104,543Records 70,659Employers 84,666Hospitalizations 27,563Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-09-30
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14301311

BURN,FIRE,NATURAL GAS,DRILL RIG--NON-OIL,GAS LEAK,GAS WELL DRILLING

Event
BURN,FIRE,NATURAL GAS,DRILL RIG--NON-OIL,GAS LEAK,GAS WELL DRILLING
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14301311
Report ID
653510

Event description

NATURAL GAS FIRE AT DRILLING RIG

Investigation abstract

ARAPAHOE RIG #3 WAS DRILLING FOR NATURAL GAS ON LOCATION NEAR BLONCO, NEW MEXICO . NATURAL GAS AT ABOUT 150 PSI BEGAN LEAKING THROUGH THE DRILLING FLUID. THE RET AINING RING THAT HOLDS THE RUBBER STRIPPER HEAD IN THE ROTARY BOWL HAD COME LOOS E. THE ESCAPING GAS WAS IGNITED BY AN UNKNOWN SOURCE AT ABOUT 6:30 PM ON AUGUST 4, 1985. THE ENSUING RIG FIRE BURNED FOUR OF THE FIVE MEN ON DUTY. ONE DIED FROM HIS BURNS.

Victims (4)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 57 M

    Nature of injury
    4
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    614
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Hazardous substance
    1640
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 24 M

    Nature of injury
    4
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    614
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Hazardous substance
    1640
    Task assigned
    1
  3. #3 Fatality Age 50 M

    Nature of injury
    4
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    614
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Hazardous substance
    1640
    Task assigned
    1
  4. #4 Hospitalized Age 25 M

    Nature of injury
    4
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    14
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    614
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Hazardous substance
    1640
    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.