2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

330558
Development of an Oil and Gas Worker Fatality Surveillance System


Wednesday, November 4, 2015 : 9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.

Sophia Ridl, BS, Western States Office, CDC/NIOSH, Denver, CO
Kyla Retzer, MPH, Western States Office, CDC/NIOSH, Denver, CO
Ryan Hill, MPH, Office of the Director, CDC/NIOSH, Morgantown, WV
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) show that the fatality rate (per 100,000 workers) for oil and gas extraction (OGE) workers decreased from 2003-2012 (p<.05). But, despite this improvement, the OGE industry fatality rate remains well above the rate for all U.S. workers, and in 2012, an all-time high of 142 OGE workers died while on the job (Bureau of Labor Statistics). This presentation will provide a current overview of OGE industry fatality trends, describe the FOG surveillance system and features, and discuss initial findings from the use of FOG.

The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Oil and Gas Extraction Safety Council, a collaboration between private industry, federal government, and academia, works closely with NIOSH to mitigate hazards to workers in this industry . In 2013, the Council expressed a need for more detailed information regarding fatal events to workers in the OGE industry to help reduce fatal injuries, through a better understanding of the factors that lead to these tragic occurrences. In response, the NIOSH Oil and Gas Safety and Health Program developed an internal surveillance system, Fatalities in Oil and Gas (FOG), to begin tracking more detailed information on fatal injuries to OGE workers. Although in its infancy, FOG has already proven to be a useful tool with the pending publication of 2014 mid-year and full-year fatality reports that provide previously unobtainable fatality data to the OGE industry.

Learning Areas:

Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Describe the new Fatalities in Oil and Gas (FOG) surveillance system developed by NIOSH and explain initial findings from data collection

Keyword(s): Occupational Health and Safety, Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I manage the Fatalities in Oil and Gas (FOG) surveillance system. I am responsible for collecting and analyzing fatality data and producing all reports using data from the system. I also participate in multiple other safety and health initiatives for the NIOSH Oil and Gas Safety and Health program, including field and fatality investigations.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5067.0: NIOSH's oil and gas extraction H&S program