UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

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

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 the condition(s) listed below: On or about 09/16/03, one employee was fatally injured and others were exposed to the following combination of hazards: the hazard of "bumping" the counterweights to the upright position while placing a spacer on the polishing rod; the hazard of not providing an employee who had been working for less than two weeks with adequate training prior to working in the oil field; the hazard of not informing employees of the dangers associated with standing under a moving load; the hazard of not securing the horse head to the walking beam prior to "bumping" operations began; the hazard of not having a written standard operation procedure for placing a spacer on the polishing rod. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct the hazards would be: 1) Provide all employees training addressing the hazards they may anticipated in the oil field prior to employees engaging in oil field activity. 2) Implement a written procedure to instruct employees of acceptable company methods to conduct oil field activities. 3) Ensure the horse head is secured and properly attached to the walking beam at all attach points prior to beginning any operation that would result in providing slack in the wire line hanger. 4) Use a gin-pole truck (or the equivalent) to move the counterweights to the upright position and secure the weights such that they will remain in the upright position in the event of a failure or an accidental release of energy.