Job-related injuries in oil, gas industry trend lower, according to new study

Occupational injuries and illness in the natural gas and oil industry are declining, according to a new report from the American Petroleum Institute (API).

API’s Workplace Safety Report showed that injuries are down and occur at a lower rate than the other comparable industries.

“Safety has always been paramount to the natural gas and oil industry. As this report demonstrates, the industry’s leading workplace safety record reflects our commitment to safe and healthy working environments,” Debra Phillips, vice president of API Global Industry Services, said. “With strong industry leadership, we continue to enhance our approach to training, prevention, and continuous improvement – incorporating advanced technologies, materials, and practices as we strive toward our industry-wide goal of zero incidents.”

Information for the report was culled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

The report found that the rate of job-related nonfatal injuries and illnesses in 2017 was 1.7 incidents per 100 full-time workers versus 2.8 incidents for the U.S. private sector.

The incidence rate in the industry has decreased by 41 percent since 2008, while the private sector’s rate decreased by 28 percent since then.

The incidence rate for exploration and production was 1.1 per 100 full-time workers compared to 1.5 for the U.S. mining sector. Further, the pipeline rate rounds to 0.0 for almost every year, including 2017, compared to the 2017 rate of 4.6 for all of U.S. transportation and warehousing.

API partnered with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to launch “Safe +Sound Week” in August of 2018 to raise awareness of the importance of safety and health programs.