If you participate in oil and gas extraction activities as part of your work activities, then you will be aware that there are some risks and dangers associated to them. However, your employer has the legal duty to mitigate these risks as much as is reasonably possible. There are also many protections in place for you as an oil and gas extraction worker.
Extraction activities involve drilling and may require the use of a whole host of different equipment that could have their own dangers. There are countless control requirements in place for things such as vehicle operations, hazardous energy, high pressure lines and preventing accidents. You can read more about these on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website.
I was injured while working in oil and gas extraction, what can I do?
There are protections in place for you as a worker who was injured on the job, regardless of the way that you were injured. It doesn’t matter if you were injured because of a fall, vehicle collision or explosion. You will likely be entitled to workers’ compensation based on the severity of your injury.
What is workers’ compensation?
Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that can help you to recoup damages that you suffered from during a work-related injury. You may be able to get money back from the medical costs associated with the injury, and any wages that you lost. You may also be entitled to further compensation if you are permanently unable to work as a result.
It is important to conduct research into your eligibility for workers’ compensation and make an application as soon as possible.
Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “Safety Hazards Associated with Oil and Gas Extraction Activities,” accessed Jan. 11, 2018