Reducing Danger to Offshore Oil and Gas Workers

Drilling for oil is a dangerous career choice. The fatality rate for oil and gas extraction workers is eight times higher than the national on-the-job average. But you might not know that, instead of having conditions improve, the industry is becoming more dangerous every year, with the annual death toll in Texas alone rising from 35 in 2003 to 45 in 2010. The increase in deaths each year is causing regulators to take notice and make calls for changes in the industry. Before change can happen, however, the reasons behind the rise in workers deaths have to be explained.

One of the driving forces of the oil and gas industry for years has been its workers ability to retrieve gas and oil from any location, no matter how remote or dangerous, all while maintaining a profit. Kurt Arnold, a maritime attorney with Arnold & Itkin LLP who represents injured offshore workers, explains,

"There is an attitude in the oil industry that time is money, and there is no time to waste when it comes to an oil extraction project. Even if it means sending workers into dangerous conditions with rough seas and high winds, the big oil companies will keep workers drilling on rigs and jack ups 24 hours a day for as long as they possibly can."

This fact, combined with the continued use of older equipment and the use of improperly trained staff, continues to lead to the grisly injuries and deaths of workers in the oil and gas field. Fearing continued casualties, the STEPS Network (South East Texas Exploration and Production Safety) has charged itself with attempting to reduce the high death rate in the oil and gas industry. Their main achievement, since 2004, has been to get drilling companies to meet with members of the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) on a monthly basis. While it's just a baby step, the hope is that monthly meetings like these will help drilling companies see their actions from the perspective of their employees. For example, a presentation at one recent meeting asked drilling company representatives to write a letter home to loved ones, imagining that they would be killed that day in a rig accident. The hope is that exercises such as these will emphasize the human tragedy involved in avoidable worker deaths, and may eventually lead to improved safety precautions in the oil and gas industry.

Until that happens, however, there will continue to be tremendous danger associated with offshore drilling jobs. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in an accident while working offshore, there are specific laws that protect you. An experienced offshore injury attorney from Arnold & Itkin has the knowledge and resources necessary to take on big oil and gas companies and serve as an advocate for you. Contact an offshore injury attorney from Arnold & Itkin today for a free and confidential consultation.