Fatigue in the Oil and Gas Extraction Industry is Causing Serious Injuries

Tired workers are nothing new. Regardless of your job or the industry you work in, you are bound to encounter at least one co-worker every day who complains about being tired. However, when does fatigue on the job become dangerous? When you are an oil rig worker who could be seriously injured or even killed.

Offshore oil rig workers face danger every single day, so when you throw extreme fatigue into the mix, the results can be less than favorable. Unfortunately, fatigue may be hard to avoid on an oil rig. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Heath (NIOSH) reports that employees in the oil and gas extraction industry will often work 8 or 12 hour shifts, for 7 or 14 days in a row. There is also a current shortage of trained workers which has led to employees working more than 14 days without a day off. This type of constant work can lead to things like:

  • Lack of attention to detail
  • Impaired alertness
  • Memory problems
  • Slowed reflexes

When fatigue overcomes the body, important safety details may be overlooked, increased awareness during intense situations may be completely impossible, and reflexes to sudden changes may be slowed.

If you are an offshore oil rig worker, you may feel pressure from your employer to work long hours. They don’t have enough employees and now they’re trying to make you feel like you owe them the extra hours somehow. Guess what? You don’t owe them anything. There are laws in place to protect you, and you should never compromise your safety just to please your employer.

Were you injured in an offshore accident and you think it was due to fatigue? Contact maritime Attorney Steve Lee for your free consultation. Also, please share this article with anyone you know in the oil or gas extraction industry who could benefit from understanding the effects of fatigue on their work.

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