OSHA Inspection: SKEETER-MACHEN WELL SERVICE

Issued

Jun 3, 1993

Abate by

Jun 9, 1993

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $5,000

General-duty citation text

cc:  YALE E. KEY INC.
ATTN:  MR. MAX EMMERT
P.O. BOX DRAWER 16627
MIDLAND, TX  79702
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:
Employees were involved in a well-head fire/explosion (at the
T.H.S.U. #281, 24 miles S. E. of Midland, Texas, as did occur
on March 8, 1993) that resulted in the fatal injury of an
employee, and the employee representative (rig operator), aware
o funsafe conditions created by another empployer on site, but
unsure of his authority/responsibility, failed to ensure/insist
that these conditions were corrected before allowing work to
continue.  Conditions were vehicles parked too close to the
well face (one was eight feet from the well), vehicle parked
downwind (one was nearly directly downwind) and sources of
ignition not kept at least one hundred feet from well head
(vehicle radio operating in vehicle parked eight feet from
well).
Among other methods, one feasible and accpetable method
to abate these conditions would be for the employer to meet with
and arive at an agreement with other employers affected, as
appropriate, to ensure that employers and their representatives
(as a minimum) realized full well their authority/responsibility
to stop work and request/insist that any such unsafe conditions
were corrected/abated before authorizing work to commence.

Issued

Jun 3, 1993

Abate by

Jun 15, 1993

Penalty

Initial $5,000

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:
Employees had not been trained sufficiently in the proper
operation and use of blowout preventers (B.O.P.'s) and failed
to achieve the proper ram block to tubing alignment/closure,
(at the T.H.S.U. #281 well, 20 miles S. E. of Midland, Texas)
which, resulted in a blowout condition and subsequent well head
gas/fuel fire explosion (as did occur on March 8, 1993).
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method
would be to ensure that designated rig employees had adequate
understanding of and were able to properly operate the blowout
preventer system by establishing a (B.O.P.) training and
evaluation program.

Issued

Jun 3, 1993

Abate by

Jun 9, 1993

Penalty

Initial $5,000

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:
Employees required to work at the wellhead (T.H.S.U. #281, 20
miles S. E. of Midland, Texas) and thereby exposed to potential
releases of hydrocarbon gases/vapors and the hazards related
to resulting fires/explosions (as did occur on March 8, 1993),
were not adequately protected by ensuring precautions were taken
to prevent ignition of these releases by eliminating or
controlling sources of ignition.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to abate
these conditions would be to ensure that all fires, electrical
equipment, internal combustion equipment and the like were shut
down/located one hundred feet upwind from the wellhead.

Issued

Jun 3, 1993

Abate by

Jul 21, 1993

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Issued

Jun 3, 1993

Abate by

Jul 21, 1993

Penalty

Initial $5,000

Issued

Jun 3, 1993

Abate by

Jul 21, 1993

Penalty

Initial $5,000