OSHA Inspection: R.I.C. OIL & GAS COMPANY, INC.

Issued

May 27, 1994

Abate by

Jun 2, 1994

Penalty

Initial $1,500 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(A)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  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 employees
were exposed to struck by hazard:
E.J. Moore Lease, NCT Tract #1, Well #19:  The employer did not protect an
employee from
the hazard of being crushed by the falling 3000 pound spudding beam of the
Walkneer clean out
machine (work over rig).  The employee (pumper) entered the draw works to
hand spool the
misfed line/cable which was not laying evenly on the spool due to the
absence of any
counterweight on the other end.  The drilling tools and line had been
removed in order to fish
out a broken line.  While in the draw works, the employee was sitting on
the main shaft that
runs the sprocket for the pitman arms.  The spudding beam was left in the
up position during
this operation.  The beam free fell on the employee causing fatal injuries.
One feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard would
be to ensure that the
spudding beam is always maintained in the down position during this
operation and/or install a
ram under the beam to prevent it from