worker’s head pinned by casing pipe date of ......8.2.3 bronco drilling services ltd. reviewed...

WORKER’S HEAD PINNED BY CASING PIPE

Date of Incident: February 13, 2008 Type of Incident: Fatal

File: F-538016

Alberta Employment and Immigration, Workplace Health and Safety & Employment Standards Compliance

2 October 30, 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION TITLE PAGE NUMBER

1.0 DATE AND TIME OF INCIDENT 3

2.0 NAME& ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL PARTIES 3

2.1 Owner 3

2.2 Employer(s) 3

2.3 Worker 3

3.0 DESCRIPTION OF PRINCIPAL PARTIES 4

3.1 Employers 4

3.2 Worker 4

4.0 LOCATION OF INCIDENT 4

5.0 EQUIPMENT, MATERIAL AND OBSERVATIONS 4

5.1 Equipment and Material

5.2 Observations

6.0 NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT 4

7.0 ANALYSIS

7.1 Direct Cause 4

7.2 Contributing Factors 4

8.0 FOLLOW-UP/ ACTION TAKEN 5

8.1 Workplace Health and Safety Compliance 5

8.2 Industry 5

8.3 Additional Measures 5

9.0 SIGNATURES 5

10.0 ATTACHMENTS 5

File: F-538016


3 October 30, 2008

SECTION 1.0 DATE AND TIME OF INCIDENT 1.1 The incident occurred on February 13, 2008 at approximately 8:15 p.m. SECTION 2.0 NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL PARTIES

2.1 Owner(s) 2.1.1 Bigstone Cree Nation Reserve Lands Wabasca, Alberta 2.2 Prime Contractor 2.2.1 Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. #910 800-6th Ave Calgary, Alberta T2P 3G3 2.3 Employer(s) 2.3.1 Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. #910 800-6th Ave Calgary, Alberta T2P 3G3 2.4 Contractor(s) 2.4.1 Non-applicable 2.5 Supplier(s) 2.5.1 Non-applicable 2.6 Worker(s)

2.6.1 The Floorhand 2.7 Others 2.7.1 Non-applicable

File: F-538016


4 October 30, 2008

SECTION 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF PRINCIPAL PARTIES 3.1 Owner/ Prime Contractor description 3.1.1 The Bigstone Cree Nation and Bronco Energy Ltd. were in a joint venture of oil

production with Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. conducting the drilling. 3.2 Employer description 3.2.1 Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. have two drilling rigs which dedicate their drilling in

northern Alberta areas near Wabasca. SECTION 4.0 LOCATION OF INCIDENT 4.1 Approximately 23 km east of Wabasca, Alberta. SECTION 5.0 EQUIPMENT, MATERIAL AND OBSERVATIONS

5.1 Equipment and Material 5.1.1 Pipe casing measuring 13 m x 23 cm outside diameter. (Attachment “A” Photograph

# 3) The casing was on the catwalk and then raised to the drill floor when required by a hydraulic lever, known as the skate.

5.1.2 The remote control operated the skate on the catwalk. This remote control was used

by a worker on the catwalk. The worker would carry it in front of him around his neck. (Attachment “A” Photograph # 5).

5.1.3 The catwalk was located below the drill floor. The hydraulic skate on the catwalk

moved the pipe casing from the catwalk to the drill floor. (Attachment “A” Photograph #3)

5.1.4 The drill rig floor was an elevated platform with a rotary table located in the middle.

The incident occurred on the drill floor. (Attachment “A” Photograph #2) 5.2 Observations 5.2.1 When the Lead Investigator was notified of the incident and contacted the Royal

Canadian Mounted Police, who were at the incident scene, he was informed that there was a blizzard in the immediate area and travel was not advised. The Lead Investigator was informed that operations had been ceased by Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. until notification by Workplace Health and Safety Compliance permitted the operation to be resumed.

File: F-538016


5 October 30, 2008

The Lead Investigator requested that photographs be taken prior to the removal of the victim. It was arranged that copies of the statements from the witnesses would be procured upon arrival the following day.

5.2.2 The following day the investigating officers arrived at the incident scene. When they

went up on the drill floor there was one pipe casing attached to the top drive and another pipe casing positioned in the V door. (Attachment “A” Photograph #2)

SECTION 6.0 NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT 6.1 On February 13, 2008 at approximately 6:40 p.m. the night rig crew arrived at the rig

site to prepare for the next shift. The crew consisted of the Driller , Assistant Driller Lease Hand, Derrickman and two Floorhands.

6.2 A worker representing Offshore Energy Services Canada was operating the power

tongs and another worker representing Tesco Corporation was overseeing the maintenance of the top drive. All the rig crew were on the rig floor at the time of the incident.

6.3 Once the night rig crew had completed their change over with the day rig crew they

conducted a safety meeting prior to starting work. The night rig crew started to run pipe casing. About twelve pipe casing runs had been completed. When the rig crew ran casing, a pipe casing would be attached to the top drive and be filled with drilling mud. The #1 Floorhand would signal to the #2 Floorhand who was standing down on the catwalk to send up another pipe casing. The #2 Floorhand would use the remote control to operate the skate to bring the next pipe casing up to the drill floor.

6.4 A pipe casing had been raised and it was positioned at an angle at the V door. This

pipe casing would be the next one run into the hole. 6.5 The #1Floorhand positioned himself next to the top drive with the pipe casing

attached, listening for the pipe to be filled with drilling mud. 6.6 The pipe casing that was positioned at the V door inadvertently propelled forward and

pinned the #1Floorhand’s head against the top drive. The Driller immediately sounded the man down alarm. Other co-workers came to the assistance of the injured #1 Floorhand.

6.7 An Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic at the work site attended the incident.

He checked for vital signs on the injured #1 Floorhand and there were none and then he informed the RCMP in Wabasca-Desmarais detachment that there had been a workplace fatality.

File: F-538016


6 October 30, 2008

SECTION 7.0 ANALYSIS

7.1 Direct Cause 7.1.1 The worker was struck in the head and pinned by a pipe casing. 7.2 Contributing Factors 7.2.1 Workers would physically check the pipe casing that was being filled with drilling

mud by placing their ear adjacent to the pipe casing, without properly ensuring the movement of the next pipe casing in the V door.

7.2.2 The worker operating the remote control would conduct other duties around the

catwalk, while still wearing the remote control. The remote control button got activated accidentally and the skate moved the casing pipe in the V door up to the drill floor. The worker operating the remote control must not be doing other duties while wearing the remote control.

SECTION 8.0 FOLLOW-UP/ ACTION TAKEN

8.1 Alberta Employment and Immigration; Workplace Health and Safety Compliance

8.1.1 Workplace Health and Safety Compliance issued a Stop Use Order to Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. for the hydraulic catwalk not to be used until it had been inspected by a third party independent consulting engineer.

8.1.2 An order by Workplace Health and Safety Compliance was issued to Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. to conduct a hazard assessment of the hydraulic catwalk.

8.1.3 An order was issued to Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. by Workplace Health and

Safety Compliance to review existing safe work procedures and any new procedures developed with all workers prior to resuming work.

8.1.4 Workplace Health and Safety Compliance issued an order to Bronco Drilling Services

Ltd. to conduct an incident investigation, prepare a report and have it available for review for Workplace Health and Safety Compliance.

8.1.5 Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. were issued an order by Workplace Health and Safety

Compliance as part of the investigation to provide the following documentation; a. Orientation and training records of the workers at time of the incident; b. Records of the tool box meetings and safety meeting minutes conducted at Rig 1

since February 1, 2008; c. All training records of the victim; d. Safe work procedures for running the casing; e. Manufacturer’s specifications for the hydraulic catwalk;

File: F-538016


7 October 30, 2008

8.2 Industry 8.2.1 Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. had the hydraulic catwalk inspected by an independent

engineering consultant and provided certified documentation that the catwalk will function as per manufacturer’s specifications. The consulting engineer also provided the following safety recommendations;

a. Install additional emergency stop buttons on either side of the drill floor; b. Have an alarm system with both an audio and flashing beacon when the skate is

energized; c. Install a limit switch to slow down the skate speed as the tubular reaches the top of

the V door; e. Relocate system controls to driller side on drill floor; 8.2.2 Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. conducted a hazard assessment on the hydraulic

catwalk and provided a copy to Workplace Health and Safety Compliance. 8.2.3 Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. reviewed safe work procedures applicable to the work

site with all workers prior to resuming work. 8.2.4 Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. submitted an incident investigation report to Workplace

Health and Safety Compliance for review. 8.2.5 Bronco Drilling Services Ltd. submitted the following documentation to Workplace

Health and Safety Compliance; a. Records of the workers’ orientation; b. Tool box and safety minute meetings since February 1, 2008; c. The victim’s training records; d. The safe work procedure for running casing; e. The manufacturer’s specifications for the hydraulic catwalk.

8.3 Additional Measures

8.3.1 No additional measures at this time.

File: F-538016


8 October 30, 2008

SECTION 9.0 SIGNATURES Original Report Signed_______ _____________________ Lead Investigator Date Original Report Signed_______ _____________________ Investigator Date Original Report Signed_______ _____________________ Compliance Manager Date Original Report Signed_______ _____________________ Regional Senior Manager Date SECTION 10.0 ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A Photographs


File: F-538016 Attachment “A”

Page 1 of 5

Photograph #1 Shows where the incident occurred, on Bronco Rig #1.



Page 2 of 5

Photograph #2 Shows the general area where the incident occurred on the rig floor.

The blue oval (centre rig floor) indicates where the victim had his head positioned when he was pinned by the casing.



Page 3 of 5

Photograph #3 Shows the position of the casing at the v-door where it was situated prior to the incident.

The casing would be positioned here waiting to be put into the top-drive on the rig floor. The red arrow indicates the catwalk.



Page 4 of 5

Photograph # 4 Shows the casing positioned at the v-door being held by the hydraulic skate. A worker would operate the skate and other controls with the catwalk remote control.

The casing is 13 m in length with an outside diameter of

23 cm.



Page 5 of 5

Photograph #5 Shows the remote control which operates the hydraulic skate that moves the casing from the catwalk to the drill floor via the v-door.

This remote control would be operated by a worker on the catwalk.

worker’s head pinned by casing pipe date of ......8.2.3 bronco drilling services ltd. reviewed...

Documents