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

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 in that there was no emergency means of egress provided for derrick hands. Rig mast; on or about February 5, 2009, employees utilizing an oil/gas well service rig were replacing the well suck rod, the derrick hand was working on the sucker rod basket un-racking the sucker rod being replaced into the well; the mast emergency escape system line had not been anchored to the ground. This prevented the derrick hand from making timely emergency egress from the mast during rig emergencies with hazards as: Fire, explosion, flying objects, and rig collapse. The American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice for Occupational Safety for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations, RP 54, 6.10.1: requires that an auxiliary means of escape be installed prior to the derrick man working on the mast. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to assure that the escape system is installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions prior to placement of the derrick man in the mast.ck