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 #708818

LEAK,BURN,HEATER,FIRE,HOSE,HIGH PRESSURE,OIL WELL SERVICING,WELLHEAD

Event
LEAK,BURN,HEATER,FIRE,HOSE,HIGH PRESSURE,OIL WELL SERVICING,WELLHEAD
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
708818
Report ID
854910

Event description

EMPLOYEE BURNED IN OIL WELL FIRE

Investigation abstract

EMPLOYEE # 1 WAS HELPING AN EMPLOYEE OF ANOTHER CONTRACTOR TIGHTEN BOLTS AT THE WELLHEAD DURING A HOT OIL SERVICE OPERATION. THE OIL HEATER/PUMPER UNIT WAS IN O PERATION. APPARENTLY A HOSE OR CONNECTION DEVELOPED A HIGH PRESSURE LEAK. THE OP EN FLAME HEATER UNIT WAS 11 FEET FROM THE BORE HOLE OF THE WELL. WHEN EMPLOYEE # 1 AND THE OTHER MAN HEARD THE HIGH PRESSURE LEAK, THEY STARTED TO RUN AWAY FROM THE WELL. THE OIL IGNITED AS IT WAS SPRAYED OUT AND EMPLOYEE # 1 CAUGHT FIRE. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BURN CENTER BUT DIED A WEEK LATER.

Victims (3)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 41 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    2
    Source
    16
    Occupation code
    614
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    10
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #981 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0
  3. #982 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

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.