Inspection Detail

Inspection: 313370728 - Frontier Drilling Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Charleston Area Office

Investigation Summary

On October 4, 2009, Employee #1 was working as a floor hand at an oil well drilling operation. He and some coworkers were working with a section of drill pipe that consisted of three parts. Two sections of 30-foot heavyweight pipe had already been connected with a four-foot rubber piece, and a third connection, a cross-over sub, was being screwed into the heavyweight pipes at the time of the incident. This last connection was called the "BHA," or bottom hole assembly. A set of pipe tongs was connected to these drill pipes. At this time a top drive, used for rotating the pipe into the well hole, was being used for picking up the bottom hole assembly and not for drilling. No pipe was in the hole at the time of the accident, and drilling had not started. The cross-over had been placed into the bit breaker (a heavy piece of metal that was located in a metal table), which was located over the top of the well head. The bit breaker was supporting the bottom part of the cross-over as it was being screwed into the heavyweight pipe by the top drive. Additional support for the cross-drive was needed as it was being connected, so a set of break-away tongs was attached to the cross-over. Two employees were holding the tongs in place. The driller started rotating the top drive, causing the bottom hole assembly to rotate. Eventually the cross-over got too tight, and the bottom part of the cross-over flew out of the bit breaker. The heavyweight pipe, the rubber, and the cross-over that had been screwed in, with the set of tongs still attached, flew out of control. The assembly struck Employee #1 in the chest, and pinned him against the side of the derrick. He was killed.

Keywords: CHEST, DRILL PIPE, MECH MAT HANDLING, STRUCK BY, FLYING OBJECT, OIL RIG