Inspection Detail

Inspection: 313363913 - Gasco Drilling Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Abingdon (Field Office) - Safety 0355110

Investigation Summary

On September 29, 2009, Employee #1 was driving a flatbed truck up an access road to a site where a drill rig was set up, which was at the top of a hill. He was instructed to haul drill steel from this site to be delivered to another drilling site. When the truck got near the top of the hill, the engine stalled. Employee #1 contacted a bulldozer operator by radio for help, asking for the bulldozer to push him up the hill. The bulldozer was located at the bottom of the hill. However, the flatbed truck that Employee #1 was operating began to roll backwards downhill before any assistance could be provided. As the truck rolled down the access road, it clipped the left-hand side of the bulldozer blade and overturned. The truck continued down a steep embankment, and Employee #1 was ejected from the truck. Employee #1 was killed.

Keywords: EJECTED, FRACTURE, BRAKE, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, STEEP GRADE, MOTOR VEHICLE, OVERTURN, TRUCK DRIVER