Lifting operation incident

A member has reported an accident that took place during an onshore drilling operation. The crew was rigging down various rig components during the rig move to a new location. The assistant driller was assigned to move the mixing pump skid away from the pits. A crane was set up near the mixing tank and the eyes of two slings were to be attached to the hook of the crane at one end and to the lifting lugs of the mixing tank at the other end. There was a problem fitting one of the eyes over the lug nearest the crane. The assistant driller, who was also acting as a signalman for the crane, attempted to push the eye over the lug using his foot. As he needed to keep pressure on the eye of the sling and be out of the way of the skid as it was lifted, he moved inside the suitcase which was adjacent to the mixing pump skid, still keeping his foot on the sling. He gave the signal to lift and as the weight was taken on the sling, the sling came in contact with the unsecured lid of the adjacent suitcase, causing it to slam down on the assistant driller’s arm.

The company’s investigation of the accident led to the following conclusions:

• The crane arrived with unacceptable slings and was supplied with rig slings. The slings used to fit over the lifting lugs were not ‘job specific’.
• The lids on the suitcases were not fitted with any securing device. No one recognised the open lids as being a hazard.
• There were some members of the crew who didn’t attend the pre-job tool box meeting and the injured person was one of them.
• Safe work practices were not adhered to as the personnel dared to position themselves in hazardous situations.

The company’s corrective action:

• All personnel must attend pre-tour, pre-job and all other safety meetings.
• Inspect certification of all cranes arriving on site before commencement of operation.
• Review safe work procedures for lifting operations and develop job safety analysis to encompass areas not covered by present system.