Seven people died on the job in North Dakota’s oil and gas industry in 2017.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that’s an increase from four deaths in 2016.
It points out the danger of those types of jobs.
But a public-private coalition is taking a step aimed at reducing the danger.
Jim Olson reports on “One Basin, One Way.”

(Chuck Clairmont, ND Safety Council) “It really is going to make a difference in preventing injuries and saving lives in North Dakota.”

Chuck Clairmont has seen the human toll the oil and gas industry can take on a place like North Dakota.

(Steve Braden, Hess Corporation) “Safety is our first priority.”

Steve Braden works for Hess – one of the companies looking for better ways to ensure a safe workplace through a new initiative called One Basin, One Way.

(Kari Cutting, ND Petroleum Council) “It’s safety awareness. So it’s the first step in safety awareness.”

The idea of One Basin, One Way is simple – or maybe simplicity. Let’s say a new water truck driver is hired. That driver must go through orientation training with several companies – all of the companies his truck will be interacting with on the job. That could be a half-dozen or more.
And that could add up to days in the classroom hearing basically the same message over and over.

(Chuck Clairmont, ND Safety Council) “What happens is by the time you get to the fourth or fifth or sixth orientation, you’re probably tuning it out and there’s probably some valuable information you could be missing.”

One Basin, One Way replaces those repetitive sessions with one session that some 99 different companies in the oil patch have agreed meets their requirements.

(Steve Braden, Hess Corporation) “Rather than have a person go through four, five, or six orientations per year for all these different companies now they can do one.”
(Kari Cutting, ND Petroleum Council) “Any time you standardize a program, you typically lead to an improvement in your safety statistics.”

The new program is a partnership among three groups – TrainND, a governmental organization, the North Dakota Safety Council, a private, non-profit group, and Diamond B, a private company that will implement the program.

(Chuck Clairmont, ND Safety Council) “So what an opportunity for three diverse companies to come together. North Dakota-based companies solving a North Dakota problem.”

The first class in the One Basin, One Way program is expected to meet next month.
Jim Olson, KX News.

One Basin, One Way training classes will be held in various locations around western North Dakota.