Every day, workers in petroleum and coal manufacturing face some of the most dangerous conditions in industry. The sector’s fatality rate is 3.5 per 100,000 full-time workers—well above the national average of 2.8 (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). Catastrophic incidents—ranging from burns and explosions to falls and crushing injuries—can change lives in seconds. Yet, as severe as these hazards are, research shows that most of the leading injuries are preventable with the right systems in place.

Five types of incidents account for the vast majority of serious injuries and deaths in these facilities: burns, caught-in machinery accidents, falls, vehicle strikes, and exposure to harmful substances. Each one is driven by a mix of operational complexity, environmental hazards, and human error.

The good news? A proactive safety program—grounded in proven protocols and empowered by video intelligence—can turn the tide. AI-powered cameras now alert teams in real time about unsafe acts, environmental hazards, and compliance gaps, helping supervisors and frontline staff catch the problems before they cause harm.

In this guide, we’ll break down the top 5 injuries that occur in petroleum and coal manufacturing—and, most importantly, show how facilities can prevent them.

The Cost of Safety Negligence in Petroleum and Coal Manufacturing

Penalties for preventable incidents aren’t just a line item—they’re a wake-up call. In the past five years, fines for major safety violations in petroleum and coal manufacturing have ranged from a median of $5,839 to a maximum of $125,000, with an average penalty of $12,315 per incident.

Many incidents are preventable—one that could have been stopped with better systems, training, or real-time detection. By investing in proactive safety monitoring and compliance technology, organizations minimize risk, avoid needless penalties, and—most importantly—keep every worker safe.

The Top 5 Preventable Injuries in Petroleum and Coal Manufacturing: What Every Facility Needs to Know

Let’s break down the five injury types where video intelligence delivers real prevention power.

1. Burns from Hot Objects, Substances, and Chemicals

Scenario:
A refinery technician opens a valve on a pressurized line. Without warning, hot naphtha sprays out, causing second-degree burns to the face and arms. In another case, a worker slips near a processing tank and falls into a pool of hot asphalt.

Root Causes & Impact:
Burns are the single largest injury category, accounting for roughly 40% of all incidents in the sector (Source: OSHA Injury Summary). Root causes include contact with hot surfaces, steam, asphalt, and caustic chemicals, often during line breaks, maintenance, or leaks. Lapses in PPE use and shield maintenance are frequent contributors. Burn injuries often mean long-term hospitalization, permanent scarring, or even death.

How video intelligence helps:
AI cameras can monitor hot work zones for missing PPE, detect unsafe proximity to hot equipment, and alert supervisors if a worker enters restricted areas. Real-time video review allows safety managers to spot recurring hazards, like unshielded pipes or unauthorized entry during chemical transfers.

2. Caught-In or Crushed by Machinery

Scenario:
An operator performs maintenance on a conveyor belt without proper lockout/tagout. The belt suddenly starts, pulling the worker’s hand—and then arm—into the machine, leading to traumatic amputation.

Root Causes & Impact:
Nearly all amputations in the sector involve machinery, with incidents often linked to bypassed guards or skipped lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures. Caught-in events are a leading cause of fatality and hospitalization, devastating both the individual and their team.

How video intelligence helps:
Video systems can flag when guards are removed, or when workers enter hazardous zones during machine operation. Reviewing footage after an incident clarifies whether LOTO protocols were followed, helping teams close gaps in real time.

3. Falls—from Heights and Same Level

Scenario:
A maintenance worker slips on a wet catwalk while inspecting a storage tank. No guardrails are in place. The worker falls 15 feet, sustaining multiple fractures.

Root Causes & Impact:
Unprotected edges, slick surfaces, and missing guardrails are behind 23% of falls on tank catwalks, especially during wet conditions. Falls frequently cause fractures, concussions, and sometimes fatalities.

How video intelligence helps:
AI-powered video can monitor elevated work areas, flag missing or bypassed fall protection, and detect when workers are exposed to unguarded edges. Alerts can be sent instantly if someone enters a high-risk area without required gear.

4. Struck By or Crushed By Vehicles and Equipment

Scenario:
A forklift operator reverses in a crowded loading area. A pedestrian, obscured by stacked drums, is struck and pinned, suffering multiple fractures.

Root Causes & Impact:
Struck-by incidents are common in busy yards and inside plants, especially where pedestrian and vehicle paths cross. Lack of spotters, poor visibility, and inadequate separation are frequent causes. These events cause crushing injuries, amputations, and death.

How video intelligence helps:
Video platforms can monitor vehicle corridors, detect unsafe pedestrian crossings, and flag near-misses in real time. Reviewing these events helps teams redesign layouts and implement better controls.

5. Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environments

Scenario:
A lone worker opens a tank “thief hatch” to take a manual sample. Toxic hydrocarbon gas escapes. Within minutes, the worker collapses—no one else is nearby.

Root Causes & Impact:
Manual sampling without monitoring, lack of buddy systems, and missed PPE use are at the heart of these incidents. Exposure can cause poisoning, respiratory failure, or fatal asphyxiation. 89% of affected workers operated alone; only 11% used respirators (Source: NIOSH, 2025).

How video intelligence helps:
AI can detect when workers are alone in hazardous areas and whether they’re wearing respiratory protection. Video review after an incident confirms if atmospheric monitoring and buddy protocols were followed.

Challenges and Impact of the Injuries

How Technology Strengthens Injury Prevention

Let’s look at each injury challenge and the practical ways video intelligence makes a difference.

1. Burns from Hot Objects, Substances, and Chemicals

Safety challenge:
Hot surfaces, chemical lines, and pressurized systems are everywhere. Traditional spot checks and signage can’t catch every lapse or near-miss.

Tech Solution:
AI-powered video systems, like Spot AI, monitor hot zones 24/7. They detect workers entering restricted areas without proper PPE and provide evidence for root cause analysis. Real-time alerts let supervisors intervene before an incident escalates.

2. Caught-In or Crushed by Machinery

Safety challenge:
Bypassing machine guards or skipping LOTO steps happens fast—and the consequences are permanent.

Tech Solution:
Video AI identifies when guards are missing or when someone accesses hazardous zones during machine operation. If a worker skips LOTO, supervisors receive instant notifications. After an incident, footage clarifies step-by-step what went wrong, supporting better training and accountability.

3. Falls—from Heights and Same Level

Safety challenge:
Wet surfaces, unguarded catwalks, and makeshift platforms create fall risks that are hard to spot in real time.

Tech Solution:
AI cameras monitor elevated work areas and walkways, flagging missing guardrails and slippery conditions. Alerts for unauthorized entry into high-risk zones help teams intervene before a fall happens.

4. Struck By or Crushed By Vehicles and Equipment

Safety challenge:
Fast-moving equipment and blind spots mean pedestrians and vehicles often mix in dangerous ways.

Tech Solution:
AI video platforms analyze traffic patterns, detect near-miss incidents, and alert teams if a pedestrian enters a vehicle-only area. Reviewing these patterns lets managers adjust layouts for better separation and retrain teams on safe crossing points.

5. Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environments

Safety challenge:
Manual tank gauging and solo work heighten the risk of toxic exposure—especially when protocols aren’t followed.

Tech Solution:
Video analytics can detect lone workers in hazardous areas, check for PPE compliance (e.g., respirator use), and verify if buddy or air monitoring systems are in place. After incidents, video review helps confirm whether safety steps were followed and identify where breakdowns occurred.

Practical Implementation of Safety Technology in Petroleum and Coal Manufacturing

Adopting video intelligence doesn’t mean starting from scratch. Most petroleum and coal manufacturing facilities already have camera systems in place—Spot AI’s platform, for example, bridges on-prem cameras to a secure, cloud-native dashboard, making integration seamless.

• Integrate with existing safety protocols: Use video intelligence to monitor for specific hazards tied to your risk profile—burns, falls, vehicle movement, or confined space entry.

• Engage the frontline: Empower supervisors and workers to use real-time alerts and trend analysis to drive day-to-day improvements.

• Customize alerts and analytics: Focus on the injury types that matter most in your facility. Review incident footage for continuous improvement.

• Evaluate based on your needs: Choose platforms that offer open APIs, unlimited user seats, and a unified dashboard—making it easy to scale as your safety program grows.

Technology is a tool—pair it with strong procedures, training, and a culture where everyone is responsible for safety.

Ready to Make Every Shift Safer? Book a Safety Consultation Today

Every injury prevented is a life, a family, and a career protected. With the right blend of proven safety protocols and modern video intelligence, petroleum and coal manufacturing leaders can turn their facilities into models of safety and compliance. Want to see how AI-powered video can help your team catch problems before they become tragedies? Book a consultation with our safety experts. Let’s partner to make every shift safer—together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the biggest safety challenges in petroleum and coal manufacturing?

The sector faces high risks from burns (thermal and chemical), machinery-related amputations, falls from heights, vehicle strikes, and exposure to hazardous substances. Complex processes, hazardous materials, and high-pressure equipment increase risk profiles.

How can we prevent machinery-related injuries like amputations?

Strict adherence to lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures and machine guarding is essential. AI video analytics can alert supervisors if guards are removed or if LOTO protocols are bypassed, supporting real-time intervention and training.

How does video intelligence help with fall prevention?

AI cameras can monitor elevated work areas, detect missing guardrails, and alert teams if workers enter high-risk zones without fall protection. Reviewing video footage helps identify recurring slip or trip hazards.

What’s the role of technology in preventing chemical exposures?

Video analytics can verify PPE compliance, monitor for solo work in hazardous areas, and confirm that buddy systems and air monitoring protocols are followed. After any incident, footage provides clear answers for investigation and improvement.

How do I get started with safety technology in petroleum and coal manufacturing?

Begin by evaluating your current camera infrastructure and safety priorities. Choose a solution that integrates with your systems, focuses on your top injury risks, and offers real-time analytics and alerts. It’s critical to involve safety teams and frontline workers in the rollout for maximum impact.

About the Author

Joshua Foster
‍IT Systems Engineer, Spot AI

‍Joshua Foster is an IT Systems Engineer at Spot AI, where he focuses on designing and securing scalable enterprise networks, managing cloud-integrated infrastructure, and automating system workflows to enhance operational efficiency. He is passionate about cross-functional collaboration and takes pride in delivering robust technical solutions that empower both the Spot AI team and its customers.