Oil companies employ thousands of workers nationwide: In the United States, at least 100,000 people work on an oil rig at any given time of year. If you’ve been injured on the oilfield, you know firsthand how dangerous this work can be. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that oil and gas extraction workers suffered over 63 fatal injuries in 2016 alone. It also found that Texas had the highest recorded number of fatal work injuries that year, with more than 545 people killed.
As oil and gas companies continue to hire at record rates over the coming years, the number of serious injuries on oilfields is expected to increase. While oil extraction will always pose serious risks to workers, massive oil companies take advantage of their employees all too often and may refuse to fairly compensate those who are badly injured on the job. If you’re one of those workers, it could be time to discuss your accident with a dedicated Pasadena oilfield accident lawyer. You may be eligible for damages to cover your losses and should seek the help of a work injury lawyer.
The Most Common Causes of Oilfield Accidents
Risks lurk everywhere on the oilfield, and workers must be vigilant to protect themselves and others from getting injured on the job. However, the most common causes of accidents are often preventable, especially by employers.
Here’s an overview of the most common causes of oilfield accidents:
- Insufficient training programs: Hiring booms lead to an increase in accidents, partly because oil companies fail to properly train their new employees. In the oil and gas industries, failing to provide the appropriate guidance for heavy machinery can cause serious injuries or even death.
- Slips and falls: Slipping and falling is one of the most common accidents on the oilfield, largely because so many of the work areas are cluttered with oil and debris, as well as other trip hazards. Supervisors must ensure that these spaces are clear and do not endanger employees.
- Fires and burns: Hazardous materials like oil are flammable, so when fires do break out, it becomes deadly in a matter of minutes. Employers must continually update fire safety protocols and provide adequate burn protection.
- Falls from oil rigs: The CDC found that from 2003 to 2013, falls accounted for 15% of all fatalities on the oilfield and that many of these could have been prevented with better protective gear. In nearly 86% of the cases studied, the worker’s oil rig equipment failed them.
In the state of Texas, employers are not legally required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance. If they do not opt to protect their workers, they leave themselves open to personal injury lawsuits and can be held fully accountable for your workplace injuries in a civil court.
Contact a Pasadena Oilfield Accident Lawyer
You deserve to work in a safe environment, and at Haines Law, P.C., we are committed to helping you fight back against companies that fail to protect you from undue harm.