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Author	Topic: For Oiland Gas Workers, Deadliest Danger Isn’t at the Rig but on the Road	Post a Reply Back to Topics

Timberline Champion Author West Virginia Posts:2,540 Points:772,355 Joined:May 2006	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 6:13:59 AM Ignore Timberline Report Abuse After working 17 hours straight at a natural gas well in Ohio, Timothy Roth and three other crew members climbed into their company truck around 10 o’clock one night last July and began their four-hour drive back to their drilling service company’s shop in West Virginia. When they were just 10 minutes from home, the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The truck veered off the highway and slammed into a sign that sheared off part of the vehicle’s side, killing Mr. Roth. About two months before the fatal crash, Mr. Roth nearly died in a similar accident when another co-worker with the same company fell asleep at the wheel after a long shift and ran the company’s truck into a pole....... Visit nytimes.com for full article

Timberline

Champion Author
West Virginia

Posts:2,540
Points:772,355
Joined:May 2006

Message Posted: May 15, 2012 6:13:59 AM

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After working 17 hours straight at a natural gas well in Ohio, Timothy Roth and three other crew members climbed into their company truck around 10 o’clock one night last July and began their four-hour drive back to their drilling service company’s shop in West Virginia.

When they were just 10 minutes from home, the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The truck veered off the highway and slammed into a sign that sheared off part of the vehicle’s side, killing Mr. Roth.

About two months before the fatal crash, Mr. Roth nearly died in a similar accident when another co-worker with the same company fell asleep at the wheel after a long shift and ran the company’s truck into a pole.......
Visit nytimes.com for full article

REPLIES (newest first)Ignore Short Messages

jrs4125 Champion Author Indiana Posts:2,898 Points:619,445 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: May 16, 2012 5:31:46 AM Ignore jrs4125 Report Abuse Preventable accident. Very sad.
wamster Champion Author Houston Posts:4,417 Points:719,590 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 1:46:25 PM Ignore wamster Report Abuse Companies do have guidelines for work and rest times. As a manager, my husband reprimanded a few guys for not getting enough rest time. When you don't get enough rest, that leads to sloppy work, and sloppy work leads to injuries.
ToolinIt Champion Author Colorado Posts:1,805 Points:912,135 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 11:22:45 AM Ignore ToolinIt Report Abuse OSHA should require shuttles being driven by fresh drivers.
aquarinut Champion Author British Columbia Posts:1,630 Points:444,895 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 9:54:45 AM Ignore aquarinut Report Abuse Should have a drivers pool separate from the rig workers, loss of experienced workers will always reduce production by their loss and the grief and remorse felt by the survivors.
fuel2use Champion Author Seattle Posts:3,615 Points:758,920 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 8:50:15 AM Ignore fuel2use Report Abuse They are on for to many hours in a day. This is bound to happen.
nerde Champion Author Florida Posts:6,551 Points:1,340,445 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 7:42:31 AM Ignore nerde Report Abuse Real people are simply replaceable assets in the "corporations are people too" pursuit of happiness (profits).
dave27johnson Champion Author Chicago Posts:1,823 Points:433,070 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 7:30:59 AM Ignore dave27johnson Report Abuse Long drives when tired are dangerous.
D61 Rookie Author British Columbia Posts:90 Points:82,575 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 7:26:46 AM Ignore D61 Report Abuse Exemptions for fewer pentions
badbonita Champion Author Syracuse Posts:6,366 Points:1,381,410 Joined:Jul 2008	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 7:22:38 AM Ignore badbonita Report Abuse This is not limited to just the oil industry. There are dozens of other occupations that force employees to work unbelievable amounts of overtime and then expect them to arrive home safely before being back on the job after minimal rest. In this case, a hotel stop should have been figured in the plans. The cost of a hotel room overnite - even at $200 or more - would have been a minor drop in the bucket compared to the lost time from injuries, costs of repairs or replacement company vehicles and the lost experience of the injured or deceased workers. My sympathy to Mr. Roth's family.
GingoutMD Champion Author Maryland Posts:3,495 Points:713,305 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 7:14:08 AM Ignore GingoutMD Report Abuse If the company would hire more employees and not have existing workers incur so much overtime, then incidents like this would not happen. However, the mind set in American business is to push the existing employees to the breaking point and not hire. That is one of the prime reasons the employment rate is so hard to reduce.
amoshins Champion Author Trenton Posts:2,306 Points:667,995 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: May 15, 2012 6:34:01 AM Ignore amoshins Report Abuse Glad I'm not in that business