Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 Hazard: FALLING

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 fall hazards in the event of failure of the upper anchorage point of the emergency escape line: On 12 December 2006, and at other times prior thereto, employees working at the derrick platform were exposed to a fall hazard due to the improper installation of the Geronimo emergency escape device. The following conditions contributed to a fall hazard: a.The safety buggy was mounted outside the platform's guardrails. An employee trying to mount the device would be exposed to a fall of 110 feet to the ground. b.The emergency escape line was not anchored as recommended by the manufacturer of the device. Among other methods of abatement, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard would be installation of a properly rigged and secured emergency descent device in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations of securing the escape line to a leg of the rig mast.