The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health has announced the

2016 Step-Up for Safety in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industries. This step-up was designed to

raise awareness among employers and workers about hazards in oil and gas exploration. The

step-up will be taking place in mid-February through the end of March, and will involve

employers and employees around the country taking time out to conduct site inspections, safety

training, and other activities. This Step-Up is a part of the alliance between OSHA; the National

Service, Trasmission, Exploration & Production Safety Network; and the National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health. There will be a total of twenty-two regional STEPS Networks.

“Hazardous working conditions are taking the lives of a growing number of workers employed in

oil and gas extraction,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr.

David Michaels. “This safety step-up will help emphasize the tremendous value in dedicating

time during a workday to improve safety and health.”

If you are in the oil and gas exploration industry, it is imperative you ensure your occupational

safety and health policies and procedures are updated, as this has become an extremely important

industry to OSHA. If you have any questions about the efficacy of your occupational safety and

health policies and procedures, you should contact a qualified third party occupational safety and

health auditing firm to assist in bringing you into compliance.

If you have any questions about how this step-up program impacts your business, or about how

to improve workplace safety in the oil and gas exploration field, please contact us. If you have

anything to add about this step-up event, please leave a comment.