NEW ORLEANS, LA -
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and U.S. Coast Guard are conducting an investigation into the fatality of a drillship worker in an area of the Gulf known as Walker Ridge 469, about 172 miles south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.
The offshore oil and gas operator, Petrobras America Inc., reported that the fatality occurred onboard the Petrobras 10,000 drillship, owned by Transocean Ltd., at about 4:45 a.m., Dec. 2, 2017. The deceased worked for Spencer Ogden Ltd. and was participating in pipe handling operations at the time of his injury. No other personnel were harmed in the incident. There was no pollution as a result of the incident.
BSEE Gulf of Mexico Region Director Lars Herbst has instituted a panel investigation and inspectors have begun conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the fatality. BSEE has also issued a safety alert regarding the incident which can be found here.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
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Floorhand Pinned In A Hazardous Location on Drilling Rig
Recently, a fatality occurred onboard a drillship operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The deceased was a floorhand involved in pipe handling operations. At the time of the incident, the deceased was working on the rig floor and positioned between a stanchion, on the port side of the rig floor with his back to the retracting skate, when it moved causing the “loading platform” of the skate to pin him against the stanchion. It was reported that there is approximately a 3-inch clearance between the stanchion and the loading platform. The incident took place within a rig floor red zone – an area where entry is controlled.
The exact cause(s) of the fatality are now under investigation. Because the factors involved in this incident are common to many drilling rigs in the Gulf, BSEE recommends all operators and drilling contractors review their facilities’ hazardous areas and associated safe work practices.
BSEE also recommends that operators consider the following:
• Review this Safety Alert with your crew and discuss safe practices within designated hazardous areas and encourage feedback to keep offshore personnel out of potentially hazardous areas.
• Review and verify all potentially hazardous areas are clearly marked and employees are trained on accessing those zones throughout their normal operations.
• Review equipment layout and operational design to reduce the interaction and application of scientific knowledge about people, facilities and management systems to reduce the likelihood and/or consequences of human error
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Authorities say a worker was killed in what appears to be an equipment-related accident on a drillship in the Gulf of Mexico.
The federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said in a news release Wednesday that the incident happened Sunday aboard the Petrobras 10,000 drillship, owned by Transocean Ltd.
The safety bureau said the deceased worker was employed by Spencer Ogden Ltd. as a floorhand and was engaged in pipe-handling operations when he was injured. The statement said the man was positioned between a stanchion on the rig floor, with his back to the retracting skate, when the skate moved and its loading platform pinned him against the stanchion.
No one else was harmed.
The cause of the incident is under investigation. The drillship is located about 170 miles (270 kilometers) south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.