OSHA Inspection: S.W. JACK DRILLING COMPANY

Issued

Aug 19, 2008

Abate by

Aug 27, 2008

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Acts of 1970: The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards
that were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in
that employees were
exposed to struck by and crushing hazards:
a.Drilling Site.  Employees were exposed to the hazard of collapse of the
derrick/mast
in that the rig contractor did not ensure that anchor spacing/pattern was
consistent
with the manufacturer recommendations and consensus standards for the
Rambler Rig
#21, serial # 689. Employees were performing  work off of the rig floor
and pipe
racking board, as determined on or about 04/17, 2008.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT
METHOD TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS THAT THE MAST MANUFACTURER'S
RECOMMENDATION FOR GUYING PATTERNS SHALL BE FOLLOWED, AS
SPECIFIED IN THE IDECO OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL, SECTION
D(4) FOR FINAL RIGGING UP; THE RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR USE AND
PROCEDURES FOR INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF DRILLING
AND WELL SERVICING STRUCTURES (API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 4G),
SECTION 13.1 FOR GUYING FOR PORTABLE MASTS WITH GUYLINES; AND THE
ACCIDENT PREVENTION REFERENCE GUIDE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF DRILLING CONTRACTORS, PAGE 17-17, SECTION B, GUY
LINES AND ANCHORING SYSTEMS. IN THE SPECIFICATION FOR DRILLING AND
WELL SERVICING (API SPECIFICATION 4E) SECTION 3.14, IT SPECIFIED THAT
THE EMPLOYER SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING ANCHORAGE
CAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING THE MAXIMUM GUYLINE LOADS.  IN THE
ROTARY DRILLING SERIES, SAFETY ON THE RIG, FOURTH EDITION, UNIT 1 -
LESSON 10, PAGE 35, ITEM 2, IT SPECIFIED THAT FOR PORTABLE TELESCOPING
MASTS, TO ATTACH GUY WIRES TO PERMANENT, BURIED GROUND ANCHORS
(DEADMEN) IF POSSIBLE; IF NOT, USE EXPANDING OR SCREW-IN ANCHORS.
IN THE AESC SAFETY ISSUES UNDER USE OF ANCHORS AND GUYWIRES 72KB,
IT SPECIFIED THAT GROUND ANCHORS SHOULD BE INSTALLED WITH THE
RATED CAPACITY AND IN PATTERN AROUND THE WELL HEAD SO AS TO
SUPPORT THE RIG STRUCTURE(S) THAT WILL BE USED TO DRILL OR SERVICE
THE WELL.

Issued

Aug 19, 2008

Abate by

Aug 27, 2008

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Acts of 1970: The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards
that were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in
that employees were
exposed to struck by and crushing hazards:
a.Drilling Site.  Employees were exposed to the hazard of collapse of the
derrick/mast
in that the rig contractor did not successfully inspect surface ground
conditions that
might indicated reduced anchor capacity, in that the deadman anchor/stakes
were
located approximately 43 inches from a ditch/spring of water, with the
water seeping
from a bank that was located next to the ditch. These conditions could
contributed to
failure of a deadman anchor/stakes. Employees were performing work off of
the rig
floor and pipe racking board on the Rambler Rig #21, serial # 689, as
determined on
or about 05/17/2008.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT
METHOD TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS TO BE MORE THOROUGH IN
INSPECTING THE SURFACE GROUND CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT INDICATE
REDUCED ANCHOR CAPACITY, AS SPECIFIED IN THE RECOMMENDED
PRACTICE FOR USE AND PROCEDURES FOR INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND
REPAIR OF DRILLING AND WELL SERVICING STRUCTURES (API
RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 4G), SECTION 14.5 (D).

Issued

Aug 19, 2008

Abate by

Aug 27, 2008

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Acts of 1970: The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards
that were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in
that employees were
exposed to the conditions listed below:
a.Drilling Site.  The employer did not successfully train employees in
proper rigging
techniques, in areas such as, but not limited to, the installation and
pull testing of
ground anchors/stakes, proper guylines patterns procedures, and inspecting
surface
ground conditions that might indicate reduced anchor capacity in that
employees were
exposed to the hazard of collapse of the derrick/mast on the Rambler Rig
#21, serial
number 689. Employees were performing work off of the rig floor and pipe
racking
board, as determined on or about 05/17/08.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT TO
CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS TO ENSURE THAT EACH EMPLOYEE BE TRAINED IN
PROPER RIGGING TECHNIQUES THAT INCLUDES THE RECOGNITION AND
AVOIDANCE OF UNSAFE CONDITIONS, AND IN THE RULES AND REGULATIONS
APPLICABLE TO HIS WORK ENVIRONMENT TO CONTROL OR ELIMINATE ANY
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS OR OTHER EXPOSURE TO ILLNESS AND INJURY, AS
SPECIFIED IN AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE (API) 1988, SPECIFICATION
4E, SPECIFICATION FOR DRILLING AND WELL SERVICING STRUCTURES.
SUITABLE TRAINING SHALL INCLUDE REQUIRING OPERATORS AND
SUPERVISORS THAT IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCE WILL THE UNIT WILL BE RIG UP TO ANY ANCHOR THAT IS
NOT PULL TESTED OR THE RIG GUYING PATTERN WAS NOT PROPERLY
FOLLOWED.

Issued

Aug 19, 2008

Abate by

Sep 22, 2008

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

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 likely to cause death or serious physical harm to the employees
in that employees
were exposed to struck by and crushing hazards:
a.Drilling site - Employees were exposed to potential struck by and
crushing
hazards, such as but not limited to, rig collapse and derrick board
failure when
working on or around the drilling rig and derrick board while drilling for
natural gas.  The employer did not perform adequate periodic inspections to
maintain the derrick board in a safe condition in that, internal corrosion
reduced the wall thickness to approximately 75 percent of its original
thickness, as determined on 04/17/08.
NOTE: Among other methods, one or more feasible and acceptable abatement
methods to
correct this hazard would be to establish and to enforce accepted safe
practices by a)
maintaining the derrick and mast platforms above the rig floor in a safe
condition to
withstand the weight of personnel and other stresses which may be placed
on them, (API) 54
para. 9.2.1, and para. 9.2.12, b) perform periodic inspections to include
non-destructive
testing to determine the internal corrosion of critical parts, and
maintain dated inspection
reports ASME B30.6.