Vehicle or machinery fire · Thermal burns degree unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Diamondback Energy, Cobra South Battery, TARZAN, TEXAS 79783
on — Thermal burns degree unspecified, affecting the Multiple body parts n.e.c..
Final narrative
At about 10:10 a.m. on October 9, 2024, two maintenance employees were manually relighting a flare stack pilot. Built-up vapor and gas condensation in the blower ignited, causing a fire. Both employees sustained burns and one of the employees was hospitalized with burns to the face, neck, and hands.
Hospitalized Multiple body parts n.e.c. Drilling and extraction machinery n.e.c.
An employee was working to pull and inspect a plunger. While working to move the bumper spring further up for retrieval using gas pressure, the bumper spring ejected forcefully into the air, falling back down, and striking the employee on the back of the hard hat. The employee sustained a brain bleed and concussion, and fractures to their neck/cervical spine.
While a line was being blown down at a gas lift well, an object struck an employee on the head. The employee suffered a forehead contusion with a possible fracture.
Employees were securing the fuel line of an outboard motor in preparation for removing the motor from a small vessel located in the equipment yard. A gasoline-related fire occurred and one employee sustained burns to both hands and forearms.
Two employees were replacing cartridge filters at the recycle oil filter in a hydrocracking unit. While removing compression springs from the top of the filters located within the filter pot, vapors that had accumulated within the filter tubes ignited, causing a flash fire. Both employees suffered burns to multiple body parts and were hospitalized.
An employee was performing diagnostic work on a vehicle engine. As the employee was leaning over the front of the vehicle, the engine was activated. A fuel leak had produced fumes around the engine, and the ignition spark ignited them. The employee suffered second-degree burns to both hands, both biceps, and the upper chest area.
An employee was checking the fuel level of a ride-on sprayer. While refueling the sprayer, fuel ignited and the employee sustained burns to their jaw and right thumb.
Two employees were working in the kitchen area of a food trailer. There was a sudden burst of fire in the kitchen, and both employees were engulfed by deflagration of gas which oriented from a propane-powered griddle. They suffered first-, second- and third-degree burns to their head, face, arms, and legs.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 213111)
An employee was stepping down off a 6-inch containment platform to finish loading his truck, when his right ankle rolled. The employee sustained a fractured tibia and fibula at the right ankle and required surgery.
A service crew was pulling a pump and motor from a well. After breaking a joint of pipe loose from another joint, an employee grabbed the chain tongs to prevent the pipe from spinning in the well, so the crew could continue taking it apart. The bolt that attaches the chain to the handle of the chain tongs broke, causing the chain to swing around and strike the employee's lower right leg. The chain severely punctured his leg and fractured his tibia.
An employee arrived on location and loaded a blow-out-preventer (BOP) on a 1-ton flatbed truck. While standing on the flatbed securing the the BOP, the employee stepped into a void/hole on the flatbed surface. This caused him to lose balance and fall off the truck bed with his leg still caught in the hole. As a result, he sustained fractures to his left leg.
An employee was rigging up a location. He was using an Allen wrench to free up rotation and start the drawworks engine manually. The engine rotated and his left little finger became caught between the Allen wrench and the engine. The employee sustained an amputation to his little finger and fractures to his wrist.
After cutting a slab of beef short ribs, an employee turned to grab the pieces he had cut and his right hand contacted the saw blade. The employee sustained an amputation to his right index finger.
An employee was unloading a carpet pad from a truck when they fell from the truck dock to the concrete below, resulting in five fractured ribs and an injury to their left lung.
An employee was walking up a walkway to enter a building through the back entrance when she tripped over the lip of the cement ramp. The employee fell and sustained a fractured right hip.