Oil drilling is important here in Texas. The recession saw a decrease in hiring across all industries, and oil and gas were no exception. Recently, these jobs have begun to increase again. While that is a great benefit to the state and those who live here, it has also caused a rise in fatal workplace accidents in the oil fields.
Experts say that the fatality rate for oil field workers is significantly higher than for other industries. This may be due to hiring less-experienced workers. Because the need for employees has increased so dramatically, often they are not properly trained or have as much experience as would be beneficial for such a potentially dangerous job. Also, employee fatigue and difficult working conditions may contribute to the rise in worker deaths.
Sometimes, the stress of such harsh working conditions may cause employees to try to cope with illegal substances. There are those who say that drug testing on these employees is not happening frequently enough to prevent accidents that may hurt or kill an impaired person or his or her coworkers. Officials in the industry, including the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, are working to ensure that rules are being followed to maximize employee safety. With the rise in hiring in this booming industry, the lives of employees should not have to be in danger because of preventable factors.
Many families have had to face the tragedy of losing someone they love to an oil field accident. The oil and gas industries in Texas can be particularly risky for employees who work for them. If a family has lost someone to an oil field accident, they may wish to bring a civil suit against the company who employed that person. If such a suit were successful, it may help cover unpaid medical bills, funeral costs or other expenses related to these workplace accidents. The increase in jobs in this industry is great news for the state of Texas, but no employee should have to pay with his or her life.
Source: npr.org, On-The-Job Deaths Spiking As Oil Drilling Quickly Expands, Andrew Schneider and Marilyn Geewax, Dec. 27, 2013
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