Workplace Safety in the Oil & Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry is one of the more hazardous sectors in Canada. For example, in 2010, there were 16 fatalities in the upstream oil and gas industry in Alberta alone and 83 serious injuries in the industry in BC that year. So it’s no surprise that workplace safety is an important issue in the oil and gas industry.

In this special report, we look at the common hazards oil and gas workers face and tell you how the jurisdictions address oil and gas industry-related safety and hazards in their OHS laws. We also look at two of the key safety issues in this industry’drug and alcohol testing and contractor management. And we give you some recent cases involving companies in this industry.

Defining Our Terms

When we refer to the ‘oil and gas industry,’ we mean operations involved in or connected to the exploration or drilling for or the production, conservation, processing or transportation of oil or gas, including wells for gas, crude oil or geothermal energy.