One Colorado natural gas worker is dead and three more are injured after a natural gas well explosion in Platteville, Colorado, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.
The fatal CO work accident involved a gas well operated by Encana Corporation, a Canadian energy firm. The workers had just finished drilling the horizontal well and were installing equipment to put the well into production, allowing workers to draw natural gas from it.
According to investigators, the injuries were caused by a sudden release of high pressure in the well, probably resulting from a faulty or defective piece of equipment installed at the scene. The company is investigating the accident to determine the details in the hopes of preventing similar accidents in the future No explosion or fire occurred.
One of the workers, a 60-year-old man, suffered fatal injuries in the accident. Three more workers were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their injuries, which were deemed to be non-life-threatening; the injured workers are expected to recover.
Accidents and injuries at oil and gas sites have come under increased scrutiny nationwide, especially as the rate of injuries and deaths in these workplaces have increased along with increased production. Encana currently owns about 1,100 wells in the Plattesville area, but this accident marked the first death the company has seen among its workers in Colorado.
On-the-job injuries can cause serious harm and may even end your career. If you’ve been injured in the workplace, skilled Colorado personal injury attorney Timothy Bussey and the legal team at at The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. can help. Call us today at (719) 475-2555 for a free case evaluation.