Risk factors for heat-related illness resulting in death or hospitalization in the oil and gas extraction industry

Abstract

Many oil and gas extraction (OGE) activities occur in high-heat environments, resulting in a significant risk of heat-related illness among outdoor workers in this industry. This report highlights cases of occupational heat-related illness that resulted in death and identifies common risk factors for heat-related fatalities and hospitalizations among OGE workers. Two databases maintained by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were reviewed to identify heat-related fatalities, hospitalizations, and associated risk factors among OGE workers. Nine fatalities and associated risk factors were identified during 2014–2019 from NIOSH’s Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction (FOG) Database. Risk factors identified included those commonly associated with heat-related fatalities: new workers not acclimatized to heat, inadequate heat stress training, and underlying hypertension or cardiovascular disease. Of particular note, substance use was identified as a significant risk factor as more than half of the fatalities included a positive postmortem test for amphetamines or methamphetamines. Fifty heat-related hospitalizations were identified from OSHA’s Severe Injury Report Database during January 2015–May 2021. Heat stress has been and will continue to be an important cause of fatality and adverse health effects in OGE as hot outdoor working conditions become more common and extreme. More emphasis on heat stress training, acclimatization regimens, medical screening, and implementation of workplace-supportive recovery programs may reduce heat-related fatalities and injuries in this industry.

Keywords:

• Heat stress
• heatstroke
• OGE
• outdoor workers

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Marie De Perio, Brenda Jacklitsch, Thomas Hales, and Ryan Hill who provided reviews of the manuscript.

Data availability

For more information about requesting FOG data, please contact the NIOSH Oil and Gas Program at [email protected]. Data from the OSHA Severe Injury Report Database is available at https://www.osha.gov/severeinjury.

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH or the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Authors supported by CDC/NIOSH T32 OH009229 Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center and through programmatic funds of the NIOSH Western States Division.