Injuries to international petroleum drilling workers, 1988-1990.

Occupationally related death rates among workers involved in oil and gas extraction activities have been higher than rates for workers from all U.S. industries combined. In 1991, nonfatal work-related injury (NFI) rates for workers in the U.S. oil and gas field service industry (standard industrial classification [SIC] codes 138.1, 138.2, and 138.9)* were 49% greater than rates for all workers in private industry and tended to be more severe, with a lost-workdays rate more than 2.8-fold higher than in private industry as a whole. To develop improved strategies for preventing fatal injuries (FIs) and NFIs among petroleum drilling workers, the Louisiana Office of Public Health (LOPH) analyzed data on injury-related incidents in the petroleum drilling industry during 1988-1990. This report summarizes the results of this study.