OSHA Inspection: GREY WOLF DRILLING COMPANY L.P. RIG #82

Issued

Jul 10, 2001

Abate by

Jul 16, 2001

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $4,000 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 a struck-by hazard:
At the Oakville Gas Unit #1, during the rigging up of drilling Rig #82,
employees
with the move-in crew were observed:
a.standing on the gin-pole truck bed while the pole was handling a load.
Employees were exposed to the struck-by hazard of a failed cable or other
component (e.g. whipping action of broken cable);
b.not having a supported heavy load snubbed to the truck while supported
by a gin pole derrick;
c.not keeping hands away from suspended loads and using a tag line instead
to guide the load.
These were practices addressed under the employer's Safety Manual, Section
IV
-
"General Precautions for Riggers", and the International Association of
Drilling
Contractors' (IADC) Accident Prevention Reference Guide (1998), Section
7.2.

Issued

Jul 10, 2001

Abate by

Jul 18, 2001

Penalty

Initial $2,500 · Current $2,000 Reduced

Issued

Jul 10, 2001

Abate by

Jul 18, 2001

Penalty

Initial $70,000 · Current $56,000 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 a fall hazard:
At the Oakville Gas Unit #1 site, while rigging up drilling Rig #82,
employees
were exposed to a fall of 26 feet from the substructure floor to lower
levels and
the ground.  Employees were observed assisting in the rigging up while
exposed
to floor holes and outer edges without the use of temporary protection
such as a
personal fall arrest system (PFAS), bucket truck, manbasket, safety net,
or other
means.
The employer recognized this special fall hazard, unique to the oil and gas
drilling industry (SIC 1381).  The employer had the following written rule
in its
safety manual, Section III, "Subsection AB. Rig Down/Rig Move/Rig Up", Rule
#6, pg. 75: "At any time during the rig down or rig up, when rig team
members
are required to work at an elevation of 6 feet or greater in any area not
protected
by handrails, they are required to wear a full body harness attached in a
manner
to prevent a free fall of more than 6 feet."  This rule was in line with
the
International Association of Drilling Contractors' (IADC) Accident
Prevention
Reference Guide (1998), Section 3.10.
Where PFASs are in use, they should be rigged and used in accordance with
employer-recognized consensus standards such as the American National
Standard: Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems
and
Components, (ANSI Z359.1).ts,

Issued

Jul 10, 2001

Abate by

Aug 31, 2002

Penalty

Initial $12,500 · Current $10,000 Reduced