Kansas Oilfield Explosion Injures Five – Two Critically

An oilfield explosion in Kansas in December injured five workers, with two of the injuries described as critical. According to a report, the accident occurred when the workers were changing heads on a pipe that was leaking natural gas.

All Too Common

This type of accident occurs on a regular basis in oilfields throughout the nation. This is incredibly dangerous work, and thousands of people are hurt or killed each year.

There are several different factors that contribute to oilfield explosions. A common thread among many of them is that some form of negligence was involved. If an employer violates its duty to provide a reasonably safe working environment, it could be held liable for any damages that result.

For example, employers must perform maintenance checks on pipelines on a regular basis. A variety of different sizes of pipes are typically used in an oilfield to carry oil and gas, and they are all constantly subjected to extremely high pressure. These pipes are fitted with several different types of safety features, such as gauges, valves and others. If these are not maintained properly, an accident such as the one that happened in Kansas can easily take place.

There are other instances where the manufacturer of a defective part can be held liable for negligence. If a product is not manufactured up to industry standards or has a defect that should have been spotted before it was shipped, that manufacturer could have liability and could be sued. A manufacturer may also be liable if it sells a product for use in a situation different than what it was designed for.