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Alberta worker fatally injured during pumpjack maintenance |
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Written by REM Staff
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While completing maintenance on a pumpjack in Alberta, a contractor was
killed when the arm of the counter weight struck the worker on the side
of the head, according to a Safety Alert released last month by Enform, the safety association for Canada's upstream oil and gas industry. No details about the employer were released.
According to the incident description, a contract oilfield maintenance
company was hired by the operator to install insulation around the
pumpjack header system and fuel gas line. The insulation was to be
installed on the piping prior to winter freezing. The fuel gas line
that was to be insulated was positioned below the pumpjack base. The
pumpjack was elevated above ground level due to ground elevation issues
and wellhead placement.
However, during the installation, the worker entered the danger zone
and was struck on the head by the pumpjack counter-weight arm.
Enform made recommendation for corrective actions to prevent such incidents in the future:
- Maintenance must not be performed on moving equipment.
- Pumpjacks
must be properly shut down and locked out prior to any maintenance
operations that occur on a pumpjack or in close proximity to the
pumpjack.
- During any maintenance or hazardous tasks being
completed by workers, all hazards need to be addressed and properly
eliminated or controlled.
- Recommended equipment
modifications: Pumpjacks that are elevated in the field must have
additional guarding installed on them to prevent workers from entering
the zone where the weights swing.
- In the case of elevated
pumpjacks, the guarding must be positioned so that no worker can access
the zone from below. All companies must ensure there are procedures for
locking out and securing energy sources and these procedures are
communicated to all applicable workers. Companies may wish to check all
pumpjacks and ensure that not only side guards are in place but that
guarding is adequate if pumpjack is elevated and therefore provides
opportunity for access from below.
According to Enform, reporting is important. Collaboration is a key
strategy to reduce injuries, improve efficiencies, and promote positive
working relationships. Enform issues Safety Alerts to reduce worker
injuries in the Canadian petroleum industry. A Safety Alert can be
issued about any industry equipment, process or practice, including:
injuries, fatalities, motor vehicle incidents, near hits/misses or
other losses; and any activity within the oil and gas industry.
www.enform.ca
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