I can’t tell you how much I admire
your “Death in the Energy Fields” project (HCN,
4/2/07). It’s been a long time coming. As I read it, I
couldn’t help recalling my days as a young reporter in
Sidney, Mont., in the heart of the Williston Basin.
I
covered the death of a 34-year-old oilfield services worker who
succumbed to hydrogen sulfide gas while cleaning out an oil tank on
a tanker truck. OSHA fined his employer $800 for failing to have a
mandatory respirator on-hand.
I also remember the fear on
an oilfield safety consultant’s face when I quoted him saying
the industry’s “macho” attitude against safety
precautions was a big part of its problem. He was certain he would
lose his job.
Dennis Swibold
School
of Journalism
The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline “Safety is for wussies”.
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