Alert 13 – 17 Fall From Heights Results in Fatality
WHAT HAPPENED:
The derrick had been lowered to the ground for disassembly and two of the three cranes were set up to start taking apart the substructure. A crane rigger and four other rig employees went up to the substructure to start knocking pins out of the spreaders so the crane slings could tie on to them and lower them to the ground. The first piece that needed to be removed from the substructure was the off-driller-side rotary beam. The crane rigger had attached the crane chains/cables to the rotary beam and, using hand signals, notified the crane operator to begin lifting the rotary beam. As the beam was being lifted, the crane rigger noticed that the chains were not centered, thus causing the beam to be lifted unevenly, which caused it to get in a bind. The crane rigger signaled for the crane operator to stop his lift and slack off so he could re-position the chains on the beam. The crane rigger then stepped out onto the beam; when he did, the beam came free and fell, allowing him to fall approximately 30 feet (9m) to the matting boards below. Despite the efforts of
co-workers and EMS, the crane rigger died from his injuries sustained in the fall.