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Safety and Health Topics / Oil and Gas Extraction

Oil and Gas Extraction

Oil and Gas Extraction Menu
Health Hazards Associated with Oil and Gas Extraction Activities
Oil and gas well drilling and servicing activities involve the use and production of potentially hazardous materials. OSHA,
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and industry and safety groups continue to evaluate
the type and extent of chemical and other health hazards across the industry.

Potential health hazards are highlighted below. See Standards and Enforcement for more information on evaluation and
control requirements.

Diesel Particulate Matter

Fatigue
Highlight: NIOSH Field Effort to
Hazardous Chemicals
Assess Chemical Exposures
Hydrocarbon Gases and Vapors (HGVs) and Low Oxygen
Environments NIOSH has initiated a field effort to
Hydrogen Sulfide assess chemical exposures in the oil and
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) gas industry. Workers, managers,
Noise supervisors, and health and safety
professionals involved in oil and gas
Silica
drilling and servicing operations are
Temperature Extremes
encouraged to participate in the field
effort. For more information see: NIOSH
Field Effort to Assess Chemical Exposure
Risks to Gas and Oil Workers.

Highlight: Hydraulic Fracturing

During the 2000s, there has been an increase in hydraulic fracturing operations in the oil and gas extraction
industry. NIOSH has initiated a field effort to assess chemical exposures in this industry. NIOSH identified
exposure to airborne silica as a health hazard to workers conducting some hydraulic fracturing operations.

For more information, see:

Silica Exposure during Hydraulic Fracturing. OSHA Infosheet (Publication 3622), (2012).
NIOSH Field Effort to Assess Chemical Exposure Risks to Gas and Oil Workers. NIOSH Fact Sheet, (January
2010).
Eric J. Esswein, Michael Breitenstein, John Snawder, Max Kiefer, and W. Karl Sieber, et al. "Occupational
Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica During Hydraulic Fracturing". Journal of Occupational and
Environmental Hygiene, 10: 347-56 (March 26, 2013).
Worker Exposure to Silica during Hydraulic Fracturing. OSHA-NIOSH Hazard Alert, (June 2012).
Frequently Asked Questions about Silica and Hydraulic Fracturing. OSHA.
NIOSH Field Effort to Assess Chemical Exposures in Oil and Gas Workers: Health Hazards in Hydraulic
Fracturing. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division.

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Diesel Particulate Matter
Diesel engines power a variety of machinery, vehicles, and equipment on a drilling site. Workers might be exposed to
harmful levels of diesel particulate matter during the operation of these engines. The following OSHA and NIOSH
documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling this hazard:

Diesel Exhaust. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Addresses diesel-exhaust hazards and associated standards.
Diesel exhaust. NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. Addresses exposure symptoms and measurement criteria
for diesel exhaust.

Fatigue
Workers might experience fatigue due to long shifts and when working multiple days in a row. The following OSHA and
NIOSH documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling this hazard:

Frequently Asked Questions - Extended Unusual Work Shifts. OSHA. Provides general guidance for protecting
workers who work long shifts.
Work Schedules: Shift Work and Long Work Hours. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Workplace Safety & Health Topic. Lists NIOSH publications and current research into the effects of evening, night,
and long work shifts on workers.

Hazardous Chemicals
Workers who use hazardous chemicals during work processes, especially during hydraulic fracturing, might be exposed to
hazardous byproducts of oil and gas drilling. The degree of potential hazard depends on individual chemical properties
and toxicity, but possible hazards include chemical burns from caustic substances and inhalation of toxic vapors. All
employers with hazardous chemicals in their workplaces must have labels and safety data sheets for their exposed
workers, and train them to handle the chemicals appropriately. Establishing effective engineering controls and work
practices can reduce potential worker overexposures. The following OSHA and NIOSH documents provide guidance on
recognizing and controlling these hazards:

Respiratory protection as it relates to oil fields. OSHA Letter of Interpretation, (April

14, 1993). Addresses respiratory protection in the oil and gas industry.
Hazard Communication. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Addresses hazard
communication and associated standards.
Personal Protective Equipment. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Addresses PPE
and associated standards.
Eye and Face Protection. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Addresses eye and
face protection and associated standards.
Respiratory Protection. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Addresses respiratory
protection and associated standards.
Hazardous Materials. OSHA's Harwood Grant Training Materials. Covers handling of
hazardous materials in the oil and gas industry.
Chemical Safety. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety & Health Topic.
Lists NIOSH publications and current research into chemical safety in the workplace.

Relevant OSHA and national consensus standards applicable to these hazards include:

Eye and face protection 1910.133

Respiratory protection 1910.134
Toxic and hazardous substances 1910 Subpart Z
PSM Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program. OSHA Directive CPL 03-00-021, (January 17, 2017).
Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment in General Industry. OSHA Directive CPL 02-01-050,
(February 10, 2011).
Respiratory protection as it relates to oil fields, OSHA Letter of Interpretation, (April 14, 1993).
ANSI/ASSE Z88.2 Respiratory Protection
NFPA 400 Hazardous Materials Code

Relevant industry practice documents applicable to these hazards include:

AESC (Association of Energy Services Companies) EC 600 Hazardous Communication Compliance Guide

Hydrocarbon Gases and Vapors (HGVs) and Low Oxygen Environments

NIOSH-OSHA Hazard Alert: Health and Safety Risks for Workers Involved in Manual Tank Gauging and Sampling at
Oil and Gas Extraction Sites
Protecting Oil and Gas Workers from Hydrocarbon Gases and Vapors. U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2017-158D, (August
2017). This video describes the hazards associated with manual gauging and fluid sampling on oil and gas production
tanks and describes steps that employers and workers can take to do this work safely. Also available in Spanish.
Gases and vapors continue to pose hazards on oil and gas well sites during gauging, fluid transfer, and disposal.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Science Blog, (August 24, 2018).
Forward-looking Infrared (FLIR) video. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Used to
visualize and record the plume of hazardous gases and vapors that surrounds the tanker truck during the fluid
transfer.
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Hydrogen Sulfide
Oil and gas wells can release hydrogen sulfide and expose workers to hydrogen-sulfide gas. The three best practices to
help prevent injury and death are: active monitoring for hydrogen-sulfide gas; good planning; and training programs for
workers. The following OSHA and NIOSH documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling this hazard:

Hydrogen Sulfide Gas. OSHA's Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool. Describes hydrogen-sulfide hazards in
the oil and gas industry and possible solutions.
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). OSHA QuickCard™ (Publication 3267). Addresses hydrogen-sulfide hazards in brief.
Respiratory protection as it relates to oil fields. OSHA Letter of Interpretation, (April 14, 1993). Addresses respiratory
protection in the oil and gas industry.
Respiratory Protection. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Addresses respiratory protection and associated
standards.
Hydrogen Sulfide. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety & Health Topic.
Lists NIOSH publications and current research into occupational hydrogen sulfide exposure.

Relevant industry practice documents applicable to this hazard include:

API 49 Recommended Practice for Drilling and Well Service Operations Involving Hydrogen Sulfide
API 55 Recommended Practices for Oil and Gas Producing and Gas Processing Plant Operations Involving Hydrogen
Sulfide
API 68 Well Servicing and Workover Operations Involving Hydrogen Sulfide
IADC H2S Safety Handbook
IADC H2S Safety for Oil, Gas & Petrochemical Industry
IADC H2S Safety in Drilling and Production
IADC Oilfield H2S Safety Training

Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM)

NORM might be released from oil and gas formations. Workers at risk of exposure include those who handle pipes and
equipment that might have been contaminated with NORM. Sludge, drilling mud, and pipe scales, for example, often
contain elevated levels of NORM, and the radioactive materials might be moved from site to site as equipment and
materials are reused. Disposal, reuse, and recycling of NORM might cause worker exposures. The following OSHA and
NIOSH documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling this hazard:

Potential Health Hazards Associated with Handling Pipe used in Oil and Gas Production. OSHA Hazard Information
Bulletin, (January 26, 1989). Describes the potential for oil and gas worker exposure to NORM during pipe welding,
cutting, or reaming.

Relevant national consensus standards applicable to this hazard include:

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 10 CFR 39, Licenses and Radiation Safety Requirements for Well Logging.

Noise
Oil and gas workers can be exposed to harmful noise levels during equipment operation. The following OSHA and NIOSH
documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling this hazard:

Occupational Noise Exposure. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Addresses noise hazards and associated
standards.
Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety
& Health Topic. Lists NIOSH publications and current research into occupational noise exposure.

Relevant OSHA and national consensus standards applicable to this hazard include:

Occupational noise exposure 1910.95. Note: 1910.95(o) states: "Paragraphs (c) through (n) of this section shall not
apply to employers engaged in oil and gas well drilling and servicing operations."

Silica
Workers might be exposed to respirable crystalline silica during processes that use sand, such as hydraulic fracturing.
The following OSHA and NIOSH documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling this hazard:

Silica, Crystalline. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.

Silica Exposure during Hydraulic Fracturing. OSHA Infosheet (Publication 3622),
(2012).
Worker Exposure to Silica during Hydraulic Fracturing. OSHA-NIOSH Hazard Alert,
(2012). Discusses the health hazards associated with hydraulic fracturing and focuses
on worker exposure to silica in the air.
Silica. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace
Safety & Health Topic. Lists NIOSH publications and current research into
occupational silica exposure.

Temperature Extremes
Well-site workers are exposed to extreme temperatures and should take precautions to stay safe. The following OSHA
and NIOSH documents provide guidance on recognizing and controlling this hazard:

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 Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers. OSHA. Lists resources and controls to prevent heat-related
illness.
Protecting Workers from Heat Illness. OSHA-NIOSH InfoSheet (Publication 3438), (2011). Provides information to
employers on measures employers and workers should take to prevent heat-related illnesses and death.
Occupational Heat Exposure. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page. Provides information on heat-related illnesses,
first aid, and prevention measures.
Protecting Workers from Heat Stress. OSHA QuickCard™ (Publication 3154). Covers heat stress in brief.
Cold Stress. OSHA Safety and Health Guide. Provides information on cold stress, and preventing injury and disease
related to cold weather.
Heat Stress. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety & Health Topic. Lists
NIOSH publications and current research into occupational exposure to high temperatures.
Cold Stress. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety & Health Topic. Lists
NIOSH publications and current research into occupational exposure to high temperatures.

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