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Gulf of Mexico Region Injuries – 1999 January 1, 1999 - Howell Petroleum Corporation
Remarks: An employee was answering a production horn when he fell on the end of the catwalk on the A side, injuring his left knee. January 3, 1999 - Enron Oil & Gas Company
Remarks: A cook was moving a box of bottled water into the galley when he slipped on a cardboard box, spraining his ankle and left hip. January 14, 1999 - Vastar Resources, Inc.
Remarks: An employee suffered a back strain from lifting and moving pipe flanges. January 16, 1999 - Chevron U.S.A., Inc.
Remarks: An employee was working in a tight space and struck his elbow on a metal brace. He continued to work and later brushed the same elbow against the same brace, finding it very painful. He worked through his shift, which ended on January 18 and went to see his physician on January 19. January 22, 1999 - Vastar Resources, Inc.
Remarks: An employee strained his lower back when he turned the elevators to position them for attaching slings. Although he felt some pain, it subsided and he finished his tour. The next day he informed his supervisor that he was unable to work his assigned tour due to back pain. January 27, 1999 - Vastar Resources, Inc.
Remarks: An employee injured his right hand while cutting holes in 30-inch and 16-inch casing. The two casings were hanging together: the 16-inch was inside the 30-inch. When the collar on 16-inch was cut, it gave way and struck his right hand, severing the middle finger below the knuckle. February 7, 1999 - Shell Offshore, Inc.
Remarks: A platform operator working alone on the platform sustained 2nd and 3rd degree burns to 26% of his body, two fractured ribs, and a separated shoulder. He was in the living quarters when he heard something blow out and continue to blow. He exited the quarters to determine the cause and observed liquid blowing from the #121 condensate pump. He went to the pump and was reaching for the suction valve handle when the escaping liquids/gases ignited. He sustained the immediate flash of the fire and made his way to a stairwell, where he tripped and fell down the stairway approximately 15 feet. Manual activation of the boat landing ESD or automatic detection and activation of the fusible fire loop system over the condensate pump skid resulted in total platform shut down. The fire continued due to the uncontrolled release of hydrocarbons. A pilot flying in the area reported the fire to a Shell facility nearby. The M/V Cecilia C rescued the operator from the structure. The fire apparently started at the #121 condensate pump. The #2 and #3 ceramic plungers/pistons were severely cracked. Condensate and gas under approximately 500 psi released uncontrolled to the atmosphere due to an apparent failure of the #1 ceramic plunger/piston in the condensate pump. The plunger/piston failure cause is uncertain, but likely resulted from thermal or acoustic (e.g. liquid hammer) shock. February 22, 1999 - Elf Exploration, Inc.
Remarks: The employee was cutting and welding on the wellhead assembly when he saw a hose falling. He tried to catch the hose and caught an arm in between drilling equipment, breaking his arm badly. March 9, 1999 - Vastar Resources, Inc.
Remarks: A construction contract employee was hammering a nut onto a stud on a flange. The hammer glanced off the nut and struck the employee's left knee. March 20, 1999 - Mobil Exploration & Producing
Remarks: Gas from the #3 flash gas compressor entered the domestic water system through a water fill-line. The compressor was taken off-line March 17 to repair broken belts on the water pump and re-started Marchch 20. At 9:05 a.m., the scrubber LSH alarmed. The Automated Systems Technician (AST) drained the liquids between the LSH and LSL and restarted the compressor. At approximately 9:50 a.m. a galley hand noticed yellow water entering both washing machines. She closed the door to the laundry room and left the washing machines in the fill/on position. She notified the operation assistant of the problem. The AST drained clear water from the bottom drain valve on the domestic water tank. He ran yellowish brown water from the galley faucet. The AST turned on the outside sink faucet at 10:05 a.m. and found the same condition as in the galley, but he also smelled gas. At 10:08 a.m., both the AST and EHS technician were walking towards the door to the living quarters when the explosion occurred in the laundry room. They smothered the flames using a piece of the ceiling tile. The activation of a smoke detector on the 1st floor of the living quarters caused a fire detection system alarm. The suspected ignition source is either the washing machines or clothes dryers. All personnel were quickly accounted for after the incident. Producing operations were shut down and all utilities to the living quarters were shut off. All non-essential personnel were flown to Morgan City. The remaining essential crewmembers disconnected the domestic water system from the production process and flushed it to remove the gas and hydrocarbons from the piping. Mobil foremen declared the scene to be safe; utilities were restored to the living quarters and the platform was restored to production. March 22, 1999 - W & T Offshore, Inc.
Remarks: While preparing to reinstall the platform generator that had been overhauled, an employee was moving a building to one side of the platform with the crane. After moving the building, he went to help remove the slings. When he walked around the building, he stepped on a piece of grating that had become loose and fell 24 feet to the cellar deck. The grating was probably pulled loose from the anchors and bolts while moving the building. April 9, 1999 - Vastar Resources, Inc.
Remarks: As
part of deactivation of the platform’s process drain line system, a section of the
high-pressure separator’s drain line was being cut with an electrical bandsaw.
Construction contract personnel stopped severing the line because condensate flowed from
the cut. After attempting to contain the spilled condensate and observing no more liquids
flowing from the cut, the workers continued to cut the line. Condensate flowed from the
cut and drenched the saw operator. The saw ignited the condensate and the ensuing fire
engulfed the worker, who died days later as a result of the burns. Another worker was
injured attempting to assist the burned worker. The fire caused approximately one million
dollars worth of damage to the platform and approximately 15 gallons of condensate spilled
into the Gulf. See OCS
Report MMS 2000-029
April 20, 1999 - Mobil Oil Corporation
Remarks: A production employee got his left hand caught between a pulley and lead cable while operating a come-along. He lost his left index finger. May 26, 1999 - Chevron U.S.A., Inc.
Remarks: The crane operator was moving a bundle of drill pipes when he struck a 3-foot section of handrail. The section of handrail was knocked out of its mounting sockets and fell approximately 20 feet to the main deck below, striking one of the rig's personnel on the shoulder. The blow knocked him down and he struck a welding machine with his head. June 8, 1999 - Energy Resource Technology, Inc.
Remarks: The M/V Republic Tide was using a 3-inch hose to pump fluid to rig Cliffs 153, but the bow thruster failed. The boat drifted, causing the hose to pin two employees on the rig between the hose and a catwalk. One employee had both legs fractured below the knee; the other employee had a mashed toe. The employee with the broken legs was med-evaced to a Baton Rouge hospital where he lost his right leg. June 14, 1999 - Callon Petroleum Company
Remarks: The employee injured his right wrist while he was chipping paint and rust on the production deck near the separator skid. July 4, 1999 - Exxon Corporation
Remarks: An employee was on the M/V San Jacinto, loading BOPs when the boat made a surge downward about 3-4 feet, lifting the drill spool from the deck. The injured attempted to move but slipped on the deck and was caught between the drill pipe and drill spool. He was transported to the hospital where doctors reported that the bone below his left knee and right ankle were fractured. July 7, 1999 - Coastal Oil & Gas Corporation
Remarks: An employee was holding an impact wrench in his left hand while attempting to dislodge a nut from a socket with his right index finger. He accidentally squeezed the trigger, causing the wrench to screw the nut onto his right index finger past the first joint. Unable to remove the nut on the rig, the employee was sent to local hospital. July 13, 1999 - Shell Deepwater Development, Inc.
Remarks: Two Noble employees were assigned to install the MUX lines in the clamps on the riser; to prevent damage they needed to hand guide the MUX lines when the riser was slacked off. Both employees were wearing work vests and the necessary PPE full body harness hooked to a fall-arresting device (Sala block). They were required to stand directly under the tensioner ring, which was locked to the diverter housing 15 feet above the work platform. The driller was in the process of opening the riser spider by picking up approximately 18 inches and then slacking off 2½ feet. The crew heard a loud bang and stopped operations. They tried to run out from under the falling tensioner ring. One of the employees was struck on the lower back by a tensioner wire clevis but was able to walk off the platform under his own power. The other employee was struck by a tensioner wire and/or clevis; his right elbow, head, and right hip were injured. He was removed from the platform by stretcher and air evacuated to West Jefferson Hospital. July 16, 1999 - Stone Energy Corporation
Remarks: On the first lift of the morning, the crane operator was lifting two workers with the fastline and the boom simultaneously. When he let off the fastline control the boom cable broke, dropping the two people into the water. July 21, 1999- - Vastar Resources, Inc.
Remarks: A contract employee was swinging onto the platform from a crew boat. He landed off balance on the platform boat landing and twisted his left knee, possibly tearing ligaments. The boat landing and swing rope were in good condition and the seas were calm. The employee apparently used poor judgment in positioning his body while using the swing rope to board the platform. August 8, 1999 - Coastal Oil & Gas Corporation
Remarks: The contract employee was climbing down a permanent ladder from the production deck to the sump deck when he slipped on the ladder and fell approximately 10 feet, injuring his right thigh, left elbow, and neck. August 26, 1999 - CNG Producing Company
Remarks: A PHI helicopter was departing the platform when a gust of wind apparently blew it from the helideck to the production deck below. One person sustained serious injuries. September 5, 1999 - Chevron U.S.A., Inc.
Remarks: The rig was rigging up on a well and was removing a dry hole tree on the wellhead. A welder was assisting in setting the dry hole tree on the deck as it was being moved away from the wellhead. A bolt in a flange on the dry hole tree trapped the middle finger of his right hand between the deck and the flange and pinched off the end of his finger. September 25, 1999 - OXY U.S.A., Inc.
Remarks: A leg collapsed on a 3-leg lift boat. Three people were injured and one was missing. On October 4, the missing individual was presumed dead. This incident is under investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard. October 3, 1999 - BP Amoco Corporation
Remarks: An Amoco production worker injured his back while opening a 4-inch block valve on the east diesel storage leg to equalize the diesel between the west and east diesel storage legs. November 1, 1999 - Freeport-McMoRan Sulphur, Inc.
Remarks: An employee was pressuring up the instrument air dryer after changing out the air filters. Once the air filter canisters were pressurized, the top of one canister blew off and struck the employee in the neck. He suffered a 7-inch laceration under his chin. The equipment failed due to a cracked wing nut. November 9, 1999 - Union Oil Company of California
Remarks: While slipping a cable on the crane as preventative maintenance, an employee caught his right index finger in the "dead man wedge." It split his finger open. November 16, 1999 - Unocal Exploration Corporation
Remarks: Third party personnel attempted to help the rig crew guide the tongs out of the V-door. When the tongs were slightly lifted off of the rig floor, they slid toward the air hoist. The third party personnel, attempting to slow down the sliding tongs, mistakenly stepped between the angle iron and the tongs. He was pinched on the left foot between the tongs and the angle iron brace. November 16, 1999 - CXY Energy, Inc.
Remarks: During the welding of a flange on the inlet piping of a production vessel, a flash fire occurred. One welder was burned. November 30, 1999 - Seneca Resources Corporation
Remarks: A contract mechanic was replacing a valve cap on the third stage suction scrubber of the gas compressor. His grip on the valve cap slipped and he caught his ring in a pinch point and crushed his finger. He returned to restricted duty on December 1, 1999. December 2, 1999 - Apache Corporation
Remarks: Well A-2 kicked while a snubbing unit crew was running a gravel pack assembly into the well. The well began blowing out uncontrolled with the gravel pack assembly in the BOP stack. All personnel were evacuated and the platform was shut in. The next day the well bridged over. This incident is under investigation by MMS. December 5, 1999 - Energy Resource Technology, Inc.
Remarks: A helicopter stopped to drop off parts. Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter crashed into the Gulf. There were no passengers on board and only one pilot, who was picked up and sent to Terrebonne General Hospital in Houma. The pilot had two broken ribs. December 9, 1999 - BP Amoco Corporation
Remarks: A drilling rig roustabout was helping a crane operator and a roustabout with a routine operation; the rig crane was being used to offload several changeover subs onto a drill pipe rack in order to obtain sub measurements. The second sub was lifted clear of the basket and raised to a height of approximately 11 feet to clear the rig's steel storage rack of assorted piping and angle iron. The height caused the roustabout to have trouble controlling the load with a limited length of tag line; this, along with the crane operator swinging the boom, created a pendulum effect with the load. The roustabout released the changeover sub tagline. The swinging change over sub struck a portion of the cantilever pinning platform, disengaging the sling hook out of one end of the sub. The employee was struck by the 400-lb, 3½-foot long sub on his left leg just behind the knee as he was attempting to move and stand clear of the uncontrolled released sub. First aid was rendered onsite immediately and he was air evacuated to Lake Charles, Memorial Hospital. He suffered a multiple fracture to his lower left leg, which was amputated due to medical complications. December 31, 1999 - Coastal Oil & Gas Corporation
Remarks: The employee was preparing to offload a grocery box from a boat. While walking across the upper deck, he stepped on a piece of loose grating left from previous construction. The grating flipped and the employee fell approximately 25 feet to the next level beside the gas compressor. The employee sustained no broken bones or teeth but required stitches before being released on the same day. Privacy | Disclaimers | Accessibility | Topic Index | FOIA Last Updated: 06/24/08, 03:07 PM
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