A new report from the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) offers some positive news on efforts to restore and protect some of the many wild bird species harmed by the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has voted to update the status of sixteen recommendations resulting from twelve accident investigations including key safety improvements resulting from the 2006 CAI/Arnel fire and explosion in Danvers, MA and the 2005 BP Texas City refinery fire and explosion.

The IPIECA - the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) have produced new guidance to provide practical guidance for clients and contractors on the development and implementation of all contracts that include a health component as determined by the Risk Assessment.

On May 19th, 2014, NIOSH posted a Science blog titled “Reports of Worker Fatalities during Flowback Operations.” This blog post provided information that NIOSH received from several sources indicating that acute exposures to hydrocarbon gas and vapors likely played a role in the deaths of at least four workers in the oil and gas extraction industry.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued four urgent recommendations calling for more robust and fire-resistant rail cars to be produced to safely carry flammable liquids such as crude oil and ethanol.

The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) has published two new reports on process safety data. Potentially hazardous substances are a fundamental part of today’s oil and gas industry, and safe handling is vital.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) has issued an updated pressure relieving design and installation standard intended to enhance refinery safety as part of its core commitments to improving workplace safety and protecting the environment.

The Middle East oil, gas and petrochemical industry is currently focusing on the operational side of process safety management (PSM) and evaluating the gaps in the current programs to further improve PSM performance whilst ensuring a systematic approach is implemented for reporting near misses.

Local retailers and restaurants are beginning to see an increase of job-seekers as the oil industry continues to shed jobs across the Permian Basin, according to the Midland (Texas) Reporter-Telegram.