IADC/09-01 Dropped Object – crane boom lattice
A near miss resulted when a crane boom lattice broke off and dropped a 100 feet landing on the main deck.Fortunately no one was injured, although the severity rating of the near miss incident should be high because it could have resulted in a fatality.The crane was utilizing the main block to offload casing from a supply boat to the rig. It had also utilized the main block to remove a cargo basket from the rig floor.During one of these operations the fast line hook of the crane swung into the boom and hooked on to one of the boom lattices. While moving the cargo box the crane operator noticed that the fast line had disappeared so he decided to investigate. He had the deck crew report to the helideck so that they might be able to locate the fast line. The crane operator then began booming down to give his crew a better view of the upper boom. This caused the fast line to tighten and the boom lattice broke free of the supports. The lattice fell approximately 100 feet to the catwalk. It finally came to rest 30 feet away from the catwalk on the starboard pipe rack.t here...
IADC/09-02 Dropped Object – pad eyes fail causing Near Miss
When lifting a newly constructed mud cleaning equipment skid for installation on a mud tank, three of the four lifting lug pad eyes failed at the welds located on the top of the Mud Cleaning System Lifting Frame. The skid fell to the ground. The shaker skid was approximately two feet off the ground when the welds failed.Fortunately, the crew members were using tag lines on the equipment and were at a safe distance from the lift. No injuries sustained and no equipment damaged.
IADC/09-03 Pipe falls off catwalk resulting in an LTI
Rig personnel were in the process of laying down 5”DP and the injured person (IP) was working in catwalk area attempting to remove lifting caps. The employee operating the rig floor winch lowered the 5" drill pipe down the V-door slide to the catwalk and two nipples were placed under the pipe. Then the IP started to remove the lifting cap from the 5" drill pipe by standing on cat-walk with the drill pipe between his feet. He attempted to turn the lifting cap with his hands, but he failed to realize that he was moving the opposite end of the pipe on the rack. The pin end of the drill pipe fell off the side of the cat-walk causing the box end of the pipe to strike the IP legs. The pipe knocked the IP to the ground and then the pipe fell to the ground hitting and breaking his left leg.
IADC/09-04 Explosion / Flash Fire on rig floor following gas release
Following a logging run on drill pipe the drill string was pulled out of the hole (POOH). During the trip out, the well did not take the correct amount of fluid while pulling through the horizontal section. Instead of returning to bottom, the decision was made to continue POOH. After laying down all the logging tools, the drill string was run into the hole to TD in order to clean out the well. The driller then pulled back to 4303 m to circulate,during which time he observed a flow increase, so he shut in the well. The decision was made to circulate out any influx using the Driller’s Method. During this circulation returns were lost and the BOP was opened to observe the well. Mud and gas came through the table so the BOP was closed again. Gas alarms sounded. Pumping was resumed. After a time of pumping, pressure gauges read “0.” The BOP was opened again to observe the well. Again, mud and gas came through the table and gas alarms sounded.An explosive flash fire then occurred.Eight persons were injured. All were evacuated to hospital.
IADC/09-05 Oxygen torch assembly ignites explosively resulting in burned hand
An oxygen hose leaked and the oxygen came in contact with oil / grease (hydrocarbons) resulting in an explosion causing damage to the gauges, regulator and burns to an employee’s hand.
IADC/09-06 Dropped Object – Rigging Screw Jaw end
Two workers were assigned with the task of fitting rigging screws between the top drive torque tube track and the mast on both the driller’s and off-driller’s side. Prior to climbing, both workers donned their safety harnesses and attached a safety lanyard from one end of the rigging screw to the D ring at the front of their harness. This meant that, when climbing, the rigging screw would have been vertical with the tied off jaw end at the top and unsecured-end running down the right hand side of the person’s body, ending around his thigh. When the second worker climbed the derrick ladder to a height of approximately 40 feet above the floor the unsecured jaw end at the bottom dislodged and fell to the ground (approx 60 feet). The jaw alone weighed 2.3 kg and landed 9 meters out from well-center on the driller’s side inline with where the V door meets the catwalk and only 10 feet away from a tag-line operator assisting a crane lift. The floor was clear of all personnel prior to the job commencing except the Assistant Driller, who was supervising the job.
IADC/09-07 Failed “O” rings result in dropped drill string
The rig operation was back reaming. During this operation, the air supply to the drum clutch of the draw works suddenly bled off, resulting in the top drive along with the drill string to moving down approximately 10feet (4-meters). The drill pipe elevator came in contact with the rotary table resulting in damage to the bails and the link tilt hydraulic cylinders.
IADC/09-08 Confined space activity results in loss of consciousness incident
Vessel maintenance was being conducted on an accommodation barge. Preparation was being made to enter a tank at the base of a column to undertake quarterly planned maintenance of the leakage detection system. The injured party (IP) removed a manhole cover to gain vertical access into tank at the base of the column. Within one minute of removing the manhole cover the gas detector alarm sounded and the IP lost consciousness on the floor of column next to the open tank hatch. Although the IP fully recovered with no residual ill health effects, the incident was rated High Potential Incident, Medical Treatment Case, Lost Time.
IADC/09-09 Electric Arc Flash injury involving extension cord
An employee (Welder/Fabricator) was attempting to plug in an extension cord from a 240 volt, 3 phase disconnect to a welding unit. As the employee plugged the two cords together, a short occurred and an arc flash occurred resulting in second degree burns to the employee’s abdomen.
IADC/09-10 Damaged electric cord results in welder electrocution
Two contract welders were working side by side in the hole of the bilge pump room in the column of a semi submersible. Welder 1 (Injured Person [IP]) finished his side of the job and welder 2 asked welder 1 to pass the welding lead so welder 2 could weld. Welder 2 got no response from welder 1 and noticed that welder 1was in contact with the floodlight being used for additional lighting. Welder 2 thought welder 1 might have received an electric shock so welder 2 climbed out of the bilge and disconnected the floodlight and welding cable. Welder 2 immediately called for help. Response team arrived but was unable to revive the IP.Background Note:A Permit To Work (PTW) and a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) were completed for the task.The 220 V floodlight was taken to the work location, but was deemed improper for the job and was moved to the side with the cord wrapped around it, but it was not removed from the work area. At some point in time,the floodlight was put in the bilge hole.
IADC/09-11 Restricted Work Case results from “Caught Between” incident
The Work Group Supervisor instructed three workers to manually transfer the mud pump air duct (about80 Kg) from cement bulk room to mud pump room through the cement unit room. When they reached the mud pump room door an additional employee(IP) decided to help with this manual lifting operation. When they attempted to land the air duct on mud pump room floor the IP's left hand middle finger was caught between the air duct and a pipe flange caused swelling in his middle finger tip end.
IADC/09-12 Lack of attention while using a sledge hammer results in a mashed finger
The injured person (IP) was using a hammer to break loose a mud pump liner nut. He missed the lug on the liner nut and the hammer glanced off of a divider between the cylinders. This resulted in the employee's finger to be mashed between the hammer handle and the divider plate.
IADC/09-13 Dropped drawworks platform
During the process of lowering the draw-works and support structure to the ground, one of two 35 ton sheaves used in the pulley system failed, causing one side of the draw works structure to fall 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) to the rig sub base. When the structure collapsed, five employees fell, resulting in major injuries(fractured bones and dislocated shoulder) and first aid cases.Potential was for multiple fatalities. The incident also caused major damage to the substructure and draw-works resulting in the rig being unserviceable. A second shackle had been added to the pulley system sheave used to lower the draw-works. This additional shackle caused misalignment of the sheave with the direction of the load. While lowering the platform, the tension in the pulley system increased forcing the sheave plates apart, releasing the sheave pin and resulting in immediate release of the cable and draw-works.
IADC/09-14 Helicopter operations – ground resonance phenomena
A helicopter on a routine crew change flight to a MODU landed on the helideck. The pilot and the HLO (Helicopter Landing Officer) gave each other the “thumbs up” signal indicating that it was safe for the HLO and his crew to carry on with their duties.The HLO & his two Helideck Assistants (HA) approached the chopper The HLO exchanged manifests with the pilot passing it through the cockpit door window, the HLO then opened the forward main passenger door and passed the pilot some food for the return trip. At this time the HAs were unloading the luggage from the helicopter side locker which is located on the starboard aft side of the aircraft.At this point the pilot started to wave at the HLO with both hands as if to tell him to back off from the aircraft,Realizing that there was something wrong, the HLO shouted and beckoned for his men to back off from the aircraft and retreat to a safe location. The HLO retreated but had not cleared the helideck, one HA managed to clear the helideck but the second HA, who was unloading the luggage from the aircraft, first secured and locked the luggage compartment, then he turned to leave the aircraft as it started to lift off from the rig. It lifted approx two metres (two and half feet) and then turned counter clockwise towards him. He stated at that time that he was about three metres (ten feet) from the chopper and that when he saw the tail of the chopper coming towards him he crouched down and rolled away from the aircraft.He then made his way to a safe and clear area at the main access and egress point to the helideck. He suffered no injury to himself although he and the other HA were extremely shook up.When the pilot had landed the chopper for the second time the HLO informed him that he should not have lifted off until the all clear was given from the HLO, thereby letting him know that he and his assistants were clear and safe; and that it was safe to take off. The HLO stated that the pilot gave no reason for his actions.He reaffirmed that the radio communication with pilot was operational but no messages were relayed to him.
IADC/09-15 Near Miss – dropped casing when elevators not latched correctly
A joint of 13 3/8 inch casing fell down the v-door and continued off the catwalk when the Single Joint Casing Elevators (SJE) were not latched and pinned correctly. The incident occurred on the 60thjoint of casing being run. A check of the SJE after the incident verified that the elevators DID NOT FAIL and that the cause of the incident was induced by human error. The investigation team established that the SJE were only partially latched. This left enough room to insert the pin behind the latching device instead of in its proper position in front of the latching device and acting as a retaining safety pin. The safety retainer pin was still inserted after the incident. The latcher on the rig floor did not know the elevators were not fully latched.With the winch line and sling removed from the joint of casing the driller was signaled to pick up the casing.When the weight was taken up on the SJE under the collar of the casing the SJE opened and the casing fell out and eventually came to rest against the wire line unit off the catwalk.The consequence of this incident was slight damage to the wire line unit with the potential for a fatality.
IADC/09-16 Extension cord safety
During a routine inspection of a 110 volt coiled extension cord, an Electrician found that one of the leads was damaged.
IADC/09-17 Near Miss – New Fall Protection Equipment failure
A derrickman was working in the derrick and was using a NEW “Pass through Tie-Off Adapter” for his fall protection anchor point. The tie-off adapter in this case was a 3” web sling, 2 feet long. The adapter is wrapped around a beam or other secure tie-off point and one end passes through the other “choking” the anchor point. The lanyard is then attached to a full body harness d-ring.The derrickman had tied-off and then leaned out to perform his work. The tie-off adapter “broke”, however,the derrickman was able to catch hold of the pipe to keep from falling out of the derrick.
IADC/09-18 Near Miss – Loose Crane Ring Bolts
A crane boom slew was jamming while lifting medium loads. The boom, counterweight, winch, pedestal, lift cylinders and lower pedestal plate were removed for inspection. The rig crew discovered 30 loose bolts with another 30% of the bolts sheared off from contact with the inspection hole as well as a grooved path cut into the top plate. Bolt holes were stressed and cracked on the thin walled sides and bearings and rails were badly worn