Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1426972 - H & C Well Services Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Houston North Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1, a new well servicing rig employee, and was in the area while a crew was pulling rods from the well and hanging them in the finger board. As they were placing a string of sucker rods in the fingers, the string bottomed out on something in the derrick, slipped out of the rod transfer elevator, and fell. Employee #1 was struck on the head by the falling rods and killed. Safety latches on the transfer elevator had been removed to facilitate the work process. There are no OSHA or industry standards requiring that safety devices be used on these elevators.

Keywords: HEAD, SAFETY LATCH, WORK RULES, OIL WELL SERVICING, STRUCK BY, ELEVATOR, FALLING OBJECT