Safety Learning: Could This Happen in Your OC?
San Juan South May 20th, 09
Brief Account of Incident:
On the Uptegroove GC 1A well site a 21 bbl tank was being prepared to be cleaned. The tank had a two piece expanded metal top. A
roustabout crew had just finished removing the bolts holding the expanded metal top on to give access to a vacuum truck to clean out 3" of
mud in the bottom. A laborer on the roustabout crew placed his left foot on the expanded metal and his right foot on the cellar board. It was
at this time the expanded metal top folded into the tank under his weight. The laborer rode the expanded metal to the bottom and ended up
in a standing position on the expanded metal and mud laying in the bottom of the tank. He received a small scratch on the tip of his nose
with no other injury reported or noticed. The laborer quickly climbed out of the tank and the job was stopped.
Critical Factor:
Hazards were not recognized
Immediate Causes:
3.2 Personal protective equipment or methods not used (i.e. fall arrest or
guardrails)
3.6 Removal of guards, warning systems or safety devices (i.e. protective
fencing)
System Causes:
19.2 Risk assessment not effective
Working around open cellar or tank not identified as a hazard on JSEA
Key Learnings:
•
•
Expanded metal tank tops are not
intended as a working or walking surface
Job steps and associated hazards related
to tank cleaning were not identified and
reviewed on JSEA