crews, and creating a series of policies and checklists to enforce driver safety. 

Mobile forms provide an effective and easy way to build driver safety checklists. You can also use forms to build inspection checklists to ensure the safety of your vehicles and to create vehicle accident reports. Drivers can complete these before setting out on the road (or if an incident occurs) and data is captured and can be accessed in real-time by management instead of waiting for a paper form to return from the field. 

Chapter 2: Struck-By/Caught-In/Caught-Inbetween

According to the latest BLS data, the majority of oil and gas industry worker fatalities are the result of transportation incidents or from being in contact with objects and equipment. 

Examples include a pipe bursting and workers being struck by the broken parts, falling tools hitting someone, hands being caught in a spinning chain, or someone being caught between a vehicle and a piece of machinery. 

Steps You Can Take 

Controlling these hazards starts with proper equipment installation and maintenance. In the drilling process, vibration and material fatigue are ever-present risks, causing materials to potentially break apart and fly toward employees at high rates of speed. So it’s imperative to regularly inspect equipment connections, check pressure gauges, use proper lubrication, and replace defective chains and wire ropes. 

In addition, employees must be properly trained in equipment use and situational awareness. They should be coached to wear required safety equipment at all times (like eye and face protection) and avoid loose clothing and other unsafe garments. 

Here’s where frequent, checklist-driven inspections are essential. Such inspections are vital for identifying defective or improperly installed equipment, monitoring equipment fatigue, tracking employee training, and confirming the proper use of personal protective equipment. 

Inspections of all types can be conducted most efficiently by using mobile forms. There are pre-built templates customized specifically for your industry such as the Oil and Gas Rig Derrick and Substructure Inspection mobile form. Similar forms are available for just about every area of your well or rig — and all can be tailored to meet your specific needs and requirements. 

To learn more about safety and inspections, you can also visit OSHA’s Crane, Derrick, and Hoist Safety page. 

Chapter 3: Fire and Explosions

Fires and explosions are constant risks for the oil and gas industry. After all, well gases, vapors, and hydrogen sulfide are all combustible. And electrical equipment, welding tools, and even lit cigarettes provide plenty of potential ignition sources. 

BLS data indicates that, in 2021, mining industries (including Oil and Gas) accounted for 10% of all fire-related deaths in private industry. 

With the growth of fracking, where drilling occurs in more densely populated areas, public concern over potentially catastrophic explosions has increased. Safety advocates note that such accidents don’t just threaten the lives of oil and gas workers — they jeopardize all those who live nearby. And that’s no small number: Recent analysis examined the characteristics of the 18 million Americans living within one mile of active oil and gas wells and found there are certain states with around 20% or greater of the population within one mile of a well. 

Steps You Can Take 

When developing your fire prevention and control plan, consider a two-pronged approach, as laid out by the United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive energy division. Passive protection prevents escalation of the fire by separating fire risk areas and shielding critical structural areas (temporary refuge and escape routes). Active protection generally requires human intervention to initiate, such as water deluge and foam systems. 

BLS data indicates that, in 2021, mining industries (including Oil and Gas) accounted for 10% of all fire-related deaths in private industry. 

To protect your employees and others from fire, start by taking a big-picture look at the safety design of your rig or well (passive protection). Are you using thermal protection to restrict the rate at which heat is transmitted in the event of a fire? Have you separated fire risk areas in order to better contain a potential blaze? 

Then turn your focus to safety training and equipment maintenance (active protection). Develop stringent safety requirements for hazardous materials handling and storage, and make sure all equipment is regularly inspected and repaired. 

Some areas of your rig, like gas chambers, oil tanks, and electricity rooms, are always under the threat of fire. So those areas should be under constant surveillance and inspected frequently. Mobile forms, such as Drilling Rig Inspection Checklist – Fire Protection Form Template, can be very helpful for creating inspection regimens. 

Fire accidents are highly unpredictable, start in an instant, and can spread in seconds. So employee safety training is critical. Make sure your employees are familiar with your firefighting strategy by running fire drills frequently. And be sure to install extinguishers and other safety equipment in fire-prone places. 

Mobile forms, such as Drilling Rig Inspection Checklist – Fire Protection Form Template, can be very helpful for creating inspection regimens.

Chapter 4: Falls

Of all the safety hazards in oil and gas, falls are one of the most common causes of fatalities. According to the CDC, about 66 percent of the workforce employed by drilling contractors and well-servicing companies spend much of their time working at elevations, and the “misuse or non-use of fall protection systems make fall injuries a significant hazard.” 

While harness failure is the leading cause of injuries and deaths from falls, slippery conditions also present risk. Workers can also fall from platforms, fall out of pickup truck beds, and have ladders or guardrails fail on them. Or they can simply trip. 

Steps You Can Take 

Consider surveying your employees who work at elevations to explore the factors that influence their use of fall protection equipment. Based on the feedback you receive, you may discover some factors you can modify to improve compliance rates and keep your workers safe. 

Of course, it’s crucial for employees to take responsibility for protecting themselves and their colleagues from falls. Elevated workers should inspect their harnesses regularly — and wear helmets, slip-resistant boots, and other safety gear. 

About 66% of the workforce employed by drilling contractors and well-servicing companies spend much of their time working at elevations, and the “misuse or non-use of fall protection systems make fall injuries a significant hazard.” 

Informed employees are safer employees, so make safety training an important part of orientation.

You should also install warning signage where needed, regularly inspect guardrails and stairs, and inspect ladders every time they’re used. It’s also important to prevent spills when possible and to quickly clean up spills that do occur, to avoid creating a slipping hazard. 

By developing safety regulations and consistently enforcing them, and by providing regular safety training for all employees, you can go a long way toward preventing injury-causing falls.

Stay on Top of OSHA Regulations 

Make sure you and your employees are following all of the newest OSHA guidelines. These resources can help:

• 7 Best Oil and Gas Safety Apps 
• OSHA’s Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool 

Chapter 5: Confined Spaces

Oil and gas workers are often required to access tight spaces that present unique dangers. 

These confined spaces include: 

• Storage tanks 
• Process and reaction vessels 
• Boilers 
• Ventilation and exhaust ducts 
• Tunnels and pits 
• Pipelines 

While these spaces may be large enough for workers to enter, they are not necessarily designed for people. In confined spaces, oil and gas workers can be exposed to hazardous chemicals, flammable gases, extreme heat, or exposed live wires. Workers run the risk of being unexpectedly engulfed, and asphyxiation can be an ever-present risk. 

Steps You Can Take 

According to OSHA regulations, confined spaces that contain or have the potential to contain a serious atmospheric hazard must be classified as permit-required confined spaces, tested prior to entry, and continuously monitored. For other factors that would require you to get a permit for a confined space, check out OSHA’s website. 

Confined spaces should be equipped with ventilation hoses to provide air and exhaust hoses to suck out toxic vapors. Safety-inspected guardrails and ladders might also be needed to prevent falls. And be sure that any worker who enters confined spaces is properly trained and equipped. 

Keeping workers safe in the field is easier than ever with the use of mobile forms. You can download pre-built, customizable inspection checklists for mud pits, petroleum storage tanks, pipelines, and more. 

Of course, these 5 common hazards aren’t the only dangers faced by oil and gas extraction workers. 

Most oil and gas rigs release high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas, and almost all hydrofracturing sites use fracking silica (sand). Both pose potential respiratory dangers. Hazardous levels of hydrogen sulfide can cause paralysis, leukemia and other cancers, and death. And silica exposure can lead to lung diseases. To avoid acute and long-term health issues, rig and fracking workers must be diligent about wearing the required eye, face, and respiratory protection masks.

Emergency Planning and Training 

All of these dangers — and others, such as exposure to radioactive material, heat extremes, machinery failure, and harmful noise levels — can be controlled with proper planning, training, and strong safety inspection plans. 

Any plan has to start with an evaluation of the hazards at your worksite. Many companies within the oil and gas industry use the Job Safety Analysis (JSA) process to identify hazards and find solutions. 

To avoid acute and long-term health issues, rig and fracking workers must be diligent about wearing the required eye, face, and respiratory protection masks. 

In a JSA, you focus on a specific task and then break down its components — from task to task and even movement to movement within each task. Then you identify hazards that can occur during each step. Finally, you decide how to reduce those dangers. 

Once you’ve completed a JSA and put together a safety plan, focus on training your employees. OSHA offers many training courses on safety and health hazards. Other courses are available through trade associations, such as the American Petroleum Institute, and through various companies, such as Honeywell Analytics’ flame- and gas-detection classes. 

The International Association of Drilling Contractors is developing a database of knowledge, skills, and abilities that workers need to master in order to be competent in different rig positions. Once this database is completed, you’ll be able to type in a worker’s job title and type of rig, and then receive a list of what the worker should be competent in to safely perform the job. 

It’s important not to neglect the safety of contractors and temporary workers. A recent NIOSH analysis of deaths and injuries in the industry concluded that these workers should be as well trained as your full-time employees. 

The bottom line is that when it comes to safety, emergency planning and training are critical.

GoCanvas customizable mobile forms, which can be built from scratch or based on standard templates, help you create forms that standardize procedures to safeguard employees, worksites, and assets.

Conclusion

While there are plenty of hazardous activities at any oil or gas extraction site, those dangers can be managed and prevented. 

Accident rates have dropped steadily since the 1990s, as the industry has made huge strides in safety improvements — by increasing automation and by providing frequent and thorough safety training. 

That said, the only way oil and gas industry leaders can continue this positive trajectory is to be constantly vigilant about safety. 

That’s where the power of advanced digital technologies helps businesses improve safety and reduce risk. 

Customizable mobile forms, real-time data collection and business insights, and automated workflows supported through a cloud-based platform eliminate tedious, manual processes and provide visibility into worksite operations.

For example, safety procedures can be standardized through mobile forms workers can access from anywhere and data and reporting on job site conditions can be captured and shared in real-time to support business decisions. Together, these solutions help businesses identify and reduce risks, resulting in tangible time and cost savings. 

GoCanvas offers digital and automated safety compliance and asset management solutions to help you make your oil and gas worksites safer and reduce risk. Our solutions are customizable, and we are dedicated to your success, partnering with you to scale your business.

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