Abstract: At approximately 7:30 a.m. on September 16, 2002, Employee #1, a head well puller for the Oil Well Service Company, and two coworkers were servicing rig 23 on the Merit Energy property in Bakersfield, CA. Employee #1 opened the blow-out prevention and bled the gas off the well before going to the rig and starting its diesel engine. He was walking away when the engine began to over speed. He returned to the rig to shut down the engine when it backfired and caught on fire. Employee #1 sustained burns on his right elbow, face, and his left forearm. Employee #1 was transported to Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, where he was treated and released.