Upstream Oil, Gas Hazards Added to OSHA Severe Violator Program as “High-Emphasis Hazards”

According to a recently issued OSHA memorandum, over twenty years’ worth of statistics show that upstream oil and gas production operations are plagued by fatalities at a rate five to eight times greater than the national average. Based on these alarming statistics, OSHA implemented a new policy under its Severe Violator Enforcement Program (“SVEP”) captured by Instruction CPL 02-00-149 Section XI, which endeavors to curb industry fatalities. The memorandum concerning this new SVEP Section was quietly issued to field officials and attorneys at a recent…
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OSHA to Pay Special Attention to Accidents Involving Communication Tower Workers

A recent communications tower collapse in West Virginia resulted in the deaths of two tower workers, as well as a firefighter who died while responding to the incident. These deaths are part of a sharp rise in fatalities in this industry. In fact, more communication tower workers were killed in 2013 than in the previous two years combined. According to Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels, OSHA is very concerned about the sharp rise in deaths and is going to increase…
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