The Norwegian offshore oil industry safety body PSA Norway has completed its investigation of an incident involving a dropped object and serious personal injury that happened on the Askeladden jack-up rig on February 10, 2021, and has issued an order to KCA Deutag Drilling Norge (KCAD).
Askeladden is a jack-up drilling rig owned by production licence 050 (Gullfaks) and operated by KCAD.
“This incident occurred during disconnection of a cuttings hose. In connecting with lifting the hose, a webbing sling was installed at one end. The injured person entered an exposed area to remove a safety strap when the webbing sling broke, the hose fell, and the person was hit on the left shoulder/neck,” the PSA Norway said.
The person hit by the hose was seriously injured. Material damage also occurred to the webbing sling and the hose. “Under slightly different circumstances, the incident could have resulted in loss of life,” the PSA added.
According to the PSA, the direct cause of the incident was the failure of the webbing sling.
"This occurred as a result of overloading because it snagged on the underside of the hang-off saddle as the crane was lifting. The sling thereby exceeded its maximum working load," the PSA said.
The PSA also found that the underlying causes relate mainly to the design of the port hose and hose station; view from the offshore crane to the port hose station; and execution of the activity.
The PSA’s investigation of the incident has identified three nonconformities related to inadequate design of the hose station for handling cuttings; inadequate safety clearance of activities, and inadequate execution of lifting operations.
Two improvement points have also been identified. These were related to competence and procedures.
Based on the investigation findings, the PSA ordered KCA Deutag to identify and implement measures that ensure that handling cuttings hoses is planned and executed in such a way that those participating in the activity are not injured and that this can be done in an effective and prudent manner on KCAD’s facilities in Norway.
Further, KCA has been ordered to review the systems for managing lifting operations and for safety clearance of activities with associated work processes, and implement measures that ensure prudent lifting operations.
Also, KCA has to present a binding and scheduled plan for corrective measures, which also sets priorities for the measures, with a description of possible compensatory measures. The deadline for submitting this plan is June 25, 2021.
“The deadline for complying with the order is September 30, 2021. We must be informed when the order has been complied with,” the PSA said.
The entire incident report can be found here: https://www.ptil.no/contentassets/8cfb642fbc7544098475f7a8cae8b672/2021_295-rapport-eng-gransking-kca-deutag-askeladden.pdf