NIOSH

Vehicle-related accidents contributed to more than a quarter of worker deaths in the oil and gas extraction industry over a recent 6-year period, according to a report from the CDC.

To explore motor vehicle safety, the agency is conducting interviews with workers as well as focus groups with managers and supervisors.

A recently published study connects risky driving to long work hours, lengthy commutes, and insufficient sleep.

The project would evaluate oil and gas extraction workers’ sleep, fatigue, and other related factors, as well as their relationship to industry-associated risks.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the invention of the hard hat, one of the most recognizable pieces of safety equipment in the world.

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the State of North Dakota, and the Bakken Basin Safety Consortium have signed an alliance to protect employees and promote safety and health in the oil and gas industry.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is collaborating with partners in industry, government, academia, and labor and with other stakeholders to achieve successful and sustainable outcomes to improve worker safety and health across the oil and gas extraction industry.

The tool, called the Field Analysis of Silica Tool, works with commercially available Fourier-transform infrared analyzers to determine a worker’s exposure to respirable crystalline silica  dust, providing detailed results immediately following a worker’s shift.

Millions of workers are exposed to noise in the workplace every day and, when uncontrolled, noise exposure may cause permanent hearing loss. Research demonstrates exposure to certain chemicals, called ototoxicants, may cause hearing loss or balance problems, regardless of noise exposure.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which recently released a report on 2014 oil and gas fatalities, 18% of the 101 deaths for the year were the result of roadway vehicle accidents.