Safety Groups Ask for Oklahoma Oil, Gas Ops to Stand Down

State and federal safety agencies are asking Oklahoma’s oil and gas exploration and production companies to stand down and stop operations for a meeting on safety issues because of recent gas and oil field deaths and injuries.

The request was released Monday by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the state Department of Labor and the Mid-Continent Exploration & Safety Production Network.

OSHA’s Oklahoma City office reports nine work-related deaths in the industries since Oct. 1 and three people who were injured in a drilling rig fire.

The groups are also asking industry officials to attend a meeting on Thursday in Oklahoma City to discuss the events leading up to the deaths and injuries.