Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: ELECTRIC

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: a) Mallard Bay Drilling, Inc., LLC, Rig 52, State Lease Number 411, Lake Chicot Field, Well Number 19: On June 16, 1997, the employer failed to evacuate all personnel on board Drilling Rig No. 52 after the well was out of control spewing drilling mud and natural gas. For 30-40 minutes after all mechanical possibilities of shutting in the well had been tried and failed, crew members were exposed to a fire and explosion hazard. The abandon the rig alarm was never sounded. Evacuation procedures that were practiced once every hitch by all crew members were not attempted when the real emergency event was experienced. Generators and pumps were left running providing possible ignition sources. The natural gas found an ignition source causing an explosion. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard would be to follow the evacuation procedures already in place and practiced by all personnel on board at least once each hitch. Once mechanical control of the well was lost, the well was blowing out with no chance to contain it. At that point the evacuation alarm had to be sounded, all electrical motors shut off, all internal combustion engines shut down, and all personnel evacuated immediately.