Abstract: On October 19, 1994, Employee #1, of an oil well service company, was part of a crew that was abandoning a well. When they were done, only the wellhead and the cellar remained. While the crew was pumping concrete down the well, the flange on the wellhead began leaking. The cellar had a plank on each side of the wellhead that lay over the top of the cellar. The planks were supported by the cellar's concrete walls. Employee #1, a well puller's helper, went out onto one of the planks to tighten the flange bolts. He apparently tried to brace himself by placing one foot on the wellhead flange. His foot slipped, and he fell approximately 8 to 12 ft into the cellar. Employee #1 suffered spinal fractures. The planks had no guardrails and Employee #1 had no fall protection equipment.