Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315841296 - Halliburton Energy Services

Inspection Information - Office: State Of New Mexico Environment Department Occupational Health & Safety Bureau

Investigation Summary

On September 20, 2011, a crew of Halliburton employees was at well site Oracle 21, Federal Number 4H in Carlsbad, NM and was preparing to conduct hydraulic fracturing operations. The blowout Preventer (BOP) was left standing on a crane line owned by a third party contractor. Halliburton employees could not attach the pipe lines to the well head with the BOP in the way. Therefore, supervisors decided to unhook the BOP from the third party crane and hook it onto their crane, so it could be moved. After moving the BOP approximately 10 feet, it was unhooked and left free standing, next to the pump truck. With the BOP freestanding, an employee decided to tie the BOP to the pump truck with a rope, so it wouldn't fall onto the employees working on the well head. While employees were working on the well head, an employee working behind the pump truck was attaching lines to the pump. He was not able to fit one of the lines and therefore, had the driver pull the pump truck forward, approximately three feet. The driver moved the truck up and pulled the BOP along with it. This made the BOP fall in the direction of the truck, where employees were standing. As the BOP fell, it struck Employee #1 on the head and killed him.

Keywords: HEAD, ROPE, CRUSHED, TRUCK, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, GAS WELL DRILLING, UNSTABLE LOAD