Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 200551406 - Employee killed in gas well explosion
Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
---|---|---|---|---|
303081277 | 05/31/2000 | 0782 | 0 | Ellis Deshotel Contractors |
Abstract: Employee #1, a roustabout, was in an International 1466 tractor with a mower attachment, cutting weeds around mostly inactive wellheads in the Chicot State Park area, approximately 5 miles north of Ville Platte, LA. His tractor came too close to a wellhead and the back right tire apparently struck a 2 in. diameter nipple/valve, breaking it off. The well had been inactive for approximately 30 years, but there was still some gas pressure in the casing, and a spark--either from the tractor or from the breaking of the nipple--ignited the residual gas. The explosion apparently blew Employee #1 off the tractor, throwing him approximately 30 ft from the wellhead. He was killed. The fire burned for 2 hours before expiring for lack of fuel.
Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 303081277 | Fatality | Burn/Scald(Heat) | Occupation not reported |