Working Alone and/or in Remote Locations

Zimmerman, Stacy M.; Scott, Kenneth A.; Wingate, Kaitlin C.; Ramirez-Cardenas, Alejandra; Pompei, Richard J.; Hagan-Haynes, Kyla; Hill, Ryan; Wood, Eric M.

doi:10.1097/jom.0000000000002851

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The majority of worker fatalities in FOG also occurred in rural counties (FOG database, unpublished data, 2023), further complicating and potentially delaying emergency response for OGE workers involved in a cardiac or injury incident. Lone worker programs, medical screening, and enhanced exposure controls might be beneficial for the OGE industry ( 31 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, autopsies and toxicology reports are not always conducted or made available to researchers. When reports are available, certain toxicology tests that are relevant to exposures in the OGE industry are not always performed on workers, making it difficult to estimate the true prevalence of exposure to hazardous substances among OGE workers (31). Demographic data in the FOG database were less complete than for a majority of OGE industry-specific variables, particularly for fatalities involving cardiac events.…”

Section: Surveillance System Strengths and Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction Database, an Industry-Specific Worker Fatality Surveillance System — United States, 2014–2019

Wingate,

Ramirez-Cardenas,

Hill

et al. 2023

MMWR Surveill. Summ.

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Problem/Condition The U.S. oil and gas extraction (OGE) industry faces unique safety and health hazards and historically elevated fatality rates. The lack of existing surveillance data and occupational safety and health research called for increased efforts to better understand factors contributing to worker fatalities in the OGE industry. This report describes the creation of the Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction (FOG) database, presents initial findings from the first 6 years of data collection (2014–2019), highlights ways that FOG data have been used, and describes the benefits and challenges of maintaining the surveillance system. Period Covered 2014–2019. Description of System In 2013, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) created the FOG database, a surveillance system comprising an industry-specific worker fatality database. NIOSH researchers worked with OGE partners to establish inclusion criteria for the database and develop unique database variables to elucidate industry-specific factors related to each fatality (e.g., phase of operation, worker activity, and working alone). FOG cases are identified through various sources, such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports, media reports, and notifications from professional contacts. NIOSH researchers compile source documents; OGE-specific database variables are coded by multiple researchers to ensure accuracy. Data collection ceased in 2019 because grant funding ended. Results During 2014–2019, a total of 470 OGE worker fatalities were identified in the FOG database. A majority of these fatalities (69.4%) were identified from OSHA reports and Google Alerts (44.7% and 24.7%, respectively). Unique database variables created to characterize fatalities in the OGE industry (i.e., phase of operation, worker activity, working alone, and working unobserved) were identified in approximately 85% of OGE worker fatality cases. The most frequent fatal events were vehicle incidents (26.8%), contact injuries (21.7%), and explosions (14.5%). The event type was unknown among 5.7% of worker fatalities. Approximately three fourths of fatalities identified through the FOG database were among contractors. Approximately 20% of cases included workers who were working alone. Interpretation The FOG database is a resource for identifying safety and health trends and emerging issues among OGE workers (e.g., exposure to hydrocarbon gases and vapors and fatalities resulting from cardiac events) that might not be available in other surveillance systems. The FOG database also helps researchers better identify groups of workers that are at increased risk for injury in an already high-risk industry. Challenges exist when maintaining an industry-specific surveillance system, including labor-intensive data collection, the need for researchers with substantial knowledge of the industry, delays in access to t...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Surveillance System Strengths and Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction Database, an Industry-Specific Worker Fatality Surveillance System — United States, 2014–2019

Wingate,

Ramirez-Cardenas,

Hill

et al. 2023

MMWR Surveill. Summ.

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“…This is especially important for OGE workers who oftentimes work in remote locations where emergency services may not be readily available. 62 It is recommended that all workers receive a health screen before working in the OGE industry. Health screens should follow 29 C.F.R.…”

Section: Considerations For Preventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatalities Involving Substance Use Among US Oil and Gas Extraction Workers Identified Through an Industry Specific Surveillance System (2014–2019)

Ramirez-Cardenas

Wingate

Pompei

et al. 2023

J Occup Environ Med

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Objective: Characteristics of oil and gas extraction (OGE) work, including long hours, shiftwork, fatigue, physically demanding work, and job insecurity are risk factors for substance use among workers. Limited information exists examining worker fatalities involving substance use among OGE workers. Methods: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction database was screened for fatalities involving substance use from 2014 through 2019. Results: Twenty-six worker deaths were identified as involving substance use. Methamphetamine or amphetamine was the most common substances (61.5%) identified. Other contributing factors were lack of seatbelt use (85.7%), working in high temperatures (19.2%), and workers' first day with the company (11.5%). Conclusions: Employer recommendations to mitigate substance use-related risks in OGE workers include training, medical screening, drug testing, and workplace supported recovery programs.

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Rural health and rural industries: Opportunities for partnership and action

Scott,

Elliott,

Lincoln

et al. 2023

The Journal of Rural Health

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occupational health, occupational health services, rural health, rural health services, social determinants of health A recent article in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1 describes the Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction (FOG) database-an industryspecific database created to help researchers understand patterns of deaths among US oil and gas extraction (OGE) workers. Among other strengths, the database includes detailed geographic data on fatal incidents-a feature lacking in other systems that track workplace fatalities. It is clear that the majority of OGE worker fatalities occurred in rural micropolitan and noncore counties (Figure 1). This finding may not be surprising to people in the industry. However, it does raise questions about relationships between work, health, and rurality that are rarely explored explicitly or systematically.The uneven allocation of social and structural determinants of health (SDOH) across geographic space accounts for disparities in health outcomes among people living in urban and rural areas. 3 Employment is an SDOH that can impact health through working conditions, access to income, health insurance, a sense of meaning, and quality housing. [4][5][6][7][8][9]

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Working Alone and/or in Remote Locations

Cited by 3 publications

References 15 publications

Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction Database, an Industry-Specific Worker Fatality Surveillance System — United States, 2014–2019

Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction Database, an Industry-Specific Worker Fatality Surveillance System — United States, 2014–2019

Fatalities Involving Substance Use Among US Oil and Gas Extraction Workers Identified Through an Industry Specific Surveillance System (2014–2019)

Rural health and rural industries: Opportunities for partnership and action

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