OSHA Inspection: GREY WOLF DRILLING COMPANY L.P. RIG #519

Issued

Nov 8, 2001

Abate by

Nov 15, 2001

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 a fall hazard:
At the rig site, the derrick man on the pipe racking board 85 feet above
rig floor
was not wearing his full body harness when operations were resumed,
causing the
employee to fall from the pipe racking board.
The employer recognized this special fall hazard, unique to the oil and gas
drilling industry. This rule of wearing a body harness when working at
heights
of more than six (6) feet is recommended with the International
Association of
Drilling Contractors (IADC) Accident prevention guide (1998), Section 3.10
and
ANSI Z359.1 Safety requirements for personal fall Arrest Systems,
Subsystems
and components.

Issued

Nov 8, 2001

Abate by

Nov 16, 2001

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 a collapsed mast(derrick) and struck by weight bucket on
the pipe racking board
hazard:
The hazard of collapsed mast (derrick) of a drilling rig resulting from
failure to
install wire rope guylines with correctly installed Crosby clips on the
Geronimo
line as recommended by the manufacturer's specifications for the safe
guying of
the mast to ensure adequate anchorage in the following:
a.Geronimo Emergency Escape Line had Crosby clips installed incorrectly
and with no thimble.
b.Weight bucket on the pipe racking board had Crosby clips installed
incorrectly and with no thimble.
This occurred on June 20, 2001 on Grey Wolf Drilling Co. L.P. Rig #519.
Among other abatements, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard would be the installation of properly secured guylines
as
specified in the American Petroleum Institute second edition, paragraph
3.14 of
spec 4e and American Petroleum Institute Standard 4d sixth edition
paragraph 3.4
and 4f, appendix c 16, first edition May 01, 1985. Essential elements of
this
procedures would include:
1.Hand screwed in auger anchors into the soil to the manufacturer's
recommended specifications.
2.Wire rope guylines properly secured to the raised portion of the auger
anchor.
3.Also correctly install and properly secure the Crosby clips to the ends
of
the wire rope guylines.

Issued

Nov 8, 2001

Abate by

Nov 16, 2001

Penalty

Initial $2,500

Issued

Nov 8, 2001

Abate by

Nov 16, 2001

Penalty

Initial $2,500

Issued

Nov 8, 2001

Abate by

Nov 15, 2001