Fatalities

Name unavailable Age: unavailable Date: 2/8/2001 County: Garfield Employer: unknown Cause of death: Fall The worker, a welder, was standing on a ladder while working on a mud pump when a pressure-release valve opened up, blasting him. The worker was knocked off the ladder and fell to the ground, killing him. An OSHA report lists his cause of death as "apparent head injuries and concussion." Initial violations: 0 Final violations: 0 Initial fine: $0 Final fine: $0 OSHA inspection Martin Mireles Age: 48 Date: 7/11/2001 County: Weld Employer: Key Energy Services Cause of death: Struck by equipment Mireles and three co-workers were installing new tubing at a horsehead-style oil well. While two co-workers went to lunch, Mireles and another co-worker started picking up tools. Mireles climbed over a guardrail and got too close to the well, where he was hit by the well's turning counterweight and killed. Initial violations: 2 Final violations: 2 Initial fine: $4,750 Final fine: $4,750 OSHA inspection Rex McCarley Age: 44 Date: 9/15/2001 County: Garfield Employer: Baker Oil & Tool Cause of death: Struck by equipment McCarley was working on a smaller type of rig that is typically mounted on a truck. A 60-pound valve came apart above him and fell approximately 15 feet onto his head. He was wearing a hard hat, but it was not enough to protect him. He died en route to the hospital. Initial violations: 0 Final violations: 0 Initial fine: $0 Final fine: $0 OSHA inspection

Michael Blanchfield Age: 41 Date: 10/1/2002 County: Rio Blanco Employer: Hayes Petroleum Cause of death: Crushed between equipment Blanchfield was standing atop a heavy-duty winch on an oil and gas rig when the winch operator turned it on. The winch's cable cut across his body and pulled him into the machinery, killing him. An OSHA inspection found that the winch lacked covers to protect against injury and that the company did not exercise appropriate safety procedures when adjusting the winch's brakes. Initial violations: 6 Final violations: 6 Initial fine: $6,000 Final fine: $4,386 OSHA inspection Marty Vigil Age: 32 Date: 11/17/2002 County: Weld Employer: Caza Drilling Cause of death: Fall Vigil was working 100 feet up on a rig preparing drill pipe to go into the hole. He was not wearing fall protection and fell to his death. Vigil was a native of Denver who enjoyed coaching his son's football team, according to his obituary. He also left behind his wife and a daughter. Initial violations: 5 Final violations: 4 Initial fine: $7,650 Final fine: $4,313 Obituary OSHA inspection

Raul Barron Age: 44 Date: 3/31/2003 County: Weld Employer: Bravo Services Cause of death: Explosion/fire Barron was working on a water tank with his brother and another man at a facility where water produced during fracking is disposed. Flammable vapors gathered around them, and the torch of a nearby welder set off an explosion that killed Barron and wounded his brother and the other man. Barron was born in Mexico and was survived by his wife and four children, according to his obituary. Initial violations: 12 Final violations: 10 Initial fine: $30,750 Final fine: $20,900 Obituary OSHA inspection Stephen Amen Age: 44 Date: 5/13/2003 County: Adams Employer: S&R Oilfield Construction Cause of death: Rig collapse Amen was raising the mast of a truck-mounted rig when a part of the rig failed and the mast fell onto him, killing him. He worked alongside his father for an oil-field company his father founded. A Fort Morgan native, Amen enjoyed camping and hunting and was survived by a wife and four kids, according to his obituary. Initial violations: 4 Final violations: 4 Initial fine: $12,700 Final fine: $10,795 OSHA inspection

Kenneth Rens Age: 57 Date: 2/3/2004 County: Garfield Employer: Jelco Cause of death: Vehicle accident Rens worked for a company servicing remote oil and gas wells, which required him to use a snowmobile in winter. He was traveling on a road that had a single, 9-foot path plowed down the middle, with snowbanks on either side, when he met a truck head-on. He swerved into the snowbank, which tossed him back onto the road, where he was run over and killed. His widow filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company that owned the truck and the company that plowed the road. The suit was settled for undisclosed terms. In addition to his wife, Rens was survived by three daughters, according to his obituary. He was a Marine Corps veteran and Purple Heart recipient. Initial violations: 0 Final violations: 0 Initial fine: $0 Final fine: $0 no OSHA inspection Scott Nelson Age: 26 Date: 5/31/2004 County: Garfield Employer: Union Drilling Cause of death: Rig collapse Nelson was a floor hand working high up on an oil and gas rig when the rig collapsed. An OSHA report said he "sustained massive trauma" in the fall and was killed. Nelson lived in a small town in Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the Moose Lodge, according to his obituary. He left behind a wife, two daughters and a stepson. Initial violations: 6 Final violations: 6 Initial fine: $28,800 Final fine: $22,725 Obituary • Article OSHA inspection Randall Taylor Age: 62 Date: 8/13/2004 County: Garfield Employer: Wolverine Drilling Cause of death: Rig collapse Taylor worked on a drilling rig that was trying to hoist 135 tons of drill pipe when it failed, sending the rig's crown tumbling down. It struck Taylor, killing him. Taylor's widow filed a lawsuit against various subcontractors who assembled or inspected the rig. The suit was settled for undisclosed terms. Taylor was also survived by two daughters and four grandchildren. Initial violations: 5 Final violations: 5 Initial fine: $7,200 Final fine: $4,560 Obituary OSHA report

Larry Hill Age: 42 Date: 11/7/2005 County: Rio Blanco Employer: Union Drilling Cause of death: Fall Hill was 60 feet up in a drilling rig, working on a long string of drill pipe. He fell and was killed. He was buried at a cemetery in his hometown of Moab, Utah. Initial violations: 2 Final violations: 2 Initial fine: $30,000 Final fine: $19,900 OSHA report Zac Mitchek Age: 42 Date: 11/25/2005 County: Weld Employer: Patterson-UTI Drilling Company Cause of death: Electrocution Mitchek was performing maintenance on a compressor unit at a drilling rig. He made contact with a live electrical circuit and was killed. Initial violations: 2 Final violations: 2 Initial fine: $14,000 Final fine: $11,900 OSHA report

Joshua Arvidson Age: 24 Date: 1/25/2006 County: Weld Employer: CalFrac Well Services Cause of death: Asphyxiation Arvidson was an employee of a well services company. While on the job, he entered a trailer holding sand used in fracking operations and became engulfed. The OSHA fine related to his accident was the largest an oil and gas company has paid in Colorado for a death since at least 2000. Arvidson was an Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq, according to his obituary. He was survived by his wife and a daughter who was 7 months old at the time of his death. Initial violations: 7 Final violations: 5 Initial fine: $40,425 Final fine: $27,825 Article OSHA report Paul Graves Age: 40 Date: 4/15/2006 County: Garfield Employer: Nabors Drilling Cause of death: Homicide Graves worked for a drilling company and lived at a company-owned trailer. After a night out, he was attacked by a coworker who also lived at the trailer. Graves died from his injuries a year later, and the co-worker was eventually convicted of reckless manslaughter. Graves' mother and sister filed a lawsuit alleging that the company knew about the co-worker's violent tendencies. That suit was dismissed when the company agreed to pay a workers' compensation death benefit to Graves' family, according to court papers. Initial violations: 0 Final violations: 0 Initial fine: $0 Final fine: $0 Article • Article no OSHA inspection Wesley M. Rodrigues Age: 30 Date: 10/23/2006 County: Las Animas Employer: Accurate Welding Cause of death: Crushed between equipment Rodrigues was a welder working for a subcontractor to a subcontractor on an oil and gas development site. He was building a compressor station at the site when a backhoe operator swung heavy pipes toward him, crushing him. Rodrigues's widow filed a lawsuit against a number of subcontractors working at the site. The case settled one month before it was scheduled to go to trial. Initial violations: 3 Final violations: 3 Initial fine: $9,375 Final fine: $2,300 OSHA inspection Philip Smith Age: 44 Date: 11/6/2006 County: Garfield Employer: Easy Street Crane Service Cause of death: Vehicle accident Smith worked for a trucking company that delivered water to oil and gas wells. He stepped out of his truck to chain up the tires, and the truck rolled over him and killed him. Smith was raised in Colorado Springs and was a long-time employee of a credit union before joining the oil and gas industry. He was survived by his wife and three children. Initial violations: 3 Final violations: 3 Initial fine: $4,500 Final fine: $3,000 Obituary OSHA inspection Jacob Farmer Age: 19 Date: 11/16/2006 County: Weld Employer: Leed Energy Services Cause of death: Struck by equipment Farmer was working on a rig when a heavy pulley on the rig failed and a part fell, hitting Farmer on the head and killing him. He was survived by a daughter, who was 18 months old at the time of the accident. His father told a newspaper that Farmer dreamed of being a professional golfer. Initial violations: 9 Final violations: 8 Initial fine: $19,250 Final fine: $15,075 Obituary OSHA inspection Ricky Erb Age: 19 Date: 11/27/2006 County: Mesa Employer: Schneider Energy Services Cause of death: Explosion/fire Erb and two co-workers were cutting into an old gas pipeline that they had been told was abandoned and not under pressure. The line was pressurized, though, and the explosive release of gas struck Erb and threw him backward, causing blunt force trauma that killed him. Erb's father, grandfather and sister all worked in the oil and gas industry. "There's always a risk," his mother told the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, "and there is always a risk with any job." Initial violations: 6 Final violations: 4 Initial fine: $12,450 Final fine: $8,725 OSHA inspection

Name unavailable Age: unavailable Date: 2/27/2007 County: Las Animas Employer: Ricway Roustabout & Water Services Cause of death: Vehicle accident The worker was a truck driver hired to haul waste water from a gas well. The truck was going down a steep hill when it skidded and went over an embankment. The driver was either thrown from the vehicle or jumped and was killed. An OSHA inspection found the truck did not have adequate maintenance or inspection records, and its brakes had been worked on a couple weeks before the accident. Initial violations: 1 Final violations: 1 Initial fine: $2,100 Final fine: $2,100 OSHA inspection Joseph Buchanan Jr. Age: 34 Date: 7/19/2007 County: Garfield Employer: J And E Enterprises Cause of death: Struck by equipment Buchanan was an independent contractor working on a drilling rig. A piece of equipment fell from above and hit him, killing him. Buchanan was from Louisiana. He was survived by a wife and two children, all of whom were living with him temporarily in Colorado at the time of this death. Initial violations: 9 Final violations: 8 Initial fine: $17,200 Final fine: $9,750 Obituary OSHA inspection Reyes Garcia Age: 31 Date: 7/25/2007 County: Weld Employer: Leed Energy Services Cause of death: Explosion/fire Garcia was working at a pump on an oil and gas site when a nearby piece of equipment sparked a flash fire in a cloud of leaking gas. Garcia suffered burns over 85 percent of his body and died six weeks later. His widow sued the subcontractor managing the site and won a $6.5 million jury verdict, the largest ever awarded against an oil and gas company in Colorado for a worker's death. Garcia's obituary described him as a family man who loved going on bike rides with his daughter. Initial violations: 3 Final violations: 3 Initial fine: $7,500 Final fine: $6,000 Article OSHA inspection Name unavailable Age: unavailable Date: 8/19/2007 County: Rio Blanco Employer: Centerfire Trucking Cause of death: Struck by equipment The worker was driving a truck with a winch on the back and towing a flatbed trailer to which a "snatch block" on the winch cable was attached. While the truck was driving away from an oil and gas site, the winch kicked on, tightening the cable and causing the block to break free from the trailer. The block flew through the rear window of the truck, striking the worker in the head and killing him. Initial violations: 0 Final violations: 0 Initial fine: $0 Final fine: $0 OSHA inspection Name unavailable Age: unavailable Date: 10/4/2007 County: Garfield Employer: Bratton Mechanical and Welding Cause of death: Struck by equipment The worker, a welder, was working with the operator of a front-end loader to remove a motor from a piece of equipment at an oil and gas site. The boom broke free from the front-end loader and crushed the worker. An OSHA investigation found that the front-end loader was not properly maintained. Initial violations: 5 Final violations: 3 Initial fine: $25,200 Final fine: $8,200 OSHA inspection

Name unavailable Age: 45 Date: 1/29/2008 County: Las Animas Employer: Santa Clara LLC Cause of death: Vehicle accident The worker was a truck driver hired to remove water produced at natural gas wells. The truck was fully loaded and twice failed to make it up a hill. After the second try, the truck slid backward down the hill, then rolled off the road. The driver was partially ejected during the accident and killed. The weather was cold and windy, with areas of blowing snow across the road. Initial violations: 1 Final violations: 1 Initial fine: $2,500 Final fine: $1,500 OSHA inspection Christopher Clark Age: 26 Date: 3/27/2008 County: Weld Employer: Patterson-UTI Drilling Company Cause of death: Crushed between equipment Clark was working on an oil rig and directing a flatbed truck up a ramp. He was crushed between the truck and a platform on the rig. He was survived by a son. "He had a smile that lit up the room," his obituary read. Initial violations: 1 Final violations: 1 Initial fine: $2,500 Final fine: $1,500 Article OSHA inspection Name unavailable Age: unavailable Date: 4/18/2008 County: Rio Blanco Employer: Mountain West Oil Field Service & Supply Cause of death: Vehicle accident The worker was a driving a large pump truck down a hill from a drilling site. He lost control of the truck, which rolled and ejected him. He was killed when the truck rolled over him. Initial violations: 0 Final violations: 0 Initial fine: $0 Final fine: $0 OSHA inspection Javier Perez Age: unavailable Date: 6/11/2008 County: Logan Employer: Sterling Construction Management Cause of death: Electrocution Perez was part of a crew working with a crane to build a new natural gas pipeline. He grabbed a hook on the crane just as another part of the crane made contact with an overhead power line. Perez was electrocuted. An OSHA investigation found that the worker who was supposed to be acting as a spotter was instead tying down equipment on a truck bed, and there were no other designated spotters on site. Initial violations: 3 Final violations: 2 Initial fine: $17,100 Final fine: $17,100 OSHA inspection Steven Raymond Bartlett Age: 50 Date: 9/7/2008 County: Garfield Employer: Enterprise Products Company Cause of death: Vehicle accident Bartlett worked for a company that owned a natural gas pipeline in Colorado. Part of his job was to aerially inspect the pipeline. He and a pilot were flying over the pipeline when their plane crashed in the mountains near the Utah border. Bartlett's widow and three daughters filed a lawsuit against the aviation company, alleging that the pilot had no experience flying at high altitude or flying for pipeline inspections in mountainous terrain. The lawsuit was settled. Initial violations: 0 Final violations: 0 Initial fine: $0 Final fine: $0 Article no OSHA inspections Talliesin Dodd Hayden Age: 38 Date: 9/8/2008 County: Garfield Employer: Halliburton Energy Services Cause of death: Struck by equipment Hayden was part of a crew removing a string of tools from a well when a cable snapped and a 29-foot, 100-pound tube fell on his head, killing him. He was a native of Montana who moved to Colorado to work in the oil and gas industry. Hayden enjoyed riding his motorcycle and playing drums in several bands around his hometown of Butte, Mont., according to his obituary. He was survived by his wife, a son and two stepchildren. Initial violations: 1 Final violations: 1 Initial fine: $5,000 Final fine: $3,500 Obituary OSHA inspection Michael Foraker Age: 51 Date: 9/27/2008 County: Garfield Employer: Tri-State Trucking Cause of death: Vehicle accident Foraker was a truck driver for a company often hired to move heavy equipment to and from drilling sites. He was killed when his truck failed to make a turn while driving away from a rig and rolled down a steep hill. Foraker was a native of Grand Junction whose obituary said he, "enjoyed his 1982 Peterbilt, coin collecting, moving rigs, carpentry, eagles, cat fishing and eating almond M&M's in color order." He was survived by his wife, a daughter and two stepsons. Initial violations: 0 Final violations: 0 Initial fine: $0 Final fine: $0 Obituary OSHA inspection Jeffrey Byer Age: 40 Date: 10/31/2008 County: Weld Employer: Ensign Drilling Cause of death: Struck by equipment Byer was a truck driver who was unloading two pipe racks that weighed a combined 3,500 pounds. One of the racks fell off the truck and crushed him. Byer's girlfriend was the driver of a pilot car that was on scene at the time, according to a news report. Initial violations: 1 Final violations: 1 Initial fine: $5,000 Final fine: $5,000 Article OSHA inspection

Name unavailable Age: unavailable Date: 1/9/2012 County: La Plata Employer: Serrano's Inc Cause of death: Vehicle accident The worker was a truck driver transporting wastewater from oil and gas production. The worker's truck's brakes failed and the truck rolled, killing the worker. Though the accident is clearly oil and gas-related, OSHA's accident report logs the fatality under the industry code for "inland water passenger transportation." Initial violations: 1 Final violations: 1 Initial fine: $7,000 Final fine: $6,500 OSHA inspection Randy Mathews Age: 42 Date: 6/25/2012 County: La Plata Employer: Elkhorn Construction Cause of death: Explosion/fire Mathews was working at a compression station where natural gas is collected from several wells and readied for distribution. An explosion killed him and injured two others. A subsequent investigation found that a valve had been left mistakenly closed, leading to a build up of pressure that ruptured a pipe. Mathews had previously served with the Cortez Police Department, according to his obituary. He was a volunteer firefighter and a football coach in Mancos. He was survived by his wife and four children. Initial violations: 6 Final violations: 3 Initial fine: $42000 Final fine: $21000 Obituary OSHA inspection Adleberto Pena Age: 44 Date: 6/28/2102 County: Archuleta Employer: Key Energy Services Cause of death: Fall Pena was working on the top of a rig's mast when he lost his balance and fell to the ground. Initial violations: 2 Final violations: 1 Initial fine: $14,000 Final fine: $7,000 Article OSHA inspection Brian John Wallace Age: 60 Date: 8/15/2012 County: Weld Employer: BGH Gas Test Operating Cause of death: Explosion/fire Wallace was one of several subcontractors from different companies working on a well site. He offered to help a crew trying to install a riser on a well pipe. As he used a jack to lift up the pipe, it exploded, throwing him 45 feet and killing him. His family later filing a lawsuit saying that Wallace was never told the pipe was pressurized. The lawsuit settled. Wallace was survived by his wife, two daughters and six grandchildren. His obituary said he enjoyed golfing, fishing and camping with his family. Initial violations: 3 Final violations: 3 Initial fine: $12,600 Final fine: $12,600 Obituary OSHA inspection

Jonathan Herod Age: 49 Date: 1/3/2013 County: Moffat Employer: Herod Industries Cause of death: Explosion/fire Herod was working at a well site trying to pump wastewater produced during fracking into a storage tank. The tank exploded, killing him. The Moffat County Sheriff's office said it appeared that valves were frozen in the cold and that workers were using a propane heater to thaw them when the explosion occurred. Herod was born in Denver and had lived in Craig since high school. He was survived by two daughters and a grandson, according to his obituary. Initial violations: 6 Final violations: 6 Initial fine: $16,800 Final fine: $16,800 Article OSHA inspection

Adam Kujawa Age: 28 Date: 1/9/2014 County: Baca Employer: Greene's Energy Group Cause of death: Struck by equipment Kujawa died from head trauma after being struck by an object on an oil and gas site in southeastern Colorado. He was a native of Texas and was survived by a daughter. Initial violations: 5 Final violations: 3 Initial fine: $18,400 Final fine: $17,000 Obituary OSHA inspection Joe Ray Sherman Age: 51 Date: 3/3/2014 County: Weld Employer: Now or Never Trucking Cause of death: Tank gauging Sherman worked for a trucking company and was taking a sample from an open hatch atop an oil storage tank when he lost consciousness and fell backward. He was found dangling by his sweatshirt, which was caught on the tank's catwalk. The coroner initially ruled he died from heart disease, but, months later, his death became the earliest in Colorado to be linked to the inhalation of toxic fumes while conducting "tank gauging." Companies did not provide workers conducting tank gauging with respirators that could protect them from the fumes. Sherman was a native of Texas who enjoyed singing and playing the guitar. He was survived by four children and 10 grandchildren. In his obituary, his family thanked his employer, Now or Never Trucking, for its care and support. Initial violations: 3 Final violations: 3 Initial fine: $7,700 Final fine: $5,775 Article OSHA inspection John McNulty Age: 57 Date: 6/24/2014 County: Weld Employer: DJ Basin Transport Cause of death: Tank gauging McNulty worked for a trucking company and lost consciousness while on a catwalk between oil storage tanks. His death has been linked to inhalation of toxic fumes during a procedure known as tank gauging. McNulty was an Army veteran who enjoyed hunting and playing volleyball with his family, according to an obituary that also described him as, "the ultimate Spoons player." Initial violations: 8 Final violations: 6 Initial fine: $31,600 Final fine: $20,800 Article OSHA inspection Jim Freemyer Age: 59 Date: 7/13/2014 County: Weld Employer: Now or Never Trucking Cause of death: Tank gauging Freemyer was a truck driver who was found slumped over an open hatch at the top of an oil storage tank. His death was one of three in Colorado linked to the inhalation of toxic fumes during a process called "tank gauging." Freemyer had become dizzy and disoriented while gauging a storage tank three weeks earlier. Freemyer asked for a respirator to wear while tank gauging, but his boss told him he would have to pay for it. After Freemyer's death, his employer fought his widow's application for workers' compensation death benefits, but a judge approved the payments. Freemyer was an Army veteran who was also survived by four children and two grandchildren. Initial violations: 6 Final violations: 4 Initial fine: $29,545 Final fine: $18,000 Obituary OSHA inspection Christopher Farrow Age: 48 Date: 10/9/2014 County: Weld Employer: Petroleum Field Services Cause of death: Vehicle accident Farrow was a surveyor who was working in a roadway when he was hit and killed by a passing truck. His widow filed a lawsuit against the truck driver and his insurance company. A trial in the case is pending. Farrow was a singer-songwriter who appeared in multiple bands in the Denver area. He was survived by his wife and a son. Initial violations: 0 Final violations: 0 Initial fine: $0 Final fine: $0 Article OSHA inspection Shane Hill Age: 34 Date: 10/21/2014 County: Garfield Employer: Cyclone Drilling Cause of death: Struck by equipment Hill was working on an oil and gas rig that was pressuring up to begin drilling. A 2-inch fitting blew off a pipe and struck him in the head, killing him. In a subsequent report to state regulators, his employer pushed responsibility for the accident to Hill, claiming he hadn't tightened the fitting enough. Hill loved camping and playing disc golf. He was survived by his wife and three children. Initial violations: 3 Final violations: 2 Initial fine: $13,545 Final fine: $9,805 Obituary OSHA inspection Matthew Smith Age: 36 Date: 11/13/2014 County: Weld Employer: Halliburton Energy Services Cause of death: Explosion/fire Smith was working with a crew at an oil and gas well in sub-zero weather. The crew was using a blowtorch to unthaw a frozen water line when the line exploded, killing Smith and injuring two other workers. Smith grew up in Wyoming, where his father worked in the oil and gas industry. He was a high school and collegiate rodeo star. He was survived by a daughter. Initial violations: 1 Final violations: 1 Initial fine: $7,000 Final fine: $7,000 Obituary OSHA inspection