SNYDER, Texas, Sept. 11, 2008
U.S. Oilfield Deaths Skyrocket With Demand
High Prices Fetched By Gas, Oil, See Roughnecks Working Longer, Harder, Dying More Often
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A oil well worker reaches up to guide a pipe into an oil well in Talpa, Texas on May 23, 2008. (AP PHOTO)
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A oil well worker reaches up to guide a pipe into an oil well in Talpa, Texas on May 23, 2008. (AP PHOTO)
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Oil drips out as workers lay pipe into an oil well in Talpa, Texas, May 23, 2008. (AP PHOTO)
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On Easter Sunday 2007, the day he died, he was helping four other crew members repair a plugged drill bit on a rig about 70 miles northeast of Lubbock in the Texas Panhandle. A supervisor split the men into two groups performing different procedures to get the rig back in operation more quickly, according to OSHA reports.
Garrett was standing on top of a spool when another crew member accidentally activated it. Garrett was pulled into the machine. The cable cut his torso in half.
"Instead of doing one job at a time, both jobs were done simultaneously, resulting in a fatal accident," an OSHA inspector determined. He also noted that Garrett was doing a job he was not regularly assigned to do.
The agency cited Patterson-UTI for four safety violations, including two that were identical to those it had been issued for three other deaths a year earlier.
OSHA ordered the company to pay about $23,000 for violations related to Garrett's death. But after negotiations, regulators agreed to drop one violation and reduce the fines by half.
At least 20 Patterson-UTI employees have died on the job between 2002 and 2007, according to an AP computer analysis of OSHA data. No other oil and gas company has had more than five fatal accidents during that span.
Based in Snyder, Texas, Patterson-UTI is one of the nation's largest oil and gas drilling companies. Mark Siegel, its chairman, told the AP the company has stepped up efforts to keep its employees safe.
Over the past three years, Patterson has spent about $1.5 billion to overhaul its safety training and replace older, more dangerous equipment, he said. Early indications suggest the investment is paying off in fewer accidents, the company and OSHA agree.
"What we found was employees in the field were in effect putting themselves in positions of risk, and then sometimes unfortunate accidents occurred," Siegel said.
A report issued in April by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee described Patterson-UTI as one of the nation's worst violators of workplace safety laws. The report, titled "Discounting Death: OSHA's Failure to Punish Safety Violations That Kill Workers," concluded the agency's enforcement actions amounted to a "slap on the wrist" for the company's "unspeakable toll" on Texas workers.
Devoting an entire section to Patterson-UTI and 13 employees, including Garrett, who died in Texas rig accidents between November 2003 and April 2007, the report said the agency fined the company $432,000 for violations related to the deaths. But it later forgave all but $115,000 of the fines.
"OSHA's attempts to stop Patterson from gambling with workers' lives are a study in weakness," the report said.
OSHA officials declined to respond specifically to criticisms in the Senate report.
The fatality rate for oil and gas workers in the U.S. between 2002 and 2007 was more than 29 deaths per 100,000 workers, or about seven times the average for all occupations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During that period, the rate climbed from about 25 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2002, peaking at more than 32 in 2006 before falling back to about 28 in 2007.
No one knows how many deaths and injuries have resulted from drug use by rig crews. But there is little doubt it is a factor, according to the Energy Training Council's Altom. In some places, methamphetamine use is so prevalent it is difficult to keep crews together, especially at companies that require periodic drug tests.
In Wyoming, two rig workers who died within a year of one another each had methamphetamine and marijuana in their systems, according to state officials. One lost his balance and fell 90 feet; the other was sliced by a steel cable. Both had worked in the industry for more than 20 years.
Sublette Sheriff Wayne Bardin said drug-related arrests in his Wyoming county quadrupled in recent years. The bulk of those arrested, he said, work for oil and gas companies.
Many put in 84-hour work weeks - two weeks on, and two off - on top of long commutes to and from the oil fields. Some use methamphetamine.
"They say it just keeps them awake longer," Bardin said.
Darlene Murrell said she worries about other young men heading to the oil fields in search of a good paycheck, and has some motherly advice: "It's too dangerous. Do something a little safer."
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Michelle Obama tells how her role as the First Lady has changed her perspective.
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See all 77 CommentsDaVicar I see you changed you name again...got booted huh?
It''s time the US views oil in the same eye as gold. don''t give the gold that belongs to US citizens to a corporate entity that will sell back the gold to the same citizens at a terribly over inflated profit.
I would LOVE to see you up against my big, strong oil man, sugarpie! You apparently have NEVER tangled with a southern republican woman before, have you...you have no way of winning with me. Anyway, I have better things to do like cook dinner and have it on the table when my hubbie walks through the door in an hour. Signing off now....have a blessed evening, VICAR boy. ;-) Slim, you sound like a good guy, have a great night!
Whats a matter, Slim? You dont have a BIG, STRONG, OIL MAN to serve you your Bon-Bons?
Posted by biger-e at 04:47 PM : Sep 11, 2008
The ONLY justification that Bush could find to invade Iraq, according to the UN charter, is if he posed an imminent threat TO US. THAT is why Bush fabricated the WMD stories. You can''t say "I don;t care about the WMD''s", because without those lies, we could NEVER have invaded Iraq.
What he did to the Kurds / his own people, INCLUDING torture and raping them, WAS NOT A LEGAL JUSTIFICATION for us to invade, no matter how much we opposed those actions. The UN charter, which we''re still a member of, says so. (And whether you like or hate the UN, remember that WE -- THE US -- had MORE input into the charter when it was created, than anyone else.)
High Prices Fetched By Gas, Oil, See Roughnecks Working Longer, Harder, Dying More Often
And big oil''s response?
"Hmmm, I wonder how many BILLIONS that comes out to per death? Oh well - it doesn''t matter. They were probably only middle class anyway. (Insert Snidely Whiplash''s evil laugh, here.)
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Posted by GodHelpTheUS at 05:30 PM : Sep 11, 2008
Actually,,I think that he was talking about me, and not you.
But if you could pass some of those Bon Bons on over to me, that would be delightfull.
Starting to get the munchies over here.
LOL
Golly, he also fixes things, too, and he has almost all of his fingers.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that his primary source of income can easily be replaced by an undocumented alien with no english-speaking skills, and and the equivalent of a 3rd-grade education.
Ohhhh, WHAT A MAN!!!
I would slap the ignorant taste out of your mouth if I met you face to face right now, you are a sorry excuse for a human being. I said nothing rude to you at all, just asked if you thought you could do the job, obviously from your comment, you wouldn''t have the brainpower to even drive to the location sites! Anyway, I wasn''t trying to be "UPPITY" at all, just bragging about my husband who is very skilled, are you jealous, honey? I''m sorry you don''t have a woman that loves and adores and treats you with respect!Keep your ugly, probably unemployed, selfpitying, full of hate comments to yourself, I have to get back to paying bills out of my husband''s paycheck for which he works so hard. Let me get back to my chocolate truffle bon-bons and romance novels in my UPPITY life!! You are a disgrace!
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Posted by TheVicar1 at 05:20 PM : Sep 11, 2008
So, who''s UUPPIITTYY?,,Certainly not Jed,,LOL
And another thing,,What the hell''s wrong with your elbows?
Is somebody on their knees?
LOL
Not really...its just that UPPITTY people make my elbows itch!
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Posted by TheVicar1 at 04:49 PM : Sep 11, 2008
C''mon now,,you don''t have THAT much trouble with reality,,do you?
Well Michelle Obama could use a Serious Make Over and some beauty products from HSN or QVC.
Gee, imagine that...a real HUNK of a MAN who can squirt oil out of the ground...something Jed Clampett did with a rifle, BY ACCIDENT!
Golly, he also fixes things, too, and he has almost all of his fingers.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that his primary source of income can easily be replaced by an undocumented alien with no english-speaking skills, and and the equivalent of a 3rd-grade education.
Ohhhh, WHAT A MAN!!!
Posted by biger-e
85% of the population may have supported going into Afghanistan after bin Laden. Very few except the brainless supported cretin-in-chief in Iraq.
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Posted by usclimey
I''m not talking "may haves". look at the facts. and I don''t care about the WMD. The Kurds were on the receiving end of WMD and the torture and rape commited by his sons and others should have been enough for any real American to intervene anyways. experienceing stats.
Yeah, thats real Rocket Science...way beyond what any Hispanic guy could understand.
Posted by TheVicar1 at 10:34 AM : Sep 11, 2008
Sorry I''''m just getting to this, but I''''ve been homeschooling my children since my first post this morning. "TheVicar1," I would love to see you do the extensive formulas and mix exactly the right chemicals like my husband does every day to avoid a "blowout" on the rig or pull back tons, yes I said tons, of pipe from 150 feet in the air while standing on a little skinny board. Sir, please don''''t be putting hardworking people down unless you know everything there is to know about the particular business you are "dissing!" My husband is extremely intelligent not only in math & science, but he can also tear a vehicle apart and put it back together again in great working condition, he can do electrical work, carpentry work, plumbing work...shall I go on....not too many men have that many skills. They are much more important than just sitting in front of a computer all day entering data, just my opinion, of course. The oilfield just happens to be great money for working only 6 months out of the year. Not to shabby, eh?
Your husband sounds awesome. You are a blessed wife. Does you husband have a single brother?
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Posted by TheVicar1 at 01:33 PM : Sep 11, 2008
Obvisously you are talking about a "Po boy" sandwich, not a poor boy. Who Probably can''t afford a sandwich.
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