Inspection Detail

Inspection: 311787444 - Murfin Drilling Company, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Wichita Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 7:28 p.m. on March 26, 2008, Employee #1 was working with three other employees of his crew, along with an employee of Trilobite Testing, Inc., performing a wet stem test at the drill site. After several attempts were made to stretch and secure the rubber pull back sling on the drilling head to the wet cap with no success, Employee #1 went to assist in attaching the pull back sling to the drilling head block. The driller was operating the winch when the Trilobite Testing employee directed the driller to keep the drilling heads/bales down on drilling floor. While the tester was in the doghouse, without being directed, the driller raised the drilling bails to the top of the derrick. The derrick hand gave the high sign to the driller that it was ready to be spun out and removed. The driller started the winch, and the wet cap was spun out. The tension on the rubber pull back sling was strong, and wet cap was thrown out at a tremendous force. By the time the derrick employee saw what was happening and alerted the crew on rig floor, it had already struck Employee #1 in the head. Employee #1 was wearing a hard hat, gloves, and safety boots. There were three eyewitnesses to the accident. Employee #1 was transported to Great Bend Hospital, where Employee #1 was pronounced dead by an Emergency Room doctor.

Keywords: HEAD, OIL WELL DRILLING, DRILL COLLAR, STRUCK BY, CONCUSSION, OIL RIG