Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310017249 - Patterson-Uti Drilling Company, Lp, Lllp

Inspection Information - Office: Lubbock Area Office

Investigation Summary

On July 6, 2006, Employees #1 and #2 were employed in the crude petroleum and natural gas industry, working at a drilling rig. One was working as a derrick man, and the other was working as a driller. They were engaged in "tripping," which is "the process of removing and/or replacing pipe from the well when it is necessary to change the bit or other piece of the drill string, or when preparing to run certain tests in the well bore." The process was time-consuming, as they had to "rabbit" each pipe before putting it in the well. The pipes were too long for the derrick man to reach, so each was put in the mouse hole until the rabbit was put in the pipe. The derrick man would hold onto the rope on the rabbit until the pipe was pulled out of the mouse hole. At the time of the accident, the derrick man lost his grip on the rope before the pipe had been pulled out of the mouse hole. The rabbit went down the mouse hole. The derrick man came down to lift the mouse hole up with a forklift so that the rabbit could be retrieved. After replacing the mouse hole, the derrick man climbed back up the derrick. Once back on the monkey board, though, he failed to connect his fall protection equipment. When he reached out to grab the next pipe, he fell from the derrick, striking the driller, who had been working floors, and then striking the tongs. The derrick man was pronounced dead before he was taken from the site. The driller was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Keywords: DERRICK, DERRICKMAN, DRILL PIPE, WELL, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, OIL RIG, CONTUSION