OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14237267
LANGSTON DRILLING CO MID RANGE INC
PINELAND, TX—
Event description
OILFIELD DRILLING RIG TURNED OVER
Investigation abstract
AT APPROXIMATELY 3:30 AM ON DECEMBER 25, 1984, THE #4 DRILLING RIG, LOCATED AT URATED WITH WATER. RAIN, OIL DRILLING FLUID AND OTHER LIQUIDS HAD GREATLY REDUCE D THE STABILITY OF THE SOIL UNDER THE FOOTINGS. ADDITIONALLY, THE CHURNING ACTIO N OF THE FOOTINGS CAUSED BY THE WEIGHT TRANSFERS ON THE RIG WHILE DRILLING HAD M ADE THE SOIL UNDER THE FOOTINGS LESS STABLE. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS WORKING ON THE MONK EY BOARD, RACKING DRILL COLLARS, WHEN THE RIG OVERTURNED. HE FELL WITH THE RIG A ND WAS KILLED. EMPLOYEE #2 WAS ON THE RIG FLOOR, PREPARING TO TAKE MORE ROPE UP TO THE DERRICKMAN. HE SUFFERED A BROKEN PELVIS. EMPLOYEE #3 WAS ON THE DRILL FLO OR PUTTING THE "WEDDING BAND" ON THE LAST DRILL COLLAR. HE INJURED HIS LEGS. EMP LOYEE #4 WORKING ON THE DRILL FLOOR, OPERATING THE BRAKE HANDLE. HE INJURED HIS RIGHT SHOULDER AND SIDE. TEMPLE EASTEX WELL #97, SABINE COUNTY, PINELAND, TEXAS, OVERTURNED WHILE DRILLIN G WAS IN PROGRESS. THE RIG WAS A WHEEL MOUNTED, MIDWAY MODEL TRAILER (SN 1021-81 ) AND A SUBSTRUCTURE CONSISTING OF A SETBACK, ROTARY AND OTHER LOADS. IT WAS ERE CTED ON A PRE-MATTING BOARD FOUNDATION, APPROXIMAYELY A QUARTER MILE OFF HIGHWAY 87 SOUTH. AT 11 PM ON THE 24TH, THE THIRD SHIFT CAME ON DUTY AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO PULL PIPE AND CEMENT THE HOLE (IT WAS A DRY HOLE). ALL THE DRILL PIPE AND SE VEN OF THE DRILL COLLARS HAD BEEN PULLED WHEN THE RIG OVERTURNED. THE LAST COLLA R WAS ON THE TRAVELLING BLOCK HOOK. THE SOIL AT THE TIME OF THE OVERTURN WAS SAT
Victims (4)
-
#1 Fatality Age 22 M
- Nature of injury
- 6
- Part of body
- 13
- Event type
- 5
- Source
- 8
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 17
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 23 M
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 14
- Event type
- 5
- Source
- 8
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 17
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 35 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 16
- Event type
- 5
- Source
- 8
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 17
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 35 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 21
- Event type
- 5
- Source
- 8
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 17
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Task assigned
- 1
Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.