According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s NIOSH, between January, 2015 to February, 2017 oil and gas extraction workers were involved in 602 incidents, some resulting in multiple injuries. There were 481 hospitalizations and 166 amputations.

One example: “An employee was gauging a crude oil tank through a thief hatch and may have been exposed to vapors from the tank or oxygen depletion. The employee became ill and fell down the stairs breaking the right wrist.”

Severe injuries in upstream oil & gas operations are hard to calculate due to these data gaps and limitations:

• State-run OSHA programs are not included (i.e. Alaska, California, etc.)

• Under-reporting and reporting errors. It’s estimated to be roughly 50 percent underreported based on workers compensation data. Self-reported incidents may lack crucial detail or information.

• OSHA Jurisdiction does not cover Incidents that occur on public streets, highways, or on normal commute2

• Trucking/ Hauling related incidents may be listed on other NAICs codes

Source: NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Oil and Gas Sector Council, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)