Abstract: Employee 1, a field service contract employee, was working by himself checking well flow potentials on inactive oil/gas wells. Procedures require a pressure gauge reading be taken on the well tubing, rigging up a reducer nipple and hose to the top of the well, and leaving the tubing open to the atmosphere through a tank on the jack-up boat for one hour to monitor for liquid production. Employee 1 apparently hooked up his pressure gauge, opened the upper and lower master control valves on the well, and read zero pressure on the well. He apparently left the master control valves open and started rigging up the reducer nipple to the top of the well when a sand bridge broke loose releasing a high pressure fluid stream for a short period of time which struck him in the left hip and side killing him.