Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300573094 - Pool Company (Texas) Ltd

Inspection Information - Office: Lubbock Area Office

Investigation Summary

A well servicing company was working for a petroleum company. They were pulling the drilling equipment from the well so that they could perform an acid job on the well. The crew had pulled the rods, pump, and tubing from the hole. They shut down for 15 minutes to warm up, as it was very cold, about -4 degrees C (25 degrees F). The wind was out of the northwest at about 37 kilometers per hour (20 knots), gusting to 46 kilometers per hour (25 knots). After the break, the derrickman went back up into the derrick. The crew started testing the tubing in the hole for leaks. The employees had been testing for some time, and the blocks were going back up when a stand of pipe started falling, and the derrickman was seen sliding down it, grasping wildly to hold on. As he continued to fall, his legs hit the blocks, and he flipped over, landing head first on the tongs on the rig floor. The employee died of injuries sustained in the fall. He had been wearing a lanyard and body belt, which were inspected after the accident and found in perfect condition. The body belt was around his waist, but the lanyard was still attached to the railing at the back of the tubing board at the work elevation, which was about 12.2 meters (40 feet) above the drill rig floor. It was theorized that the employee detached the lanyard so that he could adjust a tarp.

Keywords: HIGH WIND, WORK RULES, SAFETY BELT, LANYARD, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, OIL RIG, WORK SURFACE