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2 workers injured on the job at drilling site

On Behalf of | Mar 11, 2014 | Workplace Accidents |

Any kind of work involving oil and gas can be particularly dangerous. Workers who have to handle day-to-day operations at drilling sites typically receive a great deal of training. However, despite any amount of training, accidents can occur and can lead to workers injured on the job. With the number of refineries and gas and oil drilling sites located throughout California, workers may want to be aware of accidents and injuries that happen elsewhere.

The accident making news took place at an oil and gas drilling site in another state. Workers were removing an oil and water mix from inside storage tanks. The mixture was being moved to a separator when there was an explosion. Currently, authorities believe static electricity may be to blame for the explosion.

Two of the workers at the scene were injured. The explosion caused houses to shake. Reports also indicate the ensuing fire could be seen for miles. There was no word as to whether other workers needed to be evacuated or if the injured workers need to miss work as they focus on recovering from their injuries.

Although the workers injured on the job only received minor injuries, they may have had to take off work to recover or seek treatment. Those workers may also have to contend with the aftereffects of an explosion in ways they may not even realize, as some injuries — such as respiratory problems — are not always normally discovered until some time after a job accident. In California, if a worker is injured on the job, they have the legal protection of workers’ compensation to help them deal with the cost of leaving work to seek medical treatment or the cost of needing extra time off to recover from those injuries.

Source: sacbee.com, Static electricity suspected in Colorado gas blast, No author, March 4, 2014

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