According to studies conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 2.8 million American workers were injured on the job in 2017. For employees in the oil and gas industry, injury risks are constantly present. From working on oil rigs to transferring hazardous materials, fossil fuel workers are among the most commonly injured in the U.S. Unfortunately, many oil and gas companies aggressively fight against compensation for employees who suffer on-the-job injuries.

Common Oil and Gas Industry Injuries 

Working in the oil and gas industry comes with greater risks than most occupations. From oil rig fires and explosions to platform construction accidents, workers face a heightened risk of injury on a daily basis. Many oil and gas workers are tasked with driving potentially explosive cargo on their site and to other work sites. More than 300 fossil fuel workers have died in transportation accidents over the past decade. 

Oil and gas companies use heavy equipment in their day-to-day operations. The use of equipment such as derricks and drillers can result in serious injuries. Other workers face long-term medical complications due to exposure to noxious chemicals. Chemical exposure has been linked to leukemia, brain trauma, and paralysis. 

According to the National Safety Council, an American worker is injured on the job every seven seconds. From carpal tunnel syndrome to severe falls, no workplace injury should be taken lightly. 

While all fields of work pose some on-the-job injury hazard, construction workers face the largest risk of injury. Fortunately, issues that result from workplace injuries can be paid for with workers’ compensation. Through workers’ comp benefits, you can cover expensive medical bills, make up for lost work, and give yourself the time you need to heal both emotionally and physically. If you suffer an injury while working, it is important to contact a workers’ comp attorney as soon as possible. 

How you handle a work-related injury or illness from the beginning will substantially increase the likelihood that the insurance company will cover your claim, pay for your medical treatment, and compensate you for any lost wages. Many people have never been through something like this before and don’t realize they may be making critical errors even within the first hour of sustaining an injury at work. We want you to be prepared and have the information you need right from the beginning so we have summarized for you five simple steps to follow when you’ve experienced a workplace injury:

1) REPORT TO YOUR SUPERVISOR:

Immediately after sustaining a work injury, you should inform your supervisor. This begins with verbally reporting the circumstances to your supervisor. When doing so, make sure you explain how you were injured (mechanism of injury), how it was within the course and scope of your employment (what work related activity you were doing at the time), and which body parts you injured. It is essential that you report every single body part that is hurting, even if one is minor compared to another.

After notifying your supervisor, it is important to document what you reported on your own in case your injury is not accurately represented from your previous conversation. You can document your reporting by sending a text or email to your supervisor – and you can (and should) fill out an accident report. If there were any witnesses present when you hurt yourself, make sure to get their full name and phone number. It is even better if they are willing to provide a written statement detailing how you got hurt and what they saw.