Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: STRUCK BY

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 struck-by hazards from the unexpected and sudden release of well pressure: On or about September 9, 2011, at this oilfield well site, employees were exposed to hazards related to the sudden release of high-pressure well gas and the catastrophic overpressure failure of attached workover (wireline) equipment. Among others, one feasible and accepted means of abatement would be to: a.develop a job safety analysis (JSA) program for planned jobs at remote customer work sites and implementation between multiple present employers prior to the beginning of work, in accordance with API RP 76- 2004 - "Contractor Safety Management for Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Operations" b.develop and implement written work procedures for routine tasks, including but not limited to, the relieving (bleeding down) of well pressures to a safe level immediately prior to connecting and operating associated workover equipment, in accordance with API RP 54-1999 (R2007) - "Recommended Practice for Occupational Safety for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations" c.develop and implement written work procedures to prevent the operating of piping, hoses, valves, etc. at pressures greater than their rated working pressures, in accordance with API RP 54-1999 (R2007) - "Recommended Practice for Occupational Safety for Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing Operations", Section 9.13.