Oklahoma event to stress oil-field safety

There have been nine work-related deaths and one drilling rig fire classified as a catastrophe because three workers were hospitalized since Oct. 1, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

David Bates, OSHA's area director in Oklahoma City, this week called for all exploration and production companies in Oklahoma to participate in a voluntary safety stand down.

The Mid-Continent Exploration and Production Safety Network and Oklahoma Department of Labor joined in the request.

Preventing accidents

Diana Jones, director of the labor department's Safety Pays consultation program, said Thursday's event at the Cox Center will include an overview of the Oklahoma accidents so industry officials can learn from them and prevent them in the future.

Jones said she is proud of the industry's response to the accidents, which involved six drilling companies and four service companies.

“They're the ones making this happen,” she said.

Continental Resources Inc. is spreading the safety message to its workers across the country, said Rick Muncrief, the company's senior vice president of operations.