Oil and gas producers are getting ready for a statewide shutdown of their operations tomorrow that's been requested by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, after a sudden jump in accidents at Oklahoma drilling sites.

Oklahoma oil and gas company officials have been asked to go to a safety meeting in Oklahoma City.

Okemah-based oilman John Landers says he supports any improvement in safety, but he's not sure another meeting is the most effective strategy.

"We always try to look out for our guys," he said.  "I mean, they're like family to us.  We're a small company.  We've got three guys in the field.  The last thing I would want is for something to happen to them, so we take safety pretty seriously."

He says it seems to be a recent pattern with the Obama Administration to "nitpick" the oil and gas industry, via agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA.

Even when companies are as careful as they can be, he says it's impossible to prevent every accident.

"The reality is there are going to be things that are going to happen, and you can't prevent them, no matter how many safety meetings you attend and how many books you read," he said.  "Things just happen."