A recent story in Forbes Magazine rated oil rig and gas pipeline workers as having the worst job in America for 2010. Surprised? In Louisiana and around the Gulf of Mexico, working for the oil companies is considered a good job.
Forbes and CareerCast, an employment web site, rated 200 occupations using five criteria: pay, hiring outlook, work environment, stress, and physical demands. They used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the Census Bureau and trade association studies.
So what makes oil rig or gas pipeline worker the worst job in America? It is the danger that workers face.
Oil rig workers work 12 or more hours a day. They operate or fix heavy machinery, navigate slippery surfaces, endure extreme weather conditions, and travel from platform to platform on rough seas. Many employees are young and inexperienced and may not have had adequate safety training. These factors add up to a stressful environment where injury is likely to occur.
Given these conditions, it is no surprise that oil rig and gas pipeline workers have high injury and fatality rates. Common types of accidents include: slips and falls, machinery accidents, explosions, fire, falling objects, exposure to hazardous chemicals and vessel accidents. These accidents can lead to injuries ranging from broken bones and burns to brain injuries and spinal cord injuries to even death.
Oil rig and gas pipeline workers who are injured on the job have rights under maritime law. Call The Young Firm to learn more
