At a glance
- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction (FOG) is a database of worker fatalities in the oil and gas extraction industry.
- The FOG database protects workers by monitoring trends, identifying emerging issues, and producing reports summarizing fatal events in the industry.
Purpose
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction (FOG) database is a national database for worker fatalities in the U.S. oil and gas extraction industry. The FOG database protects workers by monitoring trends, identifying emerging issues, and producing reports summarizing fatal events in the industry.
The FOG database is used by NIOSH, the oil and gas extraction industry, and other partner groups to better understand fatal incidents and prevent future loss of life. However, FOG is not a complete census of all U.S. oil and gas extraction worker fatalities. It is a subset. Any statistical analyses or statements about industry-wide trends using FOG data should consider the limitations of FOG's methodology.
What's collected
The FOG database collects detailed information about worker fatalities in the U.S. oil and gas extraction industry.
Data included in FOG
For a fatality to be included in FOG it must meet the following criteria:
- The fatally injured worker must be engaged in work for the oil and gas extraction industry at the time of the incident. This includes:
- Oil and gas extraction workers
Workers involved in land-based or offshore exploration for crude oil and natural gas; drilling, completing and equipping wells, and all other activities in the preparation of oil and gas up to the point of shipment from the producing property on a contract or fee basis are included in FOG. - Workers from other industries doing work in oil and gas extraction
Workers from other industries such as site preparation and related construction, specialized freight trucking, and geophysical surveying are included in FOG if the incident occurred while they were doing work for the oil and gas extraction industry. - Crude oil or natural gas haulers
Workers involved in hauling crude oil or natural gas from the producing property to a processing or storage facility are included in FOG.
- Oil and gas extraction workers
- The worker was fatally injured or had an onset of illness which occurred at work or was a direct result of work-related activities. This includes:
- Traumatic Injury: Workers who died as a result of any damage inflicted to the body by energy transfer during work with a short duration between exposure and health event.
- Drug and alcohol overdose: Workers who died at work from drug and alcohol overdose, regardless of when the drugs were taken and whether the drugs were medicinal or illicit.
- Intentional Injuries: Workers who died as a result of suicide or homicide at work.
- Work-related chronic illness
Workers who died from a chronic illness that is reported to be related to their work in the oil and gas extraction industry are included in FOG. Due to the latency between most work-related exposures and diagnosis as well as a lack of data sources, these fatalities are difficult to capture. - Non-traditional commutes to or from the worksite or temporary lodging camps: Workers who died during a non-traditional commute to or from their worksite are included in FOG. Non-traditional commutes are defined in FOG as meeting one of the following criteria:
- Worker travel in excess of 90 minutes or 50 miles one-way.
- Workers transported by an employer-paid transportation service.
- Workers traveling as a crew.
- Cardiac events
Workers who experience a fatal cardiac event that began at work or was believed to be triggered by work activities.
- Traumatic Injury: Workers who died as a result of any damage inflicted to the body by energy transfer during work with a short duration between exposure and health event.
Data not included in FOG
The FOG database only includes worker fatalities related to the oil and gas extraction industry. It does not include:
- Non-fatal injury or illness. FOG only includes data on incidents resulting in one or more worker fatalities.
- Midstream or downstream oil and gas worker fatalities. FOG does not include fatalities to workers involved in the transportation (by pipeline, rail, or barge), storage, and wholesale marketing of crude oil or natural gas ("midstream") or the refining, processing, or purifying of crude oil and natural gas ("downstream") and the marketing and distribution of the products derived from these processes are not included.
FOG limitations
The FOG database does not currently identify all worker fatalities related to the oil and gas extraction industry. In particular, the following types of fatalities are likely underreported in FOG:
- Roadway motor vehicle fatalities. FOG underreports motor vehicle incidents that occur on public roads and highways due to a lack of data sources for this type of incident. NIOSH is working to identify sources and develop better methods to collect information about roadway motor vehicle crashes.
- Work-related chronic illness. FOG underreports fatalities due to work-related chronic illness because it is difficult to determine if an illness was work-related due to the latency between exposure and diagnosis. There is also a lack of data sources that document these types of illnesses.
Data Sources
The FOG database relies on several sources for incident identification and information. Data sources include:
- Formal investigations by federal, state, and local agencies:
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) state and federal programs
- Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)
- United States Coast Guard (USCG)
- Motor vehicle crash reports
- Coroner and medical examiner reports
- Emergency responder and police reports
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) state and federal programs
- Public information:
- Media reports
- Press releases
- Obituaries
- Media reports
- Notifications from industry partners
- Public records:
- Death certificates
- Death certificates
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FOG FAQs
- How can I access FOG data?
- FOG data is publicly available through the NIOSH Worker Health Charts website.
- FOG data is publicly available through the NIOSH Worker Health Charts website.
- Where can I find a list of all of the variables use in FOG?
- A complete list of FOG variables and other key documents are available through CDC Stacks.
- A complete list of FOG variables and other key documents are available through CDC Stacks.
- How have FOG data been used?
- Published NIOSH reports can be found on the NIOSH Oil and Gas Extraction Resources Page or can be requested by emailing nioshoilandgas@cdc.gov
- Hazard alerts have been published as part of an alliance with OSHA, NIOSH, and the National STEPS Network.
- Published NIOSH reports can be found on the NIOSH Oil and Gas Extraction Resources Page or can be requested by emailing nioshoilandgas@cdc.gov
- How are the data in FOG different from what is collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI)?
- The purpose of FOG is to collect detailed and industry-specific information on oil and gas extraction fatalities, while the purpose of CFOI is to collect a census of fatalities for all industries. The case definitions (i.e. inclusion criteria) differ. Therefore, each system will have a different number of fatalities each year.
- Both FOG and CFOI include non-traditional commuting fatalities, but the definition of a non-traditional commute differs slightly between datasets.
- FOG includes all cardiac events where symptoms begin at work, but CFOI does not.
- The purpose of FOG is to collect detailed and industry-specific information on oil and gas extraction fatalities, while the purpose of CFOI is to collect a census of fatalities for all industries. The case definitions (i.e. inclusion criteria) differ. Therefore, each system will have a different number of fatalities each year.
- Why does FOG include all cardiac events that begin at work even if there is not a direct work-related cause?
- Cardiac events that begin at work are included in FOG because acute exposure to some chemicals or toxic substances can mimic or induce cardiac events. Also, they are included to support the identification and characterization of factors that may influence the occurrence or outcome of these incidents, such as physically demanding work, and working alone and in remote locations.
- Cardiac events that begin at work are included in FOG because acute exposure to some chemicals or toxic substances can mimic or induce cardiac events. Also, they are included to support the identification and characterization of factors that may influence the occurrence or outcome of these incidents, such as physically demanding work, and working alone and in remote locations.
- How are FOG data verified?
- Fatalities are reviewed and categorized by at least two NIOSH oil and gas extraction researchers to ensure they meet the inclusion criteria for FOG and are coded correctly. Subject matter experts from the industry are also consulted to ensure complex incidents are accurately described and categorized.
- Fatalities are reviewed and categorized by at least two NIOSH oil and gas extraction researchers to ensure they meet the inclusion criteria for FOG and are coded correctly. Subject matter experts from the industry are also consulted to ensure complex incidents are accurately described and categorized.
- How should I cite the FOG website?
- NIOSH (2017). Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction (FOG). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Western States Division. Date accessed._________.
- NIOSH (2017). Fatalities in Oil and Gas Extraction (FOG). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Western States Division. Date accessed._________.
For more information about requesting FOG data or a custom report please contact the NIOSH Oil and Gas Program: nioshoilandgas@cdc.gov
To notify NIOSH about an oil and gas extraction worker fatality or to provide information about a fatality please email nioshoilgasfog@cdc.gov.
Emails sent to this address are not anonymous. Information about fatalities is very valuable to us, however, there is no requirement to report this information to NIOSH.