OSHA Inspection: SIDEWINDER DRILLING

Issued

2013-07-31 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $7000.00 · Current $7000.00

General-duty citation text

OSH ACT of 1970 Section (5)(a)(1): The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that:  a) The employer did not protect their employees from the recognized hazard of being struck-by the break-out tong assembly while making-up connections at the main hole.  Two floor hands performed work at the main hole without a snub line attached to the breakout tong assembly which resulted in a failure of the steel cable break-out line on the draw works, fatally injuring one floor hand and injuring another floor hand.  b) The employer did not protect their employees from the recognized hazard of being struck-by the break-out tong assembly while breaking-out connections at the mouse hole.  The floor hands had to torque a crossover sub at the mouse hole that allowed for the connection of an 8" pipe to a 6" pipe.  The snub line was removed so the break-out tong assembly could reach the mouse hole, and no snub line was present to protect the floor hands from the struck-by hazard.