Rising Risks: Heat-related Fatalities and Hospitalizations in the U.S. Upstream Oil and Gas Extraction Industry
As summer temperatures rise, the threat of heat-related illness and death to oil and gas workers increases.
- By Bradley King
- Aug 01, 2024
Oil and gas extraction (OGE) workers have the potential to be exposed to extreme heat conditions. Particularly in areas where OGE activities are extensive such as southern or western Texas (i.e., the Eagle Ford Shale and the Permian Basin, respectively), summer temperatures can routinely exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (°F). These workers perform physically demanding outdoor work over 12 or more hours per 24-hour shift, increasing the potential for exposure to heat stress conditions.
Studying Heat Risks in OGE Workers
A recent study by investigators at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) highlighted the toll that heat stress and a combination of related factors have on the health and safety of workers in the upstream OGE industry in the United States. In the study, NIOSH scientists analyzed two databases to learn more about serious heat-related illnesses experienced by OGE workers and factors that may increase the risk for such illness.
To identify potential heat-related fatalities, the scientists used the NIOSH Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction (FOG) Database. This database collects detailed information about OGE worker fatalities from the years 2014–2019. Data on these fatalities are pulled from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports, autopsy and medical reports, media coverage, and other sources. Cases of environmental exposures in which ‘heat’, ‘hot’, and ‘temperature’ were mentioned were identified and reviewed for evidence that the fatalities were caused by heat. If available, data extracted included worker demographics, recorded ambient and core body temperatures, physical activities preceding the fatality, heat-related symptoms, new employee status, evidence of heat-stress training, and other occupational risk factors such as positive post-mortem drug results from toxicology screens.
In addition to the NIOSH FOG database, the scientists also used the OSHA Severe Injury Report Database to examine trends among worker hospitalizations due to heat. The database includes information on severe work-related injuries reported to OSHA, including incident descriptions (e.g., date, location, North American Industrial Classification System [NAICS] code, and the source and nature of the injury). Cases of hospitalization due to temperature extremes or environmental heat among OGE company types were identified for the timeframe beginning in January 2015 through May 2021.
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.