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Safety training resources for oil and gas and extraction workers

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DWC publications:

Safety basics, process safety, and blast hazards

Strong safety programs, good housekeeping, and effective process safety management help prevent catastrophic incidents at wells, plants, and processing facilities. These resources support basic safety planning, inspections, and process safety programs for oil and gas operations.

Respiratory protection, toxic gases, and chemical exposure

Oil and gas work routinely exposes workers to hydrogen sulfide, hydrocarbon vapors, silica, and other airborne hazards during drilling, completions, and production. These materials guide employers in controlling those exposures and in maintaining strong respiratory protection and hazard communication programs.

  • Hazard Communication Fact Sheet (English/Spanish).
  • Hazard Communication Sample Written Program (English/Spanish).
  • OSHA Hazard Communication Standard Safety Training Program (English/Spanish).
  • Protecting Oil and Gas Workers from Hydrogen Sulfide (English).
  • Protecting Workers from Crystalline Silica Hazards in the Workplace (English).
  • Respirator Fit Testing – Take 5 for Safety (English/Spanish).
  • Respiratory Protection in the Workplace: Fit Testing Matters! (English/Spanish).
  • Respiratory Protection Sample Written Program (English).
  • Respiratory Protection: Spotlight On the Oil and Gas Extraction Industry (English).
  • Respiratory Protection Workplace Program (English/Spanish).
  • Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Safety Training Program (English/Spanish).

Drilling, hot work, and equipment hazards

Drilling rigs, pumps, rotating equipment, and hot work such as welding, cutting, and brazing can cause amputations, burns, fires, and explosions when not controlled. These publications support safe hot‑work permits, equipment guarding, and safe use of tools.

Vehicle operations, driving, and transportation to sites

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of fatalities in the oil and gas industry, especially during long commutes to remote locations and on leased roads. These materials help improve safe driving, fatigue management, and vehicle safety for workers who drive as part of their job.

Lifting, material handling, and field ergonomics

Handling pipe, tools, drilling mud sacks, and equipment can strain backs, shoulders, and hands, especially when done in awkward postures or tight spaces. These resources promote safer lifting, better job design, and strategies to prevent musculoskeletal injuries in the field.

Slips, trips, and falls

Mud, ice, hoses, and uneven ground, along with elevated platforms and derricks, create serious slip, trip, and fall hazards on rigs and production sites. These materials support fall prevention on walking/working surfaces and safe access to elevated work areas.

Fall protection and work at height

Workers on derricks, tanks, platforms, and offshore structures rely on effective fall protection systems to prevent serious injury or death. These resources support written fall protection plans, worker training, and selection of personal fall protection systems.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Oil and gas work often requires flame‑resistant (FR) clothing, eye and face protection, gloves, hard hats, and hearing protection. These publications help employers select PPE, train workers, and maintain written PPE and respiratory protection programs.

Lone workers, pipeline inspection, and radiation safety

Some oil and gas tasks require workers to drive alone to remote well pads and pipelines and use X‑ray or other radiation‑producing equipment to inspect welds. These resources support lone‑worker procedures, use of wearable technology, and safe work with radiation sources.

  • Connected Safety Technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) Workplace Program (English).
  • Five Safety Tips for Lone Workers (English/Spanish).
  • Lone Worker Safety Fact Sheet (English).
  • Radiation Safety at Work (English).
  • Wearable Safety Technology Fact Sheet (English).
  • Wearable Safety Technology: Revolutionizing Workplace Safety (English).
  • X‑Ray Machine Safety Fact Sheet (English).

Commercial diving and specialized tasks

Offshore and marine oil and gas work sometimes involves commercial diving to inspect or repair pipelines, platforms, and other underwater structures. This publication highlights planning, supervision, and emergency procedures that support safer commercial diving operations.

  • Commercial diving safety (English).

Emergency response, blowouts, and site evacuations

Oil and gas sites must prepare for well control incidents, fires, explosions, chemical releases, and medical emergencies, often in remote areas. These materials support emergency action plans, hazardous materials response, and first aid readiness at drilling and production sites.

Heat, cold, weather, and remote work

Oil and gas workers spend long hours outdoors in extreme heat and cold, often far from immediate medical help. These resources help employers plan for heat stress, cold stress, and weather‑related risks at remote well sites.

Stress, fatigue, and remote‑camp life

Long shifts, extended travel, remote camps, and demanding production schedules can contribute to fatigue and stress for oil and gas workers. These publications support efforts to recognize stress, manage fatigue, and build a stronger safety culture.

Training programs available:

More information on training programs is available in the Training Program Descriptions publication, visit www.txsafetyatwork.com, or contact Workplace Safety at 512-804-4610 or SafetyTraining@tdi.texas.gov.

Help from your insurance company:

If you have a workers’ compensation policy in Texas, your insurance company must give you free accident prevention help, including:

  • surveys;
  • consultations;
  • safety advice and training;
  • industrial hygiene and health services;
  • claims history; and
  • accident analysis.

You must contact your insurance company for help. If you have any trouble getting help from your insurance company, contact DWC at 800-687-7080 or healthsafety@tdi.texas.gov.

For more information, contact: SafetyTraining@tdi.texas.gov

Last updated: 5/11/2026