ACCIDENT
INVESTIGATION REPORT – FAILURE TO PROPERLY OPERATE THE CRANE RESULTS IN WORKER INJURY at an oil rig PLATFORM
INVESTIGATION FINDINGS
On 08-June-2014 as the Blake 1505 platform rig was being mobilized onto
ANKOR Energy's Vermilion 379A (VR-379A) facility an incident occurred. The
incident resulted in an injury to a construction worker requiring evacuation of
the injured person (IP).
At the time the incident occurred, both Danos construction personnel and
Blake rig personnel were working on the facility. The construction personnel were working on the
top deck and the cellar deck of the platform, while rig personnel were lifting electrical
equipment from the platform's top deck to the rig floor, located thirty seven feet,
seven inches (37', 7") above the top deck, using the platform crane and cargo
basket. Once the electrical equipment
had been off-loaded on the rig floor, the designated flagman signaled the crane
operator the ok to lift the cargo basket. As the cargo basket was been raised off the
rig floor the basket caught on the handrail located on the northwest corner of
the rig floor. Before the flagman could stop the lift, the cargo basket pulled
the handrail out of the support sockets resulting in it falling to the top deck
below striking a construction worker operating an air tugger.
The IP received injuries to neck and upper shoulder areas. First aid was
administered to the IP on the facility and then transported to the Occupational
Medicine Service, Houma Louisiana for medical evaluation. The medical
evaluation indicated the IP had sustained contusions to the neck and shoulder
areas. The IP was treated and given a full release to return to work.
On 23-June-2014, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
Inspectors conducted an onsite investigation into the incident. A review of the
incident documentation found separate morning safety meetings for the rig
personnel and construction personnel conducted on the day of the incident. Only rig personnel reviewed the Job Safety
Analysis (JSA) for lifting operations. Step
3-1 required the area under the lifting operation be flagged off with warning
tape. That step was not completed prior to commencement of lifting operations
allowing construction personnel access to the area.
LIST THE PROBABLE CAUSE(S) OF ACCIDENT:
1.
The rig personnel's failure to implement the
necessary precautions to prevent construction personnel from entering the area
during lifting operations.
2.
The cargo basket landed in close proximity to the
handrail allowing the cargo basket to make contact with the handrail when it
was lifted off the rig floor.
LIST THE CONTRIBUTING CAUSE(S) OF ACCIDENT:
1.
Separate morning safety meetings for rig personnel
and construction personnel conducted the day of the incident.
2.
The JSA for the lifting operations was only reviewed
by the rig personnel prior to the incident.
3.
Step 3-1 in the JSA required the area under the
lifting operations be flagged off with warning tape. That step was not
completed prior to the lifting operations commencing.
SPECIFY VIOLATIONS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY CONTRIBUTING. NARRATIVE:
I-102 - The Lessee failed to operate the crane in accordance with API RP
2D. The crane operator at the time of the incident moved a cargo basket of
equipment over personnel and didn’t insure his lift was clear of obstacles.
Step 3-1 in the JSA for the crane operation at the time of the incident,
required the area under the crane operation flagged with danger tape. The cargo basket hung up on the bottom of the
handrail on the northwest corner of the rig floor pulling the handrail out of its
sockets. The handrail fell from the rig floor thirty-seven feet seven inches to
the top deck of the platform striking a construction worker resulting in a
required evacuation for an injury.
