Rig Deaths Reminds Fort Worth of the Need for Oil Field Safety
There has definitely been an increase in oil and gas drilling rig-related deaths and injuries in our area recently. Offshore drilling accidents have been in the news for years. But now with all the Barnett Shale activity in Tarrant, Wise, Parker and Johnson Counties, the reports of accidents seem to all be local. I remember two years ago when a gas well explosion in nearby Forest Hill evacuated 500 people and killed a contractor. And then, just this week, a Runaway Bay man died working on a drilling rig in Burleson when a hoist broke and a piece of pipe fell on his head. Many other injuries have been reported in the meantime.
Drilling for natural gas is a dangerous job, there’s no doubt about that. And with nearly 2,000 rigs in the United States and a great number of those here in Texas (Tarrant County, especially), there is a much greater chance for oil field-related accidents, injuries and deaths. That Forest Hill explosion was investigated because it turned out the operators disregarded safety regulations. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration Web site on oil and gas well drilling and it is extremely informative on drilling safety. Everything from maintenance and inspection to prevention practices and emergency training—it’s all very informative and relevant to the area we live in. For more information on oil and gas drilling safety tips and anything else you might care to know about this industry, I also recommend searching around the American Petroleum Institute (API) Web site. This is the site of the petroleum industry's main trade association.
