OSHA Inspection: CORPUS CHRISTI DRILLING & WORKOVER, L.L.C. RIG 14

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,675 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 fire, explosion and/or rig collapse hazards due to
improper rigging of the
Geronimo Emergency Escape Line and installation of the Geronimo Emergency
Escape Device
on the Geronimo Emergency Escape Line:
a.Geronimo Emergency Escape Device was rigged approximately ten (10)
feet above the walking surface of the pipe racking board approximately
seventy-three (73) feet above ground level with no means of safe access
to the Geronimo Emergency Escape Device.
b.The Geronimo Emergency Escape Line was installed in such a manner
that the upper end of the Line was wrapped around the Southeast leg of
the upper section of the derrick, approximately ten (10) feet above the
walking surface of the pipe racking board, attached with a shackle put
through an open loop at the upper end of the Line, with the other end of
the Line going through the shackle, and the pin threaded into the threads
of the "U" bolt.
c.The Geronimo Emergency Escape Line was anchored in a steep manner
and did not allow enough travel distance on the opposite side of an earthen
levee for the fresh water pond, to allow employees to stop twenty (20) to
twenty-five (25) feet prior to the anchoring point.
d.The Geronimo Emergency Escape Line was anchored to the top of a forty-
four and one-half (44 1/2) inch long, one and one-half (1 1/2) inch by one
and one-half (1 1/2) inch square steel stake/anchor driven into the plowed
grain field approximately twenty-seven and one-half (27 1/2) inches.  The
shackle passed through a drilled hole in the top of the square steel stake,
and the end of the Geronimo Emergency Escape Line passed through the
"U" Bolt of the shackle and then was secured to the live end of the wire
rope line by Crosby clips.

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $4,900

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 the hazard of being struck-by elevated equipment due to
failure of deteriorated
pipe threads, inadequate welds on metal safety clamp lugs or rupture of
equipment:
a.At the gooseneck of the standpipe
1.Four (4) inch nipple
2.Four (4) inch hammer connection union
3.Metal clamp with lug
4.Top of rotary hose
b.At the gooseneck of the swivel
1.Four (4) inch nipple
2.Four (4) inch hammer connection union
3.Metal clamp with lug
4.Bottom of rotary hose
c.Fragmented parts of the Gardner Denver PZ 9 mud pumps in the event of
rupture.
Among other methods, one (1) feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard
is to implement a maintenance and inspection program as addressed in the
International
Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Drilling Manual.

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,675 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 fire and explosion hazard:
a.Employer had not trained designated rig personnel in an adequate
understanding of the blowout preventer system.
b.Employer did not conduct BOP drills under a variety of conditions.
c.Employer did not inspect the blowout prevention equipment daily and
perform a blowout preventer activation test prior to each round trip.
One (1) feasible and acceptable method of abatement to assure well control
at all
times is to have:
1.Assure that designated personnel have an understanding of and are able to
operate the blowout preventer equipment.
2.Conduct testing of blowout preventer equipment to assure the equipment
is functioning properly during drilling and well completion operations as
addressed in the American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice for
Occupational Safety for Oil and Gass Well Drilling and Servicing
Operations.

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,675 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 the hazard of collapse of the derrick mast:
Employees were exposed to the hazard of collapse of the derrick (mast)
resulting
from the improper erection and guying of the Wilson Model 75 Winchmobile
Single Drum, Back-in drilling unit, Serial Number 10643 with a Wilson 110
foot,
354,000 pounds on Ten (10) lines derrick (mast).  This occurred at Rig
Number
14 on May 17, 2001, while employees were required to perform work off the
rig
floor and pipe racking board.
Among other methods, one (1) feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is to ensure proper erection and guying procedures.
Essential
elements of this procedure would include:
1.Following the Rig Manufacturer's Instruction Manual for requirements on
correct and proper steps to derrick (mast) erection.
2.Following the Rig Manufacturer's Instruction Manual for requirements on
correct and proper guying and guyline installation.
3.Installing hand placed auger anchors for the wire rope guylines.

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,675 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:
Employees were exposed to the hazard of being struck-by elevated equipment
due
to failure to provide lengths of chain/wire rope slings as a secondary
securing
method for the elevated upper end of the four (4) inch rotary hose at the
standpipe gooseneck and at each end of the four (4) inch vibrator hoses
between
the steel pipe of the standpipe and the discharge outlet of each Gardner
Denver
PZ 9 mud pump.
Among other methods, one (1) feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is to install lengths of chain/wire rope slings as a
secondary
securing method for the elevated upper end of the four (4) inch rotary
hose at the
standpipe gooseneck and at each end of the four (4) inch vibrator hoses
between
the steel pipe of the standpipe and the discharge outlet of each Gardner
Denver
PZ 9 mud pump.r

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $4,900 · Current $3,675 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:
Employees were exposed to a struck-by hazard due to the improper number and
installation of Crosby clips on the lifting wire rope lines/snub lines for
the break-
out tongs and the make-up tongs.  The employer had also failed to install
thimbles
at the ends of some of the wire rope guylines where an eye was formed to
prevent crushing of the wire rope.
Among other methods, one (1) feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is to install the correct number with proper
installation of the
Crosby clips on the lifting wire rope lines/snub lines for the break-out
tongs and
the make-up tongs.  The employer also should implement a work rule
requiring
the installation of thimbles in all of the guylines where they connect to
the derrick
or to the closed eyes of turnbuckles.

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Dec 4, 2001

Penalty

Initial $1,750 · Current $1,313 Reduced

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $2,625 Reduced

Issued

Nov 14, 2001

Abate by

Nov 20, 2001