Common Causes of Oilfield Accidents

Working in the oil and gas industries is inherently dangerous, much like working on construction sites, requiring people to labor in extreme weather with heavy machinery and powerful, sometimes unpredictable forces. Unfortunately, failure to follow safety requirements and consistently apply proper safety protocols can put workers at risk. If you are seeking a San Antonio oilfield injury lawyer, contact the expert legal team at Carabin Shaw.

Oil and gas operations contribute to the economy, but workers continue to face serious occupational hazards. In 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 65 fatal occupational injuries nationwide across three industry categories: oil and gas extraction, drilling oil and gas wells, and support activities for oil and gas operations. These consisted of 5 deaths in extraction, 13 in drilling, and 47 in support activities. These are national figures, not Texas totals, and do not encompass every oil-and-gas-related job classified in other industries, such as pipeline construction or trucking. Source: BLS 2024 fatal occupational injury data.

The following are some common oilfield accident types and contributing factors:

• Vehicle accidents
• Pipeline explosions
• Fires, explosions, or equipment failures at gas compressor stations
• Well explosions and fires
• Accidents during well drilling, completion, servicing, and operation
• Rig blowouts
• Equipment failure
• Falling equipment
• Falls from rigs and equipment
• Contractor negligence or recklessness

OSHA identifies vehicle collisions, struck-by and caught-between incidents, explosions, fires, falls, electrical hazards, and confined spaces among the hazards associated with oil and gas extraction.

All too often oilfield accidents result in catastrophic injuries, such as severe burns from chemicals or fires, broken necks, backs and legs from falls, head injuries from equipment, electrical injuries, exposure to toxic chemicals and gases, loss of limbs from explosions or equipment, and internal organ injuries. Many of these injuries are preventable and companies should always be doing their utmost to create a culture of safety on their job sites that prioritizes worker safety above any other concerns. Anyone who has experienced an oilfield accident in the San Antonio area should consider it in his or her best interest to speak with an oilfield injury attorney in San Antonio.

Under OSHA's current reporting requirements, employers must report qualifying work-related fatalities and severe injuries:

• A work-related fatality must be reported within eight hours after the employer learns of it. The fatality-reporting requirement applies when the death occurs within 30 days of the work-related incident.
• An inpatient hospitalization of one or more employees, an amputation, or the loss of an eye must be reported within 24 hours after the employer learns of it. These reporting requirements apply when the outcome occurs within 24 hours of the work-related incident. Inpatient hospitalization means formal admission for care or treatment, not an emergency-room visit solely for observation or diagnostic testing.

The former threshold involving the hospitalization of three or more workers is outdated. The expanded federal reporting requirements took effect on January 1, 2015. Reporting an incident and conducting an OSHA inspection are separate matters; a report does not automatically mean OSHA will conduct an on-site inspection. Source: OSHA's explanation of the reporting changes.

Your San Antonio oilfield injury lawyer is only a phone call away. If you or someone close to you has experienced an oilfield injury, it is in your best interest to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. Oilfield injury law is one of our practice areas at Carabin Shaw, where we serve clients in San Antonio and many other locations across the state of Texas. You may be entitled to compensation as a result of injuries you have sustained while working in the oil and gas industries.

Don't hesitate to contact the legal professionals at Carabin Shaw--we will be happy to provide you with a free, in-depth consultation to make sure that you fully understand all the details of your case.