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- REPORT
CHARACTERISTICS:
DONOR: Alberta Community and Occupational
Health
Occupational Health and Safety Division
JURISDICTION:
ALBERTA
REPORT TITLE: Fatality Investigation Data
Base
INFORMATION ABOUT DECEASED:
NAME: Confidential
SEX: Male AGE: 22
OCCUPATION: rotary well drilling and related
occupations
INDUSTRY:
well servicing with service
rigs
Industrial sector: mines, quarries and oil
ACCIDENT
INFORMATION:
DATE OF ACCIDENT: Confidential
PLACE: LEGAL
DESCRIPT AREA: Red Deer region
NATURE OF INJURY:
asphyxia
(suffocation/drowning) or strangulation
TYPE OF
ACCIDENT:
contact with gases/fumes by inhalation (lack of
oxygen)
SOURCE OF INJURY:
chemicals (not coal/petroleum
products, hydrogen sulphide)
boxes, barrels, containers,
packages, unattached doors
ACCIDENT
DESCRIPTION:
Five workers and an engineer were swabbing a
newly drilled well. Formation
fracturing fluids with gaseous
nitrogen had been pumped into the well the
previous day.
Following swabbing, fluids flowed from the well into a 50'
long
by 12' high by 8' wide closed tank, with an access hatch
at the top rear and
ladders leading from the ground to the
hatch and then down into the tank.
While gauging the level of
fluid in the tank, the deceased who was alone,
either climbed
into the tank or fell in and was overcome by gasses or lack
of
oxygen. He died in the tank. Another worker entered the tank
to attempt a
rescue, was overcome and died. A third worker
entered next, felt ill and was
able to come out. A fourth
worker entered next, was overcome and died. Then a
fifth worker
entered, felt ill and got out safely. None of the crew
wore
respiratory protective
apparatus.
INVESTIGATION:
DATE: 1977-09-13
UNSAFE
ACT(S):
safety device removed or rendered inoperative
unsafe
position/posture, inappropriate operational position
UNSAFE
CONDITION(S):
no unsafe condition identified
INDIRECT
CAUSE(S):
management's deliberate disregard of known safe
procedures
EMPLOYER ACTION(S):
eliminate unsafe
procedure
provide instruction, training, supervision to
workers
OHSO ACTION(S):
inspections
meeting with company
representatives
OTHER'S ACTION(S):
prosecution of
employer
REGULATION(S): 27076016 27076016 27076224
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©2004 Canadian Centre for Occupational
Health & Safety 