On 11/20/2014, an explosion on an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana left one worker dead and three others injured.
UPDATE: At least one lawsuit has been filed in relation to this incident.
Houston-based energy company Fieldwood Energy (who owns the rig) reported the explosion on its “Echo Platform” shortly before 3:00 p.m. on Thursday about 12 miles off Louisiana’s coast. One worker was reportedly deceased, another was reported to have “visible injuries,” and two others were hospitalized for hearing issues. The injured workers were taken to an undisclosed onshore medical facility and released shortly after.
Fieldwood released a press release stating that the four individuals who were affected belonged to a cleaning company based in Louisiana called Turnkey Cleaning Services. The CEO also stated that the explosion happened when Turnkey Cleaning Services employees were cleaning a “heater treater” separator; a piece of equipment which separates oil from water during the oil prospecting process. Heater-treater incidents have happened before, namely in 2011 in a similar incident on a Louisiana oil rig.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has consequently launched investigations to look into the incident, promising to provide more information in the coming days.
Worker Safety and Environmental Preservation is Vital!
Offshore drilling is one of the most dangerous jobs in America, and maritime workers in this industry face numerous risks such as burns, explosions, falling items, fatigue, lack of adequate safety protocol and more.
Oil and gas drilling companies are extremely profitable, yet not enough is being done to protect these offshore workers. Platform safety ought to be at the top of the list for these companies, as human (and marine) life should not be viewed as dispensable in the face of profits. These incidents only serve to reinforce the fact that this is an industry that needs more thorough regulations to ensure that worker safety remains at the top of its agenda.
Company Claims Explosion Caused No Pollution
According to the statement released by Fieldwood Energy CEO Matt McCarroll (the owner of the platform), there was no indication that the explosion resulted in pollution or oil leakage into the ocean. He also added that there was no oil prospecting that was happening at the time of the explosion, and that the facility was not damaged.
The Gulf of Mexico is home to tens of thousands of abandoned oil wells, as well as the scene of one of the worst oil platform accidents in U.S. history, which happened back in 2010.