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The Hazards of Drilling for Crude Oil

Between 2004 and 2008, there was an average of 34 deaths per year in the oil and gas well drilling industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 37 percent of the deaths resulted from contact with objects. In 2007, workers were absent an average of 30 days, compared to an average of seven days for all industries. One reason for the higher figure was because 25 percent of the injuries to oil/gas drillers involved broken bones. Other hazards workers face while drilling for oil include falls, exposure to harmful substances, fires and explosions.

  1. Blunt Trauma

    • Oil drillers work under dangerous conditions. The platform and equipment they work with are normally slippery. The drilling causes vibration and noise. Pipes can move and fall. Tools drop. High-pressure hose connections can fail and whip about, striking workers. There's also a risk of falling when climbing the rig and derrick.

    Exposure

    • Workers risk exposure to a number of chemicals and unhealthy materials that are present while drilling for oil. These include crude oil, hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S), asbestos, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, benzene and heavy metals. Drilling for oil can also produce radioactive waste. This happens when naturally radioactive materials like stones or soil are brought to the surface during the drilling process. Radioactive waste can also be found in produced water, sludge and drilling mud. Produced water is underground water brought to the surface during the drilling process, along with the oil. It can be as much as 100 times more radioactive than water from a nuclear power plant. Workers are exposed to the radium isotopes that are released from these wastes, raising their risk of cancer. The radon gas that's released during drilling also increases workers' risk of lung cancer.

    Fire and Explosion

    • In 2008, fires and explosions caused 18 deaths in the oil and gas industry, according to the U.S Department of Labor. Work-related fatalities due to fires and explosions are rare. However, there's always a risk that the pressure control systems will fail and there will be an uncontrolled release of oil. In the petroleum industry, this is known as a "blowout"; if it's not controlled, a well blowout can catch on fire. Fires can also occur when workers weld near flammable materials, or when electrical equipment isn't properly maintained.

    Oil Rigs

    • Almost 24 percent of oil-rig accidents that happened between 2001 and 2007 were due to human error, according to the U.S. Minerals and Management Service. Problems happened because of a lack of communication. In addition, written procedures were missing, and procedures that did exist weren't enforced. Under new rules being developed by the service, rig operators will have to focus on ways to prevent human error, which the service identified as a factor in many of the accidents.

    Other

    • Other injuries can result from oil drilling. These include burns caused by steam, acid or mud where chemicals like sodium hydroxide are found. In 2007, transportation accidents accounted for about 2 percent of injuries, and overexertion was responsible for another 11.3 percent.

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