vocational expertise in Hydraulic fracturing “Fracking”
Gold Fever Revival: Hydro Fracturing Technology and Vocational Implications
Introduction
Hydraulic Fracking or Hydro Fracturing technology, otherwise known as “fracking” has created an epic oil and gas boom in several regions of the United States including Texas, North Dakota, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. Hydraulic fracking or hydro fracturing is a process of drilling and injecting fluid into the Earth while enabling gas extraction from hard rock such as shale. It is a multi-billion dollar industry and expanding throughout the country and globally at an exponential pace. There are five major geological basins that are currently being extracted in the United States. Two of the largest basins are the Eagle Ford Shell Basin and Permian Basin. The Eagle Ford Shell Basin is located in S. Central Texas and the Permian Basin is located in West Texas and it extends into the South Eastern corner of New Mexico. The Permian Basin is vast in size covering approximately six hundred square miles.
Given the nature of the technology, scientific process, and condensed fracturing work sites, there are a plethora of debilitating injuries and even fatalities that workers face in this industry. Types of injuries are outlined within the context of this article. Additionally, this industrial era is creating new job duties that are not clearly defined by readily available vocational rehabilitation professionals’ tools that include Dictionary of Occupational Titles or ONET resources. The basis of this article is also to explore new job titles that tend to involve many types of industrial hazards.
Analysis
Hydraulic fracturing work sites contain characteristics of both construction industry and oil and gas industry. There are no other work sites like it. Work Sites may include huge equipment, likely equipment pinch points, so many employees and many different companies are squashed into a small area of land, severe crushing injuries are prevalent that cause serious injuries or fatalities to employees or contractors.
Types of dangers and injuries in the fracking industry include high-pressure fracking fluid, toxic and dangerous chemicals, large trucks and motor vehicles, huge drills and equipment, and explosive natural gas.
Falls are common accidents for any fracking worksite, and they are a leading cause of jobsite fatalities. They can range from a simple slip-and-fall injury that results in a severe sprain, to a fifty foot plummet for one or more fracking site employees when scaffolding or if a large drill collapses.
After interviewing a Diesel Mechanic and an injured driver employed in the fracking industry located in South Texas, I learned that the majority of injuries are occurring from truck drivers transporting Frac materials to and from fracking work sites and falls occurring on fracking work sites. The injuries from truck drivers occur when the driver collides with other drivers on the road. Often times this occurs after a driver works a twelve or even sixteen hour shift. Injuries occur on fracking work sites because of falls and other environmental work hazards. For instance, injuries sometimes occur when high pressure is produced from a Diesel powered extracting machine that yields 2,000 horse power of torque. In turn, this produces 15,000 to 16,000 (PSI) Parts per Square Inch of pressure. Sometimes these high PSI levels will cause the metal equipment and piping to burst, explode, leak, and emit gas. When any of these things occur, the consequences can be catastrophic and cause serious or fatal injuries.
Pump truck accidents are common at fracking sites. Water pump trucks are used in fracking sites and create a variety of dangers at a fracking site. Water pump trucks are driven from the fracking site to a nearby water supply, such as a stream, where the large water tank on the back of the water pump truck will be filled. The truck will then return to the site and the water will be used as part of the hydraulic fracturing process. Water pump trucks are large and are required to maneuver up and down roads that are often remote and dangerous.
VOCATIONAL ANALYSIS
It takes a vocational consultant with specific experience in the job tasks performed in the oil and gas industry while being specific to the Hydraulic Fracturing industry in order to understand the vocational relevance of the injured worker whether it is risk management or a civil litigation case. A very small percentage of vocational consultants truly understand the job tasks performed in the hydraulic fracturing industry. The oil and gas hydro fracturing industry uses innovative technology. It is expanding and key to the success of several regional economies throughout the United States.
Generally speaking, pre-injury wages of fracturing employees are significantly higher because of the high revenue producing industry, skill level, technical specializations, and workers’ risk to industrial hazards.
Numerous jobs performed in the fracking industry are not defined by the United States Department of Labor Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) as indicated, or on the ONET system. For instance, a diesel mechanic or electrician will be able to transfer many skills from other industries but there are vocational adjustments to industry, processes, and tools or equipment when entering the hydro fracturing industry. My research also indicates that the fracking industry can demand top talent. High technical specialty occupations might have worked in the industry for twenty or twenty-five years before being hired into the Hydraulic fracturing industry. In South Texas, Petroleum Engineers demand a salary three hundred percent higher in the hydraulic fracturing industry because of supply and demand. A Geologist with 10-12 years of experience will earn an average income of $153,000.00 annually. Truck drivers in the Midland-Odessa region of Texas report earning upwards of $2,500.00 weekly and this is over three times higher than the national average. There are usually various types of employees and contractors working at a hydraulic fracturing work site.
JOB TITLES
When analyzing the labor market of hydro fracturing occupations, the job titles are advertised under the industry: Oil refining – Petroleum Drilling
Job Titles that are relevant to the hydro fracturing industry include the following:
- Mechanic
- Diesel Mechanic
- Petroleum Engineer
- *Fracturing (Frac) Equipment Operator
- Additive Truck Blender
- Fracturing (Frac) Electrician
- Fracturing (Frac) Water Pump Truck Drivers
- Tanker Truck Driver
- Chemical Additive Truck Driver
- Fracturing (Frac) Fueler
- Van Driver – Nitrogen transport
- Technical Monitoring Van operator
Although job titles that include mechanic or diesel mechanics are recognizable by the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and ONET in respect to physical exertion level, the skill levels might be even higher because of the application of all knowledge gained then applied to a new industry.
Several types of machinery and equipment that are utilized include specialized machinery that it not identified in any other industry. For instance, a machine operator is identified in various categories by the U.S. Department of Labor and ONET. However, the job title, Fracturing (Frac) equipment operator is entirely new: Frac Equipment Operator and the types of equipment are further defined as the following:
*Acid Pump, Frac Pump, Line Truck, Chemical Additive Truck, Blender, Frac Fueler
*Auxiliary Equipment includes the following: Stake Bed, Acid Transport, Chemical Transport, Air Can, Sand Dump, Gel Transport, Winch Truck, Iron Truck, and Transfer Pump.
Because of the unique nature of the hydro fracturing industry, employees are required to be familiar with on-the-job safety hazards and should be required by their employer to participate in JSA, Job Safety Analysis that are specific to the industry. Safety training is unique in this industry because it is a hybrid of knowledge gained from the construction and petroleum industry.
Conclusion
It is evident that there are new and emerging occupations in the hydro fracturing industries and advanced technology in the United States that incorporate new job tasks and duties. The resources that are utilized by vocational consultants include the Dictionary of Occupational Titles 4th edition and ONET are not keeping up with the hydro fracturing industry because the job titles are unique and specific to the industry. Based upon my professional opinion there are sub specialties among vocational rehabilitation professionals in regard to specific knowledge of industries such as the Petroleum oil and gas industry. Within the oil and gas industry, there are three sub specialties that include traditional land based oil well pump jobs, offshore oil and gas that includes deep Ocean, and hydro fracturing. Since the oil and gas industry employs about 1.3 Million workers in the United States, it is important for vocational consultants to collectively conduct dynamic job analysis of hydro fracturing jobs. If consultants having a better understanding of this industry, there will be a greater opportunity to educate employers, analyze the job tasks risks involved. Hopefully, the knowledge gained will mitigate or prevent fracturing employees’ risk of injuries and further equip the vocational consultant’s knowledge in this new and dynamic industry.
Copywright@2014, Vocational Solutions, LLC
By Jeffrey T. kiel, Board Certified Vocational Expert and Life Care Planner