In February, an oilfield worker was killed on the job in Bowie, Texas. According to the Times Record News, the 29-year-old man from Nocona died as a result of exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S). Law enforcement officials just received the toxicology report confirming the cause of death. At this time, the incident is still under investigation with the Montague County Sheriff’s Department, the Texas Railroad Commission and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
A fellow oilfield worker found Gregory Claxton unresponsive at a well site. He was pronounced dead on the scene, near Seldom Seen Road. Claxton was an oil hauler from Nocona, Texas. First responders on the scene were unable to revive him and suspected hydrogen sulfide gas exposure as the cause of death. At this time, there’s no word on how Claxton was exposed to the gas. Oilfields and worksites in the oil and gas extraction industry should have the proper monitoring equipment to keep workers safe.
Oil Field Injury and Fatality Facts
- From 2008 to 2012, 545 oil field workers died on the job.
- Texas reported the most fatalities of any state during that time with 216 deaths.
- Oklahoma has had a 24 percent increase in oilfield deaths when compared with the five years prior to 2008.
- Texas has had a 7.4 percent increase in deaths on the oilfield.
Oilfield Safety for Rig Workers
Unfortunately, Texomans are all too familiar with the dangers associated with oilfield work. An increase in the natural gas extraction business has also brought an increase in workplace deaths and industry-related trucking crashes. Smaller rural areas that are now natural gas extracting boomtowns have not been able to keep up with the demand for increased commercial trucking traffic. In fact, between 2009 and 2013, traffic fatalities involving commercial vehicles have increased by 51 percent across the State of Texas.
After an Oilfield Accident
If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one at an oil well site, contact the skilled legal team at the Altman Legal Group at 940-761-4000 for a free case consultation today. It may take additional investigative efforts to determine if all the proper safety procedures and equipment were being utilized at the time of the injury or death.
The team at the Altman Legal Group sends their deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Gregory Claxton.